Stuff

Too much stuff.

If you'll recall ... or, if you keep scrolling far enough back in time ... or if you'll take my word for it ... I once wrote that my stuff was problematic.  Problematic because there was a finite amount of volume in my luggage.  And my stuff, all that precious cargo that needed to travel with me across the ocean, occupied more volume than my luggage could hold.

Yeah, so, remind me to kick my younger self in the ass on that one!

My parents arrived in Vienna recently, and brought with them two full luggage pieces filled with my stuff.  I packed them before I left.

... and I'm sending a whole lot of it back to the USA.

In a way, I'm happy about that.  In fact, I'd offer that I'm very happy about that.  It's a realization that I don't need nearly as much as I thought to thrive here.  I have clothes.  I have my laptop.  I have some tech stuff.  I have a few other essentials.  I have my skates.  I have hiking and backpacking gear.

I'm good!

This isn't meant to criticize or shame anyone who likes having new things.  Or lots of things.  I like new things.  And I like having a lot of things.  But when it gets down to it, my experience is helping me realize what I need, versus what I want.  I don't need to have 30 button down and/or dress shirts here.  Enough for two weeks at work plus a few casual and dressy options is plenty.  So why did I have so many shirts at home?  Oy vey ...

Getting my skates feels amazing.  Incredible.  There is only one rink here that has ice all year round, and public skating only one day a week if my German is correct (it's probably not but whatever).  But its such an essential extension of me.  I need to be on the ice.  It's part of who I am, and my skates are the means to do that.  You better believe I have a date at that rink just as soon as I can.  Very grateful to them for bringing those skates ...

Anyways, overall these experiences help me realize that I want to lighten things up when I get back to the States.  Sure, winter things are bulkier and heavier, but I can do more with less.  It will help remove clutter and let me see things a little easier.  In the end, that frees more time and more space for other things, other activities, other people.  Isn't that what stuff is for?  To help enable us to share our time with others?

I plan to share the ice with my co-workers.  I will share the trails and the mountains here with my hiking boots.  And I'll share my time with others here whose company I enjoy.

... just don't mention that my parents will be sharing the weight of my luggage on their return trip ;)

No News Is ... What Again?

Over a week without writing anything here.

Nine days in fact.

I haven't forgotten about writing.  In fact, the past few days I've been thinking about everything that's going on and trying to decide what I was going to blog about next.  The answer I came up with was ...

... nothing.

So this is just a stream of consciousness, throwing words onto the page, see what direction thoughts go kind of a blog entry.  Not your cup of tea?  No offense taken.  Permission to skip and wait until more photos get posted: granted.

So, carrying on -- things in general have been good.  Work is starting to slowly pick up, and the staff and management I'm working for/with seem to like having me around.  I've been able to make some small enhancements here already, with my big project slowly lumbering up to speed.  Of course, the primary individual I'm working for will be on holiday for two weeks starting on July 8, right as things were going to hit the point where I could start doing some bigger things, but it'll be fine.  We'll make it work.

Two of the things I talked about doing and started but never kept-to with any long term success back home were learning to play the bass guitar and working out more regularly.  It's funny, because now that I'm here, and I'm routinely out with people after work or on some weekends, I find myself thinking that "I need to work out more" or "I should get a cheap bass guitar and teach myself already."  Not only as good physical and mental challenges, respectively, but things to help occupy me when nobody else is around.  There is a gym within five minutes walking distance, and a guitar/instrument store within 10 minutes walking distance.  I really need to get into both.  No excuse not to be doing things over here, is there?

It's also hit me recently that I've been here for over a month.  May 14th is when I landed.  May 21st is when I started work.  On a six month contract, that means I'm over 1/6 finished.  Which is crazy, because it still feels like I only just got here.  It helps to validate my ambitious goals at work, and also feels like a challenge: I have to make sure I travel to <insert country> or try <insert word> because there's not much time left!

It's been fun.  That attitude is healthy, I think, and I hope to keep it with me when I return to the States.  There's never enough time we always say, because it's limited.  It's fixed.  24 hours in a day: no more.  Really understanding that makes for a strong case to get the hell out there and not waste any of them.

And so, if you'll excuse me, I believe I'll end this blog entry abruptly, bail on work a little early, and just get out there myself :)

24 Hours in Budapest - Photos

As promised.  No or minimal touch-ups prior to posting.  Enjoy Budapest!

Scenes from walking around Pest:

The second largest synagogue in the world:

Walking around on top of Castle Hill, Buda:

Looking across the Danube towards Pest:

Sunset over Buda:

Evening photos towards Pest, and then Buda:

one of my favorite photos this entire trip

Morning photos towards Buda, around Pest, and in St. Stephen's Basilica: