By the time this gets to you I'll be in Austria! And hopefully in one piece. This morning I woke up to catch the bus outside the hostel at 5:30 like the nice little man at reception told me to. When I bopped (more like stumbled) downstairs he greeted me with a "Good Morning" and a good rant about the situation in Ireland. I was quite content to listen since this was the first time I had heard anyone say much about it, apart from the media. He apologized in the end for talking my ear off about such heavy things, but I tried to assure him that I didn't mind, I just wished that I had more than 10 min. He had been sitting up all night working the night shift listening to talk radio and needed someone to talk to about it. Reminded me off someone I know....

The airport. Flying is a stress. I just don't like it. I feel like security is out to get me, the airline doesn't want me on their flight and the plane is bound to snap in two. Well, I was doing pretty good today. Security is BREEZE here, I literally made it to the Dublin airport (after a long cold walk up a hill cause some french gals and I wrongly followed a girl who look like she knew what she was doing off the bus), checked my bag, and went through security in all of 20 min.

 It dawned on me while sitting there that I had to catch a second flight. When was that flight again? Right, two hours after I arrive at London-Stansted. Wait a second....two seperate flights. Crap. A little too late I realized that I need to collect my bag and start the whole process over of checking my bag and going through security. crap crap crap. I must have looked like a nervous wreck cause one Irish woman offered her help after the flight attendants kind of blew me off, then another Irish guy I was sitting next to assured me that the airport was that big and I had "loads of time," the guy on my left grabbed my bag. And it was all fine in the end, one near heart-attack later. I'm a spaz.

I nearly biffed it in the airport a couple times on those crazy little speedy-flat-escalator-thingies. Looking like Fry on his first day in New New York.... tourists.

While waiting for my second flight I learned how to say "Attention, please. The fire alarm has been activated..." in german and french as the alarm went off over and over and over. My heart was still pounding so this nearly put me over the edge. But I do enjoy learning new languages. I used to stare at the Warning signs on the Brother machine at Ultra, trying to translate the german and french. I even learned how to say "Caution, operator of this machine should not be staring idly at this warning" in French. no kidding.

I land in Austria at 2:30 pm (7:30 am at home). Kati and Eva are to pick me up at the airport. It'll be good to have a hug and not have to lock up all my stuff at night! I'm sad to leave Ireland. The country was beautiful, the city energetic and the people friendly and warm. But! Already, from the people on the flight, I can tell I'm going to love Austria. Especially the part where I can a full, complete shower with warm water. Kati, if your shower is broke, this is not the time to tell me ; )

-----i wrote the above on the flight. Since then I have met up with Kati, had a pleasant evening eating pizza and meeting her boyfriend and friends. Turns out that when we arrived at her flat (apartment) the landlord had left a note saying not to use the shower cause the apartment below them was flooding!! I guess Europe is against me showering. Too bad, we went to her boyfriend's and showered there! It's 9:00 here and I'm off to bed. Guten nacht!