Realizing Vienna

 26 June 2011

The weather in Vienna has been a bit Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lately.  Today concludes a fabulous four day weekend with each day spotted by rain storms and sudden drops in temperature.  Between the rain drops, however, I found enough sunshine for several activities.  I took my first motorcycle ride in about 7 years.  The ride was a little over an hour and the destination was one of the biggest lakes in Austria: Neusiedlersee.  Coming from Michigan, the lake spanning from Austria into Hungary was not so impressive in size but amazing in itself.  I also fit in a lovely bicycle ride, drinks with a few great ladies, a trip to the donauinselfest, discovery of the Millenium Center (a shopping center near the Danube), two great yoga classes, cooking delicious fresh asparagus and several lovely walks. 

Also accomplished was starting and finishing a new book from Yann Martel called “Beatrice and Virgil.”  The book sticks with me the most of all my weekend activities.  Especially the end that offered questions such as “You are about to die.  Next to you is a stranger.  He turns to you.  He says something in a language you don’t understand.  What do you do?” and, “A doctor is speaking to you: ‘This pill will erase your memory.  You will forget all your suffering and all your loss.  But you will also forget your entire past.’ Do you swallow the pill?”  These questions posed at the end of this strange story left me shocked, terrified and very thoughtful.  I decided my answer to both questions would be to simply smile truthfully and accept my fate.  In reality though, I found I had a bit of emotional complaining to do sparked by a realization.

Realizations often arrive in the most surprisingly casual way.  As I walked up the stairs to my apartment yesterday, I realized I am the only woman tenant in this upscale building of “business apartments.”  All business men reside here who have no spouses, no significant others and then there is me.  The person who is mirrored back at me by the place I live is a successful woman in a man’s world.  This is overwhelming.  I do not want to live like a man.  I am a woman who wants all those things a woman wants including a partner in life, a child, a big fluffy doggy and a home to fill with love.  Where I am right now does not define me, it is simply an interesting stop on my path filled with inevitable and blessed happiness.  Even when life is difficult, it is light.  We must always embrace this light.

The bar where we sat and had a drink on Lake Neusiedlersee



The view while sitting at the Sun Set Bar



The Donauinselfest of this past weekend - I did not bring my camera so here is a link:
http://www.2011.donauinselfest.at/