Here I am!

I am delighted to announce that I arrived Tuesday night in Innsbruck, Austria. It was a relatively smooth trip, and I think I’ve conquered jet lag already. In my book, that marks it as a success, especially considering a third factor: the fascinating people I've already met. I will describe them in the order in which I met them.

1. The Dog Adopter sat next to me on my way to London (my layover between Newark and Munich). She has 12 canines, all of which were abandoned at the veterinary hospital where she works. She and her son were off to Normandy, France for her daughter's wedding. Though her children have lived in about 5 countries, she hates plane rides and generally sticks to the US. On her other side was a Malay businessman from Kuala Lumpur. His son, currently studying in Ukraine, can read and write in Malay, English, Russian, Arabic, and Japanese! No pressure for the son's two younger sisters...

2. The Train Station Loiterer, in Munich’s Hauptbahnhof, was the first person whose eye I caught in seeking help with the pay phone. A young guy with broken German, Mehdi helped me figure out how to dial the number, then accompanied me to my train. While he was quite the gentleman, I’m not sure I plan to call the number he wrote on my ticket. Incidentally, trains and train stations seem to be the location of choice for adolescent guys. Several got on and off the train to Innsbruck, and they waved and yelled enthusiastically to people at other stations.

3. The Rescuer was a huge help when my train to Innsbruck was so late that both of us missed our connection. I wish I could remember her name…something like Hishomi…but she’s a twentysomething Japanese who spent several years working in Germany and recently moved to Innsbruck. She helped me find the next train, get my luggage on board, and avoid #4. She also lent me her cell phone to call my friend waiting in Innsbruck, and provided some lively conversation to keep me awake on the train.

4. The Drunk was waiting for the same train as us, and I’m not sure how he was allowed onboard when he could barely stand up. He also tried to help me roll my suitcase through the train, but only succeeded in knocking it over once or twice. He followed us, but Hishomi and I were thankfully able to walk quickly enough to duck into a separate compartment where he didn’t see us.

5. The Best Hosts Yet are up for some stiff competition when I change locations next week. Dani (short for Daniel) and Lydia are siblings whose mom was friends with my mom years ago here in Innsbruck. Though both their parents are American, Dani and Lydia grew up in Jordan as missionary kids, and always came to Germany and Austria in between on furlough. They honestly seem more Austrian than American to me – even their accents, though they speak mostly English with each other. They’re super-fun! They both love the outdoors (like true Austrians), play all kinds of instruments, and are students here (in medicine and nursing, respectively).

6. The Friendly Neighbor came over yesterday waving a magazine full of soccer players. He, like everyone else I’ve met, is excited about the Europa Meisterschaft, a huge European soccer tournament taking place here in Innsbruck next month. Bilal is Turkish and probably about 7 years old. He, his mom, and 4 sisters (all younger?) live downstairs from Dani and Lydia’s apartment. Dani and Lydia have grown really close with him and the other kids, and often play ball outside, give them firecrackers, etc. Dani said he’s kind of the father role in their lives, since their no-good dad recently left. It was cool for me to meet Bilal, because I spent the whole semester studying Turkish families like his in Germany, and I think their situation is fairly analagous. As in many cases, his mom speaks almost no German…she has a tough road ahead of her.

7. The Swedish Baker had a good chat with me last night at the Christian student group that I attended with Lydia. Susanna is an exchange student who’s been here since January, and it was nice to spend some time with another foreigner who didn’t mind the slower-paced conversation. She baked an amazing chocolate dessert for Swedish Night, which happened to be the theme of last night’s meeting. We all went around waving Swedish flags and competed in small groups to pronounce a Swedish tongue-twister, produce an Ikea commercial, and pound down a box of Swedish candy.

8. The Blast from the Past was at this morning’s brunch, hosted by the same student group. As I chatted with people sitting near me, a girl on my left told me I looked familiar. We soon realized we had met before! Tini (short for Bettina) is best friends with Berit, whom I visited during my first trip at age 14. I remember having a lot of fun with Tini, but it never occurred to me I’d see her this time since Berit’s in Vienna. We’re hoping to hang out over the weekend. My mom spent 4 years here in Innsbruck after college, and it’s amazing to me how connected her friends have stayed to each other. Case in point: Tini’s brother Bernhardt is dating Lydia from #5.

Stay tuned...more noteworthy encounters are sure to follow...