…since I returned to Austria, my home country.
Exactly one year ago I arrived at Zurich airport which marked my return to Europe after 7 years abroad – 6 years teaching in New York City & 1 year traveling around the world. This last year hasn’t been much smooth sailing, but more of a rollercoaster ride. It’s been a year full of new beginnings, interesting experiences, and expected as well as unexpected adjustments. It’s been a year of feeling a little lost at times - in the fall often still feeling more connected to my old life in New York City than my new (old) life in Vienna. I realized that 7 years is a long time & things had changed. During my 6 years in New York I had not only adapted to life there – sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously – but also gotten used to it – the good and the bad. I had become more familiar with it than life in Austria. Then, my trip around the world made me see so much of our world – countries, cultures, people, animals, food, etc. After all this, I wasn’t just going to fit in again here in Austria. And believe me there’s hardly any weirder feeling than that of feeling like a foreigner in your own country!!! Feeling like one while still not really being a foreigner can be a rather confusing experience.
“It takes about a year to really return after such a long time abroad”, is what friends told me.
There’s no shortcut.
But I’m slowly settling and I’m starting to feel that things are going to work out - that it was the right decision after all.
I have accepted that it takes time to not just physically but also emotionally arrive…
So better late than never 
:
Vienna, here I am 
PS: Do you know the book “I’m a stranger here myself”? It got a whole new meaning this year - I can now truly relate to the author’s experience
PPS: Met with Sonja & Christian today – old Austrian friends whom I’ve known since 2002, who still live in New York City & also traveled the same year as I did. It was so nice to see them
PPPS: Skyped with Veronika & her kids in NYC this evening It’s wonderful to stay in touch with old friends!
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