In the Words of Bon Jovi

This is one of my favorite parts of the city.

We're halfway there.

 

Today marks the halfway point of my journey here in Innsbruck.

Never thought it would be so bittersweet. 

When I first got here, I had a hard time. It's not to say I wasn't enjoying it, because I was enjoying it. I recognized how lucky I was and saw how beautiful the city was. I just had a lot of homesickness, jet lag, and frustration. Everything was so new, I didn't understand any of the language, and I had no idea where anything was or how anything worked.

Well, things have changed. Innsbruck feels like home now. I wake up now, and instead of feeling an instant pang of homesickness I simply get ready for the day with a smile on my face. (Except when I have to wake up early on Tuesdays. I still hate early.) I've had the chance to see some new places, make some amazing friends, and taste some incredible food. (Sorry new friends...I might miss the food the most. ;) ) I also find myself not caring that I can't understand everyone, and better yet I am starting to understand a few things myself. Not to mention this country/continent takes Christmas to a new level. It's only the second week in November and they're setting up trees, lights, and the Christmas markets should be opening within the next week or so. Christmas is by far my favorite holiday and I'm so excited I get to spend part of the Christmas season here. 

So you can see why it's bittersweet.

I absolutely love it here. But I also absolutely love home and the people waiting for me there. I am so excited to see everyone again, but when I think about leaving Innsbruck I get sad. It's not like I can easily hop a plane and come visit whenever I want. 

So what does this mean for me? This means I'm not going to waste a day sitting around. Even if that just means walking around the city doing nothing in particular. This means I'm going to make the best of the last half of my time here. This means I'll probably take a lot more pictures. That is if I can remember to charge my camera...

When I first got here, I counted down every day. I would say, "Okay...I made it through another day...only this much longer..." and the days passed by so slowly. Now I've virtually stopped counting. I'm still keeping track of how many weeks I have left but it's not constantly on my mind anymore. And time. Is. Flying. Funny how that happens. I wish the times I wasn't having as much fun would have flown by and this last half could slow down. 

I almost regret feeling the way I did when I got here. I could have enjoyed it so much more. But at the same time, I think I needed to feel that way. I needed to know what it was like to have culture shock. I needed to know what it was like to figure things out on my own and learn. I needed to miss home incredibly to appreciate what I have waiting for me. 

But now that's over and I'm going to "live it up," as they say.

Look out, Innsbruck.