building

Grüß gott! I am back from an amazing trip to Austria/ Germany with Colette.  We traveled around her stomping grounds in Altheim, a small village in Upper Austria, and enjoyed good food, good company, good beer, good air, good grass, good walking, good water, good biking, good showers, good ... actually, maybe it was great.  Incredible, even.


We saw a lot of different things in Salzburg, Weng and Altheim, and I met a lot of different friends and family from Colette's life in Austria.  It was so refreshing to be away for just a few days and to experience something really beautiful.  During our time, I was fortunate enough to attend a wedding in a small village.  And now, in just a few days, I'm going back home to celebrate Daniel and Rebecca's engagement.


The trip to Austria, and this upcoming trip to America, has made me think a bit more about construction, physically and emotionally.  At the wedding, friends and family lined up to give wedding presents (an Austrian tradition) to the bride and groom.  No registry for dishes or coffee makers because this couple had already been together for 10 years, and they had their home and baby.  There was no need for linens or silverware, because they had already built most of their lives up and the wedding was more of a formality than anything else.  So what was stacked up behind this lovely couple?  Trees and bushes ready for planting.  Gifts that take time, gifts that require energy, gifts that will give later in life.


I told Colette that sometimes my craving (and American) is set to be immediate: I have lately been interested in the scratch more than the reward of not scratching.  I am looking for something to fulfill now, rather than build up.  I found it so wonderful that a whole country was invested in investing.  A person can go to a store and buy fruit and eat it and throw it away and never think about it again, or a person can plant a tree (etc) and enjoy those fruits with his family for the time to come.  In 8 days, I will be celebrating the engagement of my wonderful brother and his beautiful fiance.  I hope and wish that everything that they do together is an investment in everything that they want for their future together.


As per Ukraine, I have officially ended my school year duties and I am ready for summer to take charge.  With many camps and plans to take place, I am feeling quite ready to build and grow and make the necessary steps in order to set up my investments.