The Great Adventures of Natalie Romo: Au Pair in Austria

Sorry it took so long to publish this! I have actually been very busy and by the time I have time to write it is always 11 or 12 and at that point I always am ready to sleep! Well I hope you enjoy. :)

Wow! What a trip! Austria was truly an experience! I have so many stories to tell and so much to say! Where do I even start? At the beginning of coarse! Silly me!

So as many of you may know we were scheduled to go to Austria leaving Saturday and we were planning on dirndl shopping on the way and then come home the following Sunday. As we got closer and closer to the leaving date my mom decided that since it was supposed to be raining there until Tuesday that we wouldn’t leave until Wednesday. No point in wasting time not being able to do anything in a small little apartment! Anyways she called the lady about our apartment reservations and as a joke said something about snow. Turns out that it was snowing there and if we had gone it would have been worse then we had thought! I have written some more about the weekend in another blog. I believe it was “My Awesome Weekend.” But as a quick overview we went dirndl shopping, are still cleaning out and creating an art room and also we played a crap ton of cards!!! YAY! Anyways now to the real reason I am typing today.

Leaving Wednesday at about 1 o’clock we all squeezed in Peters car and started the great travel of about two and a half hours to Serfaus, Austria. We drove about 40 minutes and stopped at McDonalds to grab lunch and Peter realized that he forgot something important and so after we ate he left to go home and Natalie the kids and I stayed there and Stella and Cedric played! More then an hour later we were back on the road! We arrived in Fiss at around 4:45 and made sure that we still had diner reservations and we got the kids tickets and so forth! For dinner that night we went to this place and had pork knuckle! I am not kidding when I say IT WAS THE BOMB DOT COM!!!!! It was so good! It was tender and the crust was crunchy and delicious! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Then after my HUGE meal I got dessert, which was crape with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce… yup Austrians defiantly deserve the title of kick ass deserts because that was just indescribable! That night we played cards!

Thursday: We woke and left for the mountain around 10:30 we went on a hike and it had a little story that went along with it. It was about a plane that crashed and it had stolen treasure pieces in it and we had to go out and find them! It was so fun to see the kids all excited! Then after we finished that hike we went on a trail that was all about the little beaver chip-monk squirrel thingy! And it was cool! There was a talking tree and a talking bear and it was all interactive thing! It was so cool!!! Then around 1 we stared to head home taking a long trail that took us till about 4 to get to the lodge. Once we finally got there we took the summer bobsled down to Fiss and a bus from there back to Serfaus. For dinner we went to the same place that we went to the first night! I had a grillteller and it was a piece of stake, chicken, and pork and bomb fries!!!! It was so good and sadly I ate all of it!!! I was so hungry I couldn’t believe it! That night Peter, Natalie, and I played some puzzle castle game that happened to be extremely fun! Again going to bed well past mid-night!

Friday: Leaving the apartment around the same time as the day before we went to the top of the mountains! It was so striking! Jaw dropping! The scenery was so amazing knowing that I was able to see everything just from that spot! From where I was I saw the Alps and Italy! I really just at that point could not believe that I was there! That I am here! That I have been given the awesome opportunity to come and live and travel! It showed me that God has given me this great chance and here I am taking it! Anyways after feeling on top of the world we went on a hike the Hexenweg Witch Way. (hehe) These little hikes are so cute! They gave me a little booklet to fill out and we went through and answered all the questions! I actually got diplomas for finishing the two hikes and the books that went with them! Anyways after we finished and got home and ready for dinner we ended up going back to the same place again as the two nights before! The food there was so good and I got something new. It was a deliciously mouth watering piece of meat covered with gravy and fried onions and then fries! Sadly again I finished my whole meal! After dinner when we went home we played cards! Surprise Surprise! Only difference is that I kept score and Natalie decided that I was a terrible score keeper and even though she kicked my butt she still to this day says I won the game because I had the most zeros! Once again exhausted we went to bed at around 12

Saturday: When we were about to start our hike the dad decided that he wanted to go on this hike by himself. Mean while the mom, the kids and I went and played on the COOLEST playground I have ever seen! My favorite one was where it was basically all underground and the way you move around was through tubes! (And maybe a little because of the smoking hot guy that was inside talking to me!) To just describe him a little! Tall broad big muscles and tattoos! OMG I am not kidding you when I say the tattoos made everything about him so much hotter!!! J Anyways beside the point! The playgrounds were THE BEST! Once Peter got back to us we stared our “longest” hike of the days that we were out! It was so beautiful and a really interesting hike! First you had to pick up a rock and carry it for a little while! The rock signified your troubles and later in the hike you threw your “troubles” into the rushing water of a creek. Natalie said to me “how did it feel to throw your troubles away?” I looked at her and we both started laughing! When we finally stopped for lunch we sat in these hanging hammocks and they were so comfy! When we were ready to leave I stood up and realized that the chair had a hole and my entire butt was soaking wet! Lucky for me I hiked with spanks and just took my shorts off and carried them on my backpack hoping they would dry. Unfortunately they did not! The hike took us about 5 hours and it was so fun! That night for dinner we went to a pizza place! It was so good! I had a pizza with red and yellow peppers and hot pepperoni. It like melted in my mouth with deliciousness! That night went to bed relatively early because I was truly so exhausted.

Sunday: Woke up around the same time! The story is all the same till we are walking down the street! Here’s a twist that still makes me smile! Walking down the street headed for a new hike. Everything is normal! Blue skies no clouds and already pretty warm! Coming down the street is a guy on this sexy motorcycle! ;) All I am thinking to myself is “Please be young and hot” While he is coming closer I notice these really HOTT tattoos on his arms! 5 seconds later it clicks! Holy crap the hot guy from the playground! I am sure I had the dumbest look on my face but whatever! As he passed he waved then sped away! Right at that moment I started laughing just total uncontrollable laughter! Natalie, Peter, and the kids were all like what the heck is wrong with you? And I just laughed and smiled and went along my merry way! As the day progressed with the hike it was all amazing! I was having such a great time out and actually hiking… Sorta! After our little morning hike and me still smiling we got on the summer ski bobsled things! (SOO FUNN!!!) Anyways me flying down the mountain at super speed having so much fun! Once I got to the bottom I relized that I had lost my camera with all the pictures form the whole week! Now you must be thinking “OH wow Natalie! But you already posted pictures of your trip so how did you get your camera back?” I will tell you my faithful little readers! Natalie and I hiked down the mountain following the trail of the sled ride all the way. I stepped in mud and waters and I was totally getting exhausted. Finally getting about half way down the mountain I found it! Natalie and I were no joke jumping up and down and screaming with excitement! Then some guys from the gondolas above decided to celebrate with us! To say this quickly with the most serious look my face can manage… Natalie and I walked back up the hill. And if your thinking oh Natalie I am sure it was not that bad… I would reply to you with this! The incline on the mountain we were walking was like 80% out of 100% incline! Talk about “feeling the burn!” Anyways after we got back to Peter and the kids we went back to the apartment and we were ready to go home! We went to guess where for dinner??? That’s right night number 4 at the little restaurant with bomb food!

Heading home was long but painless! Cedric and Stella are not able to sleep in the car. And I have been givin the great gift of after sitting in the car for 5 minutes I can fall asleep! So with that great mixture a super tired Natalie (me) did not sleep until about 11 o’clock. But once I really got comfortable in bed I was out like a light!

Now that it has taken me longer then I thought possible to write this blog I have been given an ample amount of time to think about the trip and hiking! The question those of you who really know me is “Natalie do you like hiking now?” And I believe I will be going to my deathbed saying… NOPE I still do not like hiking! I never have and never will! J The trip was amazing and I would do it again. But at the same time I would rather sit on a boat at the lake or strap into my board and ride my way down the mountain by snowboard! Though this trip has made me think about me and my life and my faith! So all in all it turned out to be for the better! I guess we will never really know about our future until we are there! Maybe one day when I am old and wrinkly I will look back at this and say… Wow I was dumb for not loving hiking or this thing or that! Anyways I have written far to much and have taken far to long to do so! Thanks for reading to the random people out there!

From your totally boy crazy hike hater,

Natalie

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” William Shakespeare

Just a few pictures!