Austrian Christmas Vacation

Wow, it has been crazy here! I finally found some time to blog a little bit.  The campers are here and everything is in full swing.  It's a little bit different from our usual Young Life assignments….there are just so many more things to consider for a winter camp - ski and snowboard rentals, storing all the equipment, life tickets, sleds, etc.  Everyday looks a little different with different jobs, so we are just taking it day by day.  Our Work Staff is being incredible and so willing to serve… in fact the staff here are so impressed at how quickly and efficiently we work.

So anyways, let me back up a few days to when we got here way before we were even worrying about the camp.  John and I get into Austria after a long train traveling day! We were picked up at the train station by two Young Lifers and travel way up the mountain to Hotel Olympia.  It was not what I expected at all.  In fact, I let my expectations get the best of me.  This wasn't my finest moment and I'm actually embarrassed to admit it, but when we walked into our room…I started crying.  John laughed at first, and then realized I was serious.  I think I was just exhausted, hungry, overwhelmed by not really knowing what to expect, and a little sad to be missing Christmas at home.  Anyways, in the daylight everything wasn't so bad, plus we got to be with everyone from home - Buda's, Wilson's, JB, Pat Hurley Shiracks, and Mitchell's.  They were the little bit of comic relief and comfort I needed.  We travelled into the town of Innsbruck that day with everyone to visit the HUGE Christmas Market they have.  Christmas is a really big deal here and we loved it! We got some souvenirs, ate dinner with everyone, continued to shop and then a few of us stayed in town to hang out a pub called the Elverhaus…it was so authentic and definitely a highlight of the trip.

The next day, we skied. The Buda Boys were actually learning to ski here…in the Alps.  I was amazed.  They caught on quickly and loved it. Skiing here is unlike anything I've ever done, and I consider myself a pretty advanced skier.  I let John borrow my goggles, and we just happened to be skiing on the day that there was a huge blizzard rolling through. And my boots were two small.  These two problems equal me being really agitated and perhaps shedding a few tears in the middle of a slope.  At this point, I'm pretty sure John would have liked to put me on a plane and send me home.  It was my second crying episode in 2 days!!!  So after we got John his own goggles and traded my boots for a bigger size - it was a whole new world.  Skiing on powered is so different, hard to get used to but worth it!  I was a happy girl. We then attempted the 6(ish) km sledding run...Awesome.  

The days sort of run together here, so I have no idea what day of the week it is.  The next day we went to Salzburg.  We were going to do the Sound of Music tour, but it was going to take 4 hours.  We opted for the Salzburg Castle/Fort, then walked around their Christmas Market, ate dinner, ventured to a brewery hall in an old church and went back to Innsbruck.  

On Christmas Eve, it was pretty low key.  We started learning the process/schedule for camp…but then got bored and went sledding again twice, Mario Kart style.  It was a total race, to the point where JB would pass me and say "banana peel", Kirk picked up my sled at one point and tried to chuck it away from me, John was running to the finish line, sled in tow, and tripped in the middle of the road. It was a good time.  We had a nice dinner with the whole team at the hotel, and then met for our own little Christmas Eve service.  

It didn't even feel like Christmas here.  We were all busily putting all of the camp together preparing for the kids' arrivals.  I promise I didn't cry on Christmas though.  It was actually really refreshing when the Lord reminded me that I can sacrifice a holiday that celebrate HIS birth so that I can serve HIM.  It's kind of ironic that I almost said no to coming here… I'm so glad we're here now.  

Enjoy some pictures!  

John and JB watching a football game on the iPad.  A little too close?

View from our hotel room. Thank you God. 

Behind the hotel/slopes.

This is one of 2 of their McDonald's pictures.  They like to take American pictures in foreign countries. Weird.

That is the Salzburg Castle sitting up on the hill.

View from our room again.

Downtown Innsbruck

Me and my cup of Gluhwein!  It's hot spiced wine….so good!  It's like the thing to do around here in the winter - stand around the Christmas market and sip on some gluhwein.  My kind of place.