1. Silence and schnitzel

The journey finally started on July 14th, 2023...3 days of silent seminar in the Alps. Some of you might think that it's a bit of an unusual start to a sabbatical, but for me it was just right. Until the end of June I felt like I was just under power. The last hours in the family center had to be completed and my apartment had to be cleared out. All the things you accumulate over the course of your life or carry around with you, move around and don't want to let go of emotionally...until you have to. I'll spare you the details of the entire clearing out operation, of course everything worked out in the end and I was more than happy when I was finally able to hand over the keys. I would still like to share one thought about this with you. During the whole decluttering process, I first became aware of how often I bought things to compensate for something or, in other words, to reward myself. How much energy do you often put into work so that you arrive home in the evening completely exhausted and the more often this happens, the emptier you feel at some point. It is precisely this emptiness that wants to be filled, even if it happens through consumption. Spending money on things that you don't actually need and financing these things has to be worked on... the realization for me is definitely that I now question more closely what I really need, even when it comes to the topic of consumption .

But let's finally start the journey :)

On July 14th So we first went to Tyrol, more precisely to the Alpenretreat in Nassereith ( https://www.alpenretreat.com/ ). I had no idea what to expect, but I have to say I wasn't disappointed. I'm actually not much of a mountain person, but the journey to the Alps was wonderful. When I arrived at the Alpine Retreat I immediately felt at home. A beautiful place, beautiful people and a peace that I could absolutely use. At first I was worried that 3 days of silence might be a challenge since we are constantly communicating in our everyday lives. But I can tell you that it was an incredibly enriching experience to be silent together and to notice how you are still connected to the people around you, even without words. It is perhaps best described as a heart-level connection. Much more difficult than starting the silence was “breaking” the silence again :) How often do we have the urge to talk because we can’t stand the silence among ourselves. But I found exactly this silence to be very beneficial because it helps you stay with yourself. When I set off after the end of the silent seminar and boarded my train towards Vienna at the Munich train station, I was aware of the hustle and bustle around me, but I was completely present. At that moment I thought of a story our yoga teacher had told. Dancing Shiva may be familiar to some of you. Shiva dances in a ring of fire. The fire represents all the external effects that bombard us every day. Shiva dances and stays with himself amidst all the hustle and bustle. A beautiful metaphor.

I reached Vienna very late in the evening and made my way to my accommodation for the first night. The next day I was able to move to my actual AirBnB apartment, in the beautiful Mariahilf district. I was in love from the first moment and briefly thought that I would like to stay here and start a new phase of my life ;) The feeling of being completely immersed in the city for the next 4 days was wonderful. I felt like a little Viennese woman. Since it wasn't my first time in Vienna, I skipped the standard tourist attractions and mainly chose sights that weren't so overcrowded:

• Esperanto Museum

• an exhibition with the theme of the Austrian resistance against the Nazi regime

• Klimt Villa

• the Danube island

• Pathological-anatomical collection in the Fool's Tower

I can recommend everything with a clear conscience, even if not everything may be suitable for every taste ;)

Of course, I couldn't miss a delicious apple strudel and the obligatory melange. There are enough options in Vienna thanks to its many coffee houses. I also couldn't resist eating a schnitzel. There are also endless options here, and you will rarely be disappointed when it comes to culinary delights in Vienna. My personal recommendation is the Gasthaus Silberwirt ( https://www.silberwirt.at/ ). In summer, definitely feast in the cozy beer garden and make a reservation...and don't miss the pancakes with homemade apricot jam for dessert ;)

And while we're on the subject of culinary delights, I would recommend a Käsekrainer with mustard and a cold beer to every non-vegetarian. My personal favorite spot here is the Bitzinger sausage stand next to the State Opera. But opinions differ here...everyone feels like they have their best sausage stand in Vienna. As is often the case, the motto here is to test it yourself.

At the end of my trip to Vienna, I spontaneously decided to take a detour to Bratislava. You can get to Bratislava directly from Vienna main station in an hour in a very relaxed manner. The single ticket currently costs around 15 euros, but it's worth it. The small old town is beautiful and I had planned to just let myself drift for this day. But there are also enough opportunities to do something specifically :) If you have the opportunity and are a little less spontaneous, you can also take the ship back from Bratislav to Vienna. However, you should secure your ticket in good time, as the prices are staggered according to category (between 20 and 60 euros). I was a little late and didn't want to pay 60 euros, so I can only offer a recommendation, not a personal review. I then took the train back to Vienna in a relaxed manner, marking the perfect end to my first trip. A wine evening with dear friends from Munich who happened to be there at the same time. Of course, the Käsekrainer was a must here at night after a few glasses of wine ;) Vienna certainly hasn't seen the last of me. With this in mind, I will first say “Baba”.