All in all, Salzburg was a throwback to my Sound of Music days back in Pittsburgh. If you knew me back in 2008-09, I was cast as Frau Schmidt the Housekeeper in the lovely musical. I wore a fat suit and old age makeup, and essentially rocked the house. It was lovely to see the place in person, finally. After walking around the gardens where the "Do Re Mi" song was filmed, we visited the gazebo wear Liesl and Rolf kiss and sing the iconic "Sixteen going on Seventeen" song--a defining part of my youth, really. We also took a tour around the city and went to a fun carnival. I liked going to the Christmas Ornament store that they have open year round! Most famously, they have gorgeous hand=painted eggs that they sell for every season. For most of the day, we had some of our Internship director's kids with us. They are lovely. I've included photos of Will carrying Amina, and also a picture of them running in the gardens, and having a Julie Andrews moment. (<3) We also toured the Hellbrunn Palace! If you know anything about this place, it has these gardens that are designed to be pranks on the guests who came to visit. Essentially, all of the different places to go, things to see, and areas to sit are designed to get you soaking wet! How fun is that? Unfortunately, I was scared of my phone getting wet, so I don't have ANY pictures of it! Definitely take a second, and look it up online, because it's very cool!
We also visited an antique jewelry store where Will surprised me with a beautiful garnet ring from the 19th century! It was a wonderful late birthday present, and I wear it everyday. So, I'll always have a piece of Salzburg with me.
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So, on September 22nd, my study abroad group boarded a large bus and departed the gorgeous city of Vienna. Our first stop was the Mauthausen Concentration camp that I posted about last. I will not be revisiting that experience, because I still get tears in my eyes every time I think about it. However, because the wi-fi was so bad at the different hotels we stayed at on the trip, I was unable to post about our many adventures. And since then...I've been oh so very busy. So...I will be posting a series of catch-ups with a myriad of photos, so stay tuned. This first post is about Halstatt, Austria (one of my most favorite places in the world.) To start off with, here are some pictures of the stop sign our tour bus almost wrecked. This is a photo through our window. The stop sign was quite literally a quarter of an inch (or less!) away from the glass. I was SO impressed that the bus driver got through that street. Roads in Austria are SO NARROW! After that fiasco, we made it to our Bed & Breakfast. I have to say that honestly, Halstatt is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life, and I would love to go back. It was so amazing. The first evening we were there, a bunch of us took boat rides in the beautiful lake, and it was SO much fun! We went with our friends Gwen & Dallin. (There are four married couples on this trip--Gwen & Dallin, Ben & Carli, Matt & Amanda, and us) Here are some pictures of us from the boat ride. It was marvelous. After that, we had some delightful pizza and walked around the town. It was a lot colder there than I was expecting, and so I was shivering the whole night. Pack warm clothes when you come to Austria! You never know what you are going to get! The next morning, we went with our whole group to tour the salt mines! (This is what Halstatt is famous for. They have these ancient salt mines that have been used for literally thousands of years.) I thought the mines were incredibly interesting. there were underground pools that were filled with water and the way to harvest the salt is by sucking the water out of the ground, and essentially boiling it until just the salt is left. How weird is that? I thought it was incredible. The best part was the fact that we all had to wear absolutely ridiculous outfits! They gave us these massive smock sets to cover our clothes. They were awesome because they protected our butts against splinters when we went down the huge wooden slides inside the mines that allowed us to travel from level to level. After the salt mines, us and two of the other couples decided to go on an adventure hike to Halstatt's glacier pools! It was so beautiful! I seriously felt like I was exploring an Elven forest from Lord of the Rings. And of course, we had to be adventurers and actually get in the freezing glacier water! Sounds like a perfect idea for someone who is almost always freezing, right? Ha. It seriously was the most beautiful hike I've ever been on, and among my most favorite things I've ever done. There were these beautiful waterfalls at the top of the hike, and I just sat by myself and stared at them for a solid ten minutes. The beauty of nature in this world is absolutely mind boggling. We are so lucky to live on such a beautiful planet. Last but not least: The Bone Church! One of the coolest things about Halstatt was the cemetery! Halstatt is this tiny town, so there was only one place people could bury their dead. Unfortunately...space is limited, so every few years, the bones would be taken out of the graves and put into a church. This allowed for more people to be respectfully interred at the time of their death. How cool is that? Recycling graves! In the bone church, the skulls are all painted beautifully with the name of the person on it. The bones are then placed respectfully on shelves beneath the display of skulls. I honestly thought it was beautiful, but supremely creepy at the same time. And it was also the singularly most beautiful cemeteries I have ever been in. Most of the graves are family graves purchased so that every member of one family can be put to rest in the same place. All in all...Halstatt was a dream. I can't wait to go back someday and take my whole family!
Today, I cried a lot. Many people know this about me, but I cannot handle violence of any kind. I cover my eyes during fight scenes in movies, and I have anxiety attacks when people yell or scream at me. I physically cannot handle violence.
So, today, when we visited the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, I cried for a very long time. So many people died there. There was so much unnecessary cruelty. I wasn't aware that Mauthausen was a work camp. The whole thing is actually one giant stone quarry, and the prisoners were made to mine in the quarry every day. They would go on this massive trek from the top of the camp to the bottom of the stone quarry, where they would lift incredibly heavy stones, and carry them back up. People passed out from exhaustion, and when this happened, they were shot on sight by Nazi guards. Will and I made the trek down to the stone quarry, and it was difficult. The path was paved incredibly unevenly, and even in my good boots, I was slipping a lot. The last part of the hike had about 200 of the steepest stairs you have ever seen. It took me a solid 10 minutes just to get down the stairs themselves. At the bottom, there was a lot of space, and a really beautiful green meadow. There were also a lot of stone pieces and rocks everywhere. Will and I decided that to honor the people who died hauling stones from the quarry, we would carry stones all the way back up to the top. We placed them on one of the monuments honoring the dead. Concentration camps are some of the saddest things in human history. While I have trouble stomaching it, I think everyone should experience one and do the research behind it. It is hugely important to acknowledge the atrocities of the human race, so that we can work hard to avoid making the same massive mistakes in the future. I have included photos of the quarry and our hike, pictures of different areas of the main camp--including one of the ovens used to burn the bodies of dead prisoners, and photos of one of the cemeteries that was built on the grounds after the war ended. So, the first thing I want to talk to you about is toilets. The first toilet we saw here was in our hotel room and it was a literal square. Like, as in made for Spongebob Squarepants. I actually and genuinely fell into the toilet the first time I used it. It was awful.
However, after we got to our apartment, I learned something about Austria. Normal houses (and not luxury hotels with toilets made for cartoon characters) have toilets with something called a "poop shelf" in them. Now, this is a literal shelf inside the toilet that your poop lands on. Then, when you've finished your business, you are supposed to use this toilet brush thing to sort of scrape all of your poop into the lower part of the toilet... And then you flush and scrub until there are no remains of your...remains. It is AWFUL. Apparently it's meant to conserve water, but really...it just is 18 different kinds of disgusting. I will take the Spongebob Squarepants toilet over this nonsense any day. But alas. I have attached photos. The next thing I want to talk about is Kebaps, where you find them, and the people you run into around them. Kebaps are a delicious type of Turkish food that can be found on almost every corner. Street vendors sell them, but they also have their own sit-down restaurants. On our first full day in Vienna, Will and I went to a sit-down Kebap shop and ordered food. I went to sit down and left the ordering to Will, since he speaks both Turkish and German and I struggle with my English conversation skills (haha.) The moment I sat down, I noticed a Middle Eastern man sitting across from me. Being :fresh off the boat," as it were, I smiled at him. Now, if you don't know, smiling at strangers is a stereotypical marker for flirty American women. Women in Europe just don't smile at people--because they know it's dangerous. Almost immediately after I sat down, this man started snapping photos of me. When I noticed this, I observed that there was another Middle Eastern man outside who appeared to be receiving the photos. (I only say this because I watched as the man turned around, looked directly at me, and then nodded at his friend.) Have any of you ever seen that movie "Taken"? Well...I almost lived it. Once I realized what was going on, I made direct eye contact with the man, and asked him what he was doing (in German, so as not to further stereotype myself as an easy target.) As soon as I spoke to him, he put his phone down, and looked away. I then got up, and stood next to Will, and told him exactly what was going on. He put his arm around me, and we sat together to eat our Kebaps. Once the Middle Eastern man saw that I was traveling with another man, he got up and left the shop with his friend in tow. Now, I am not sharing this story with you to scare you. Instead, I'm trying to spread awareness of the dangers of traveling alone as a woman. With it being the 21st century and all, one would think that traveling alone wouldn't make us easy targets, but it does. Ladies: BE CAREFUL. And for the love, do not be overly friendly with people. I am a well-traveled person, who has had much experience with people from different countries, and still--sometimes it is hard for me to remember to dial back my American friendliness. Had I not been aware of my surroundings, and direct with the people involved, something bad might have happened. You just need to remember to be proactive and aware of your surroundings. Travel in groups as much as possible. And for the love, keep the smiling to a minimum. In other news, I am completely in love with this city and everything we have experienced before. If you want to see the many pictures I've posted so far, please visit my Facebook page! I haven't figured out how to link my photo album here, yet...but I will! So, it's story time. As you know, we've been spending the last few weeks preparing for our journey. We packed up our entire house into boxes and moved it into my parents garage. (A feat that I do not wish to ever accomplish again, but alas.)
However, on August 30th, one of my tasks was to go see my lady doctor to get my birth control prescription refilled. (As some of you know I have what's called PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome, and have been taking birth control since I was diagnosed back in 2013 to help minimize cyst growth. It is apparently essential to my health) So, on that fateful Tuesday, I go to visit my favorite Lady Doctor--let's called him Dr. Frank. (That's not his real name, but hello--I'm practicing anonymity.) Dr. Frank and I had a great chat, and of course I brought Mama Suiter (my mother) along, because I am petrified of going to the doctor alone. They caught up on things as well, and then he asked me if I wanted an ultrasound to check on the healthiness of my ovaries. I figured, eh, why not? So, ultrasound he did. Events transpired, and I ended up having to have another, rather invasive ultrasound to get a better look at what he described as a massive tumor (my literal bump in the figurative road) on my left ovary. Let me just say, the word "tumor" is such a scary word. I mean, honestly, people say "tumor," you think "cancer," and then you think "death." So, of course, I was freaking out, but I trust Dr. Frank. He has been my surgeon and Lady Doctor for 3 years. He saved my life in surgery before (but that's a story for a different day.) Bottom line, I trusted him when he sent me to get a CT scan and then referred me to a gynecological surgical oncologist. Now, those are scary titles. Oncologists are cancer doctors. That scared me. A whole freaking lot. Many tears were shed, but you know, I ended up laughing about it. I called a couple of my best friends and family, and we made jokes. One of my friends nicknamed my tumor "Ted the Pot Roast" since the tumor is actually roughly the size of a pot roast. (Isn't that weird to think about? There is a giant hunk of tumor just chilling in my 5'10" 135 lb frame.) The major downside of having to go see this oncologist guy was that he couldn't see me until September 9th (yesterday). Keep in mind, our flight for Vienna leaves on September 13th. This did not leave us much time to have surgery or anything. I was flipping the proverbial lid. After much consultation with Will and prayers and guidance from family, I called our wonderful internship director to inform her of our situation and let her know that we might be coming late, or maybe not at all--depending on whether I actually had cancer. She was beyond understanding and offered a few suggestions on how we could head off the situation, and my mind was put at ease. Finally, Friday came. My parents, Will, and I all drove to Salt Lake to go see the oncologist. I have never had so much anxiety in my life. After an incredibly invasive exam to estimate the exact location and size of my tumor, our oncologist sat me and Will down and went over our options. He told us that my blood test results, my symptoms, and the scans of my tumor were all completely inconsistent with cancer(!!!!!!) He said there was less than a 1% chance that my tumor was cancerous! (HALLE-FREAKING-LUJAH) He explained to me that the tumor is made up of a clear mucus, and that it's actually a regrowth of the cyst I had surgically removed by Dr. Frank back in early 2013. In an effort to preserve my ovary, Dr. Frank had chosen to remove only the cyst. (Which I fully appreciate, because I certainly was not ready to lose an ovary at 16 years old.) However, by trying to separate the cyst from the ovary, and not take both out, he didn't get the whole thing. Apparently, this is a super common occurrence, and I don't blame Dr. Frank at all. He did right by me on all accounts. However, because this thing is now progressing and growing even bigger, we needed a different plan. If you know me, I am a purger of all things unnecessary--as previously mentioned in my last post. The oncologist explained to me that we definitely need to take the tumor out because it is pressing on my stomach, bowels, and bladder (which explains why I don't eat a ton, and always am going to the bathroom.) After explaining the risks of leaving the tumor in for another 3 months (which basically consists of "it might get bigger" and "you might experience uncomfortable pressure"), we all agreed that he would remove the tumor and my crap ovary when we get back from Vienna in December. This way, the tumor won't grow back, and I won't have to worry about having more uncomfortable, almost-trip-ruining medical exams. We are purging the unnecessary. So, the bad news is: I have a giant tumor on my ovary that is the size of a pot roast or fairly large nerf football. The good news is: It isn't cancerous. We can still go on our trip. And, I get to say "I'm eating for two" while we are traveling! (hahahaha) This means I can officially start getting excited again! We are in the air in 3 days, people! So, because Will and I are going to be gone for about 4 months, we have chosen to sublet our house to some very good friends (so we don't have to waste money paying for rent when we won't even be living there.)
Unfortunately, this means we have to pack literally everything we own into boxes and move them into my parent's garage before we leave. If you know me, you know I am a purger of all things unnecessary. So, this endeavor has been a little much for my mental health. My personal opinion is that if I haven't used it in the last 6 months, THROW IT OUT. Clutter and crap you haven't ever used is only going to do one thing: attract more clutter and crap. Of course, my wonderful husband doesn't share my pack or purge mentality. This sometimes throws a wrench into my plans. Last night, I was cleaning the bookshelves off in our front room. Will is a college graduate who will probably never need some of his textbooks ever again, and yet, three boxes full of textbooks are sitting on my living room floor waiting to go into storage. It makes me want to scoop my eyeballs out with a spork, but then again, that's how marriage is sometimes. In other news, there are only 20 more days until we leave! 2 more days of work! (!!!!) In exactly 26 days, my husband Will and I are embarking in our first international adventure together. I wanted to share a little about us before I launch in to everything I'm excited about.
Will graduated from BYU last December with a degree in International Relations. I'm a current junior at BYU and I'm getting my degree in English with a minor in editing. We got married last August in the Logan LDS Temple in Utah. We originally met on Tinder, so judge us as you will. I'm a Tinderella, and I have no shame. I love my husband. We are so happy. We live in South Provo in a small house with our cat, Ebony. (Who regrettably will not be traveling with us *pout*) So, now that you know very little about us, here's the down-low. We will be flying to Vienna, Austria where we will both be starting at new internships and taking classes at the Austro-American Institute in Vienna. To say I'm a little excited is a gross understatement. This is all I have been thinking about for the last 10 months. We will be living in the heart of Vienna on one of the most famous streets. Here is a photo of one of the buildings at the Kunt Haus Museum (which is literally a block away from our apartment) We received our housing assignments a few weeks ago, and needless to say, I GoogleMap-searched the crap out of that place. It is a 30 minute walk from our apartment to the Austro-American Institute, so heaven knows my booty is going to get whipped into shape. Our internships haven't been officially finalized (so that's a little scary). We will be meeting our host families and starting our internships the first week we get to Vienna. THEN! We will be taking small excursions to travel around Europe while we are there, because hey--why not? Our pre-planned trips include: Venice and Florence, Italy; Dresden, Germany; and Prague, Czech Republic. We are also hoping to take some time and visit Switzerland (where Will served his two-year mission) and Paris (where I spent a summer a couple years ago). So, I guess this will be my travel blog? I don't know. For now, I'll be posting about my travel prep and some stuff I feel like you'd like to know (or at least, that I'd like to share). Once we are actually in Vienna, posts will become more regular, I think. This is all very new to me, so we shall see! |
Mariah AllenI am a BYU student majoring in English and spending a semester interning and studying abroad in Vienna Austria. Archives
October 2016
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