Benefit Concert in Ybbs

On Friday night, we had a benefit concert for the organ in the Ybbs church.  It sounds a little strange, but it was their way of making money to restore the organ in the coming years.  The concert was titled "The Three Choirs" instead of "The Three Tenors."  In addition to the men's chorus, a choir from Sweden was there and the Whoopi Ensemble, named after Whoopi Goldberg.  It was a fun, small concert and my last one in Austria.  My only concert remaining will be in Brussels.

Last Month

It's now May, graduating students are starting their final exams, trees are in full bloom and summer is just around the corner.  What this also means is our time in Austria is soon coming to an end.  With a month left, we have begun thinking about the end.  It's hard to believe that our time in Austria is almost up.  Last year at this time, I was emailing the previous language assistant to get an idea of what I was in for.  With a summer full of several weddings, including our own ;), and a couple trips, the transition will be sudden.  The last seven months have been amazing in many different ways.  Some say this year was our honeymoon and it certainly has felt like a vacation but it was also more than that.  We will come away with amazing experiences of another culture and language and above all, amazing new friends that have made our time here incredible.  As we reflect on our time here and look ahead to the future, we also realize that much awaits us back home.  Beyond the weddings and trips lie our future as a married couple, our families and friends close by in Minnesota and North Dakota and the beginning of our careers.  This year has changed us in certain ways and will continue to influence us in the future.  It has become a second home for us.  We've still got a month left so before I write anymore about our future in Minnesota, I need to go out and enjoy what we have here in Austria.