R23

Last night I couldn't find sleep. These past few evenings, I find myself talking my mind into a light rest as opposed to the deep respite from reality that usually precedes the shallow sleep of dreams. I have had too many dreams since my time in Sweden. I can't seem to stop or find "rest" from my own thoughts - the dreams start and snowball and then leave me at the brink, whereupon I abruptly wake up.

Maybe it has something to do with the lack of lassitude in my life abroad. English is my mother tongue; I can relax in English. But German, Japanese, and Swedish require a constant level of consciousness - no relaxing allowed - and that might slip over into my dreams, which are still in English. When my dreams start speaking in Austrian dialect, I will know that the situation is improving.

As I promised myself, I pushed the bike out into the sunlight and headed for the hills. Today was partly cloudy, moderately chilly, and burning bright with the colors of Fall; it was a perfect day for a bike ride.

I'm not the most exciting adventurer. When I start out towards someplace new, I like to glance at a map. It's not my style to shoot off into the sunset - I need to have an idea! And that classifies me as a certain type, I have no doubt, but if I were to do something extremely spontaneous then I would need a friend to come with me!

The path was windy and long, dodging in and out of small towns and through tilled fields of earth. I had set out around noon so the smell of lunch was strong as I went through town after town. Lunch here has a particular smell, like cooking butter, fat, onion, and meat. It pleases me. I could also taste that bitter gray smell of burning wood. There must be plenty of wood stoves in Austria, judging by the piles of stacked wood outside many of the homes. Like my dad, they must be ready and excited to light up the stove for the first time of the season!

I stayed out for an hour - long enough to get covered in gnats, sweat, and excitement - before I headed back. Two hours total. I really enjoy my contact teacher's bike, which I'm borrowing. The gears change when I move some levers with my fingers. This would be really good for people with sore hands...

Well, that was my weekend. Weekends tend to be less 'thrilling' than weekdays. Is that how it should be or is that contradictory to my age and situation? ;)

Love to hear from you! Thank you for the comments - it's good to hear 'bout the States and how you're doin!