When I started this blog, I was hoping to discuss more about "existential engineering" via means of my traveling experience, however, a month into my adventure, I have explored the role as an Au Pair more than an Austrian Geotechnical engineering intern. I have had the great privilege of visiting incredible job sites at the top of the Austrian Alps and worked some calculations into Autocad drawings, more so than what I was planning on doing when I signed up for this Au Pair job. My role here is Au Pair first, frisbee player/coach second, and then engineering intern last. I thought I would learn more if my role priorities were switched around, but I am learning about life, myself and others more this summer than my entire engineering experience thus far. For all my fellow engineering classmates, if you have any doubt about your future (I am fairly certain that's 100% of you--including all my peers), then take a step sideways, look at life from a different angle and see if you can find that one puzzle piece that fits perfectly in that 1,000,000 piece Starry Night sky.
From just one month of being here, I think I have matured five years. Well, minus 17, plus 9, divided by 6, then to third power. I know I am only 21 years young (soon to be 22 this month), and my elders may take whatever I say as a whole bunch of Bullshit, but I am starting to feel like I sometimes have a wise opinion. Whether that be telling 10-year olds what is okay and not okay, or coaching zone offense and defense to an entire frisbee team, or consoling a concerned mother when times are fragile--hopely my opinion is wise. I wonder how my opinion will change in two months if it has already mature five years in just one month.
Mom, Dad, Mikey--Thank you for raising me well. I greatly value your parenting skills, I hope that someday, if I have children of my own, to use your tactics, as strict and silly as they may be, towards my own kin. After this experience, it will be a while before I am even considering having kids of my own, but if i do, I will make sure that the first thing they learn is respect. Today was a milestone with my "kids." After a long fun-filled day at Villacher-Kirchtag, Austrian's mini-Oktoberfest mixed with the puyallup fair, the kids finally understood that I am fun but also in-charge. After allowing them some space to practice their own responsibilites, they wanted me to read them a bedtime story (in English!) and kiss and tuck them Good Night right at bedtime, with teeth brushed and PJ's on. The little devils blossomed into innocent little angels. Tonight, I fall asleep with a well-deserved smile on my face.
This is a video of me going down a rollercoast alpine cart ride at Turracherhohe. Yippee!!
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| Hike at Grossglockner for two days. We did not go to the Grossglockner peak due to the little ones, but we did hike all around the alpine foothills, glaciers, and lakes. It was beautiful weather in the one of the most pristine places on earth. |
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| Villacher Kirchtag, notice the lederhosen everywhere. |
To the roller coaster: SO COOL!!!!
ReplyDeleteTo the maturity, I hear you. I think taking care of kids in a separate language provides you (whether voluntarily or not)with insta-maturity, at least in body language. You go into survival mode or something in order for them to understand you, and not see you as a child as a result of your lack of language skills. Anyway, thats what it seemed like to me!
On another note: I'm so jealous you got to go to the mountains! NEATO!
Lederhosen? Really!
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