What I Did During My Winter Break...nothing much!





Taking the Eurorail to Vienna, our little compartment, Toga included

Last year, if you asked me what I did during the school's February break, you would had thought I was some sort of nomad. Remember last February I was living in Europe, so all this traveling was luring me. Kids time off from school+Europe= some sort of vacation. So weeks prior to the break, I visited my favorite travel agent, who spoke great English. She helped me to book my whole trip to Vienna, Austria. We were taking the train, and we found a great hotel right outside "the ring," or the downtown area. Days before my trip, my husband tells me that his company needs him to be in New York State, the same week as my Vienna trip. He was never going to go with us, since he had to work, but we had our dog to think about. Since everyone I knew had plans over the February break, Toga had to come with us. Once again, I visited my favorite travel agent, and told her now my dog was coming on my trip. She laughed for a good minute. I think she thought I was absolutely out of my mind. Luckily, the hotel I had reserved allowed for dogs, and I had to buy Toga a ticket to ride the Euro rail, which costs as much as my ticket!

We boarded the train on a very early Tuesday morning. It was fun to ride the Eurorail, in our own little compartment. We traveled through Germany, Czech Republic, and finally Austria. It was a full day's trip on the train, taking more than 6 hours. Looking back, I don't know how I survived, with the kids, the dog, and just me. And I was traveling in foreign countries.

Vienna's City Hall, where we ice skated.

Our trip to Vienna was full of adventure and wonder. We spent four days in Vienna, with our guidebooks and our winter wardrobes (it was cold when we visited). Riley was impressed with the city's transportation system- it was one of the few cities in Europe we visited that had trams, subways and buses. We took the #1 and #2 trams around the "ring" and explored the city in this way; getting off whenever we chose. Maggie's liked the tour of the Schonbrunn Palace, and while taking the tour, we learned all about the Queen, whose name was Sissy, who had a reputation for just doing whatever she wanted, which was rare in those days. At the end of the tour, Maggie got a doll of Sissy. We ice skated under the City Hall lights,which was magical. The City Hall was lit up, there were two skating rinks, and little paths of ice, like roads, that even had stop signs! We walked along the streets where the artist Hundertwasser built and designed funky housing, with trees coming out of the sides of the buildings, crooked sidewalks, and without regard to line symmetry when designing his buildings. It was all very Dr. Seuss and very whimsical. We went to the House of Music, attended a Mozart concert (Mozart is from Vienna), and I didn't want to leave Vienna without exposing my children to the classical music of Vienna. We strolled along StephanPlatz, the city's main shopping district. We were in awe of the architecture, and we found the people in Austria to be extremely kind and friendly and smiley; very different than in East Germany.



Hundertwasser Museum, with trees coming out of the building.

Toga did great on our trip. We took him out with us during the day, and by night he was so tired, he calmly napped in the hotel with his stuffed turtle. When we had lunch, the restaurants would allow us to have Toga with us, and he sat with us at the table. Yes, in most of Europe, dogs are allowed wherever you go.

After coming back from Vienna, we had only 2 days to rest, then we were off to Paris. We were going to Paris for 3 days, and our Paris trip was during the week the kids went back to school after Winter Break. Both Riley and Maggie's teachers applauded me for taking the kids on trips, and since both of my kids are doing great in school, I didn't feel one ounce of guilt for taking them out of school. And they missed a lot of school last year!



Maggie and I, and the River Seine

Before our elevator ride up to the top of the Eiffel Tower

Walking the Marcais district

But, look at all they were learning about the world! We took a plane to Paris (without Toga; he stayed home with Tim). Once we landed in Paris, we were quickly navigating ourselves around the city. I chose a hotel in the Oberkampt district; away from tourists. I wanted to experience and see people that lived in Paris. It was a great neighborhood, but it was about an hour's train ride from the airport. Paris is a HUGE city, and everything in the city is scattered all around. The Eiffel Tower was a good 40 minute subway ride from our hotel, the Arc was about 20 minutes from the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame was a 20 minute bus ride from our hotel. It takes awhile to get places in Paris. We even traveled to Versailles, which was about an hour train ride outside Paris. I loved Paris. There's something about just walking the streets of Paris. There are no skyscrapers in Paris, because of the ground not being able to support the massive buildings, so everything is just so quaint and cute. Each neighborhood had its own distinct personality. We walked through the Marcais district, the Republique, the Bastille and the area around the Arc and the Eiffel Tower. We hiked up the stairs to Montmartre. We saw amazing architecture, including Notre Dame. My favorite part of Paris was the immediate area around Notre Dame, around the River Seine. It was so romantic, with the little bridges connecting the little island that Notre Dame is on.

The people in Paris were so friendly and nice. There's a saying about how rude the French are, but I never experienced it. When we exited the subway, after first arriving in Paris, we looked lost, with all of our baggage and our exposed map. Immediately, a French woman helped us to find our hotel.



Eating crepes in Montmartre

After returning back to Germany, one of the moms from the kids' international school asked me where I was, since my kids missed 3 days of school that week. I told her we went to Vienna and then to Paris. She laughed and called me crazy. She was a woman from India, and she always put a smile on my face because she was always wondering what I was up to. Her daughter and my daughter became friends at the school. One of my favorite people I met there; but this comment made me laugh, because maybe I was crazy for doing so much.

Now, a year later, you ask me: What did you do this year?

At Notre Dame

Absolutely nothing! My energy bank needs to be filled up again. Remember, last year I wasn't working so traveling was my work last year. This year, it's back to work teaching, I really just needed a break and I welcome the nothingness this break. We did a little bit, here and there. Our big outing was to my favorite lunch restaurant, The Whistling Kettle, and then another day, an outing to Crossgates Mall. And I did go out with my friends one night, but that's another story...

One of the days during this break, I went to Job Lots, which is this real bizarre store, that reminds me of a flea market. While there, I ran into one of my friends, who just got back from Honduras. "I found the deal on LivingSocial.com. You need to check it out."

So, I've been on LivingSocial everyday since, and I'm ready to go to an exotic vacation in April. But for February, I just needed to do nothing.

And 6 Months later...

Today marks the anniversary of our 6 month return back to the United States. I wouldn't had even thought twice about this date and anniversary, but Riley made me think of this last night.

I was up late last night, since I've been on this schedule of going to bed late, and getting up later, because of Christmas Break. Last night, I knew I would have a difficult time going to sleep, so I watched TV, listened to the news, and did some things on the computer, as the rest of the family was nestled in their beds. About 10:00, Riley came down the stairs, with tears in his eyes. At first, I thought it was because he was sick. But he kept repeating, "I miss Germany. I miss Germany." My heart just broke upon looking at his little innocent face. I want so bad to fix this. What can I do, as his mom, to make him feel better, when I have the same feelings?

I asked him what he missed the most, and he simply said, "Everything." He continued to tell me he misses the trams (we all know that), his old school, his old friends, and living in the city. He misses the excitement of our lives, because that's what it was; exciting. We were always so excited. We went on one or two vacations a month. It was a "Good Life."

I admitted to him that I miss it too, but he already knows that. I admitted crying earlier that day when I was watching a reality TV show in which the woman on the show was visiting Paris. "I just kept looking at her and the streets and remembering how we were there, and how much fun we had there." I was honest with him and my feelings, and I found that we both started crying as we hugged. Riley is just 9 years old, but as a 9 year old boy, he knows so much about the world. He has been in 15 countries, all with its unique cultures, languages and customs. He has plans to visit Germany and his friends he met there when he is of high-school age, and he is challenging his German teacher to teach him more German, writing her a note last week, "Please challenge me. I plan on moving to Germany again and you need to teach me." Now, his teacher strictly speaks to him in German, which he prefers. His motivation to return back to Europe is impressive, and I don't think he will ever relent on this decision. But at this moment, as I'm hugging him, I honestly don't know what to say to him, because I miss it too, and it saddens me. I surprise myself and give him good advice. I tell him that he is aware of how big the world is, and how he has seen so much. How lucky he is, to do something that some people never get to do; to travel the world. I tell him to look at the positive. And since he knows how cool Europe is, I tell him, "I know someday you'll be back there. You already know where you want to go." I encourage him to keep skypping his 2 German friends, Mark and Karl. I tell him that I hope someday that you will be reunited with these friends. These friends are your connection to Germany. Stay in touch with these friends, and you will feel closer to Germany in this way. I also encourage him to keep up with his writing. Since 1st grade, Riley has been writing in a journal and since 2nd grade, a blog. Writing about your feelings will help too. He looks at me, still shaking, sad and upset. I just hug him again. I know we all feel helpless when our kids are sad, and there seems to be nothing we can do to help. This is one of those times. I actually feel my heart breaking as I look at his sad eyes and his quivering lips.

Riley sits at the computer and he writes to Mark and Karl, making an appointment to skype with them on Saturday. I tell Riley that I would love these friends to come visit us in New York. We talk about this for a bit, and I promise Riley that I will talk to his friends' parents, so see if this is a possiblity. I say good night to Riley, and as he slowly walks up the stairs, I feel so sad for him. He fell in love with our life there too. Riley and I are both waiting for this...this feeling...to go away. When will we stop missing Germany and Europe so much? When will the hurt gradually go away? At Riley and Maggie's International School in Germany, I attended a class on returning to your country, after being an expat. Those speakers told me that it would take 6 months-1 year to fully feel happy. I also learned that when you return back to the same city you lived in, it is even more difficult. All of my expat friends that I met in Germany, are all new to the NY area.They may be experiencing NY as they did when we were in Germany; as a new and exciting adenture. So, we just, today, reached the 6 month point. It is obvious that Riley and I need more time.