The profusion of snow, mountains and sub zero temperature snaps spamming my social media accounts should be enough to make your teeth chatter. Thank you for the numerous messages of support stating it's not long till I can rejoice in the sun. However the quickly looming 43 days till I depart to Australia is a mixed emotion transition. I certainly didn't expect to relish winter so extensively. Here in Austria we are frequently treated to a delightful high of -9 and night time often bears -15. With complete sincerity I assure you the temperatures feel warmer than London, the Italian winter and joke intended, Iceland. Throughout my five weeks based in the small village called Baad (think 14 buildings) I've only been subjected to a handful of days where hypothermia was considered a possibility. Otherwise the concave amongst the pinnacles provide a shield against the wind creating a still, frozen wonderland.
As I draw my curtains every morning I am blessed to the most spectacular view. The dominating mountains are shadowed by pine trees coated in snow. One slight movement sends the flakes in a domino effect down the trunk almost in slow motion. The pictures do no justice to the colossal beauty in this town. They don't capture how serne the newly fallen snow is, only disturbed by animal tracks scattering between the trees (or even on rooftops - perhaps Santa's reindeer are in training) and ski weaves plaiting their way down the slopes. When it's snowing the flurries fall in a perfectly choreographed dance from the sky. This in addition to the stationary peaks looming in the foreground transfers you metaphorically inside a snow globe. Seeing this each day as the first visual upon waking has reinforced gratitude into my life. I am extremely grateful for the past three years of travel however Austria will always hold something special to me. The culture, accommodating / happy people, and cheese fondue all have contributed to making this a prime highlight of my overseas experience.
In addition to the perceptible beauty, Austria has been a break in the real world away from the 'real world'. One reason being that a fashion standard does not exist. In many places the cooler temperatures don't decipher the streets providing a catwalk of the seasons trends. Here you'd look ridiculous if you stepped out in anything other than ski attire with the accessories being a helmet. In Italy, specifically Milan, there was still a somewhat trend to follow of the winter fashions. Even if you don't want to conjoin to societies standards it is noticeable that everyone is wearing the exact same outfit. With such extreme temperatures if you're warm then its acceptable. The only noticeable detail is how many jaeger bombs you can down and did you hit the slopes today (nope but I slid down that hill on my ass which counts).
Going out socially in a variety of countries is an interesting discussion. Especially here as you'll find yourself executing activities that sober you pondered on i.e.; face planting into shoulder deep snow or having a boogie on stage because the English songs are your jam. In Spain if you arrived prior to 3am you were considered early. I recall being ready to leave at 11.30pm and my host parents questioning as to if I was going to drink tea and eat biscuits at this hour. In Austria the normal is to begin at 4pm and if you reach home at midnight you're an absolute legend for lasting so long. This timing is ideal as consequently you avoid being completely written off the next day (dependable on the amount of shots you do). With the temperatures being so glacial at night it's a modified sort of intoxicated. You're not necessarily sloppy - the alcohol is transferred into a survival blanket of warmth. With English being my mother tongue when a familiar song is played it provides a slice of home along with the confidence to belt out the lyrics. Now I'm no Beyonce but when a track is played in my lingo I perform. If you find yourself in Baad Austria there is an outdoor concert every Tuesday in Reizlern. Here it sticks to the theme of beginning at 4/5pm and with a live Swiss band performing a mix of English, Dutch and German songs expect an enthralling culture blast.
I could continue to write extensively about how incredible this place is but no words or pictures will ever encapsulate how extraordinary Austria really is. Despite my proclivity for winter growing I'm off to plan my summer Asia tour and am looking forward to not having icicles dangling from my snozz. Ciao!
R x
