Another week gone by..!

I know I've said this going on a bajillion times, but really.. time is just flying by! I cannot believe it's already been another week!!

Let's see, let's see.. where to start?! Just another week of classes-- thrilling as usual. Sadly, they're beginning to prep us for the mid-term tests. ICK!! I am absolutely dreading any form of test in grammar... but I'll survive one way or another. The best part about class here is you suffer through most of them once a week and then it's done. Basically the band-aid approach. Do it all at once and then forget about it-- which, for these classes, is best. Except, I could handle having grammar split into two classes. I think I would dread it significantly less not thinking Omigosh...2 and a half hours of grammar. WHY?!!!! each time. If it were only, Okay, an hour of grammar. This will be over in no time! I think twice would be better...but they really don't care what I think!!

I've stayed in Klagenfurt (for the most part) now for the past two weeks. Aside from a small excursion to Graz last Saturday, I've stayed put-- which has actually been quite nice. It's been relaxing and enjoyable. Got to just breath and spend time with everybody here. Yesterday Audrey and I went into town and did some shopping-- books (yay!), a new purse for Audrey, basically just the normal shopping day sort of items! But the Gluehwein Fest started Thursday. Gluehwein is basically wassail. Pretty gross if you ask me. But they also serve Gluehmost, which tastes like cider with some alcohol in it, and it was MUCH better. The best part of the festival was the lights. Klagenfurt is 100% ready for Christmas. Lights on every street, most buildings etc. The main areas, Alter Platz, Neuer Platz, and parts of Heuplatz, are just awesome! Alter Platz has lights strung everywhere (but not gaudy!) and it's exactly what I had hoped for as far as Christmas in Europe goes. And this is Klagenfurt-- not even Nuremberg or Munich or Frankfurt!!

FridayAudrey and I took advantage of the great weather and went on a mission to find bikes to rent. Sadly, our first two stops were failures. Apparently, once summer is over, bike rental is not such a common thing in Klagenfurt; however, we found a place that mostly just looked like a workshop that rents bikes year-round-- for great prices too! For only 10 euro, we rented bikes for 24 hours! Can't beat that. We met up with Joe, who has a bike, and went through town-- and a bit through the outskirts-- to look at the "castles," which are really just mansions. Of course, castles (whether they're just talked up mansions or actually castles) are on big hills or mountains, so it was quite a bike ride! Let's just say I got quite the work out in. The bad part was that most of the castles are private property now so we couldn't see inside any of them and only got to go up close to one. Boo! But it was definitely a good way to spend the day. I'm fully exhausted and a bit sore now!!

To finish off our weekend in Klagenfurt, we planned to try on Tracht Saturday! How perfect, right?! We met in town and started our mission. But each of the stores we knew of that sell Tracht were closed already! Isn't Saturday a shopping day? How can stores be closed by 1 then?! This place...!! So no Tracht, yet. Definitely a yet though. We've rescheduled our Tracht excursion for next Friday! Can't wait! Now just to decide: traditional or "gothic/punk Tracht," which is cute but.. not the real deal.

But really... can anyone tell me how it got to be mid-November? I don't know where October went...! Most Christmas markets officially open November 24ish. That's 10 days away. Holy cow. I have only four weekends left until my family arrives-- which is both exciting and a bit frustrating. I haven't gotten to do everything I've wanted. I'm just feeling really comfortable here and have started to get adjusted to life here. I'm not ready for this to be over. But, of course, I am thrilled to see my family again and then to be home and see my friends and everyone... but it's a weird feeling right now. I guess I kind of knew it would be like this but I didn't think it would fly by so quickly!

So since my time here is limited, I really have to prioritize what I want to do. Krampus day is December 5 and the parade is that Saturday, which I hear is very entertaining and is local. Everyone would really like to go to Venice. Berlin is a must for me. The group is talking about going to Munich but I'm pretty torn. I'll be there for a bit with the family so I can't decide if it's worth it or if I should get a cheap flight to Hamburg or Cologne. Ideas or suggestions?!!