Austria, Prague and Hungary, oh my!!!

I've been open-minded enough to have unusual food and have ended up enjoying Moroccan sacrificial lamb and goulash, but this morning for breakfast I was so excited at an alternative to the typical European "bread-fast"- I was going to have an Austrian omelet!! I ordered it, but requested "no ham". (If you've ever been to Europe you will notice 3 main ingredients, much like the rice, beans and tortillas of Mexican food. Here the big 3 are bread, ham and egg...in EVERYTHING! There is the occasional exception of tuna-even on pizza. Here nothing is sacred.) Instead of ham, the young man put pork and bacon...and cheese...and then salted it. How is it possible that with the way they eat in Europe that they still live longer than we do in America?!?! Is stress really that lethal? It must be because they eat a lot of unhealthy stuff here. What do Muslims eat? Ever since the issues in France with the burkas in school, I've noticed a lot more traditional Muslims in other countries I've been to.
I think the lack of stress is a trickle down thing as well. The way they are with their children is really admirable. They have a laissez-fair approach to the role of parenting. There is a cause and effect to the choices that the children make and parents don't get involved in its relationship. Because of this the children are in more control of themselves and regulate themselves. Here is testimony to that fact: I've seen one temper tantrum during my trip and it was by a boy from England.
-How can a shower bring you back from the dead??? I'm not sure how, but it did!!
-It's amazing the transformation your body goes through when you're traveling- gain weight, lose weight, gain muscle, you can see the little purple veins in your feet from walking, your skin changes from the food you are eating, your hair changes from the water you are washing it with
-I'm realizing it isn't so much about the places you go...how many castles/cathedrals/collections of shiny thing can one person go see? I'm finding it's more about the company you keep in the places you DO go. You may take all kinds of pictures, but the relationships you build, the time you invest along the way, the laughs and the tears shared with people that at on point were mere strangers. The backpackers that I have met seem to understand this. They have learned to enjoy the moment for what it is and not live in a state of perpetual anticipation of the future. It seem as though many of us are trying to speed life up, slow it down or pause it and hold on to something that is forever changing. I'm learning to enjoy the moment, not force situations and realizing that I may not always know the best way...and for a teacher that is a huge hurdle to overcome. I don't know it all, but I'm a fast learner, an even better listener and hungry for knowledge.
-It's funny how when people are speaking a language you don't understand you are sure they are talking about very important things...they aren't. Trust me on this one. I was a bit concerned because as the announcements for the train come on the overhead speaker, the conductor speaks in German for a good 4 minutes. When he is finished he says, in English, "We will be arriving in blah, blah station in 2 minutes". You get a little worried because you don't know what you have missed. Well, I finally had someone translate what they were saying and it was about the color of the train seats, about the orientation of the 1st and second class cars and how this train differs from others because of these particular features. I liked it better when I had no idea what he was talking about:) At least I could make up something interesting.
-I've been learning about the controversy surrounding Nestle and how they refuse to switch to conflict free/non-child labor obtained chocolate because of the profit margin they would lose. I'm amazed we haven't heard about this in the U.S.
-I've noticed stages that I've gone through as I've been traveling...right now I'm burnt out. I really think the heat and humidity has A LOT to do with it though and I'm optimistic.
-Today I leave from Budapest to Croatia. I leave here highly indebted to this country for reminding me of humility...not for the reasons you may think either. While skyping friends in Prague I unplugged my computer to get better sound by the window. In the midst of the emotion I forgot my computer charger in Czech Republic and didn't realize it until I was here. I have always been the hardest on myself and this case was no exception. As I was walking downtown trying to blow off some steam, I heard a woman next to me talking to her friend, mimicking the same conversation I was hearing in my head. "I didn't even realize until I was here...I'm so upset with myself", she was saying. "I can't believe I left my passport under my pillow in the hotel." I stopped in my tracks. At that moment I realized just how much worse off I could be. I officially dropped it, forgave myself and used my words to find an alternative. As it turned out, there was an Apple Store (called "istyle" here) within walking distance from where I was staying. Again, life was gentle with me and I'm grateful.
-Tip of the week: When washing out your clothes in the sink, DON'T look at the color of the water that is running off of them!!
-I'm so pleased that I've been able to share desserts. We in America may have big everything, but we have nothing on Europe's desserts. When I've gone out to eat and ordered dessert I've never been able to get even halfway through it, but the restaurants here have no concept of "doggie bag" and even if they did, desserts don't keep. So I've taken up offering the rest to a neighbor. I explain that the dessert is wonderful, but that I can't possibly finish and if they would like it they are more than welcome to it. You know what...they take it!! That makes me so happy. I'm really a sharer at heart and to see others enjoy what I've enjoyed makes the experience that much richer:) How wonderful!!