Now, I'm only a baby world traveller, but Austria is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been to. Come to think of it, I've said that about Spain, Italy, and in a few days when I post about Germany I'll probably say it again! But each time I say it, I mean it. I honestly think that it should be mandatory, and included in tuition of course, for every college student to study abroad for a year, whether it be in South America, Europe, Asia...wherever. To experience and understand a culture that is not your own makes you realize just how immense and diverse the world is...enrichment that National Geographic can only attempt to give you!
Here are some photos we took while in Austria this summer. Some of them make you want to break out into song..."The hills are alive..." What impressed me the most was the cleanliness and order. No gum on the streets or trash in the corners. You've always heard about how clean and orderly Germany is...well, I think Austria's got them beat.
There's something about Austria that photos can't describe. The air. I don't know what it is I've been breathing all my life, but I think I took my first real breath of oxygen in the Alps. Every once in awhile I could hear Jose just breathing deeply. Soaking in every drop of air that his lungs would allow. Cool, crisp, clean, fresh. It was what air should be like. Pure.
I thank God for giving me the desire, the opportunities, and the means to know small parts of the puzzle. I'll never have all the pieces, but I treasure each piece that lets me see just a little bit more of the big picture. The rest I'll just have to get from National Geographic, I guess :)
