My favorite Austrian weekend

Two weeks ago, I had a 4-day weekend, and those 4 days make up the best weekend I've had in Austria.  Not that my other weekends (and days, for that matter) aren't fantastic--because they are.  But those other days and weekends aren't spent in a mountain cabin with my incredible friends who make up my church's Young Adults Group.  YAG has been my solid social connection, but it's been so much more than that as well.  They are my family away from family.  They've filled the niche that my APU community created in me during my 4 years there.

The best adjective to pair with that weekend is filling.  I just felt like I was so filled with love and joy that there was little room for anything else inside me.  The background to this perfect painting were the beautiful green mountains with fields and wildflowers and animals, and in the foreground were people I love.

We just...were.  We didn't necessarily do a ton.  We just did life together.

We hiked and cooked and played cards.

Lunch at the top

After lunch, Ji Eun played ukelele, Petro broke out the shakers, and we sang together

On the way back to the cabin

Monopoly Deal was a hit

We climbed trees, picked wildflowers, rolled down hills, and skipped through fields.

We got up at 6:30 to sing, and pray, and have good conversation in the sunshine and long, early morning shadows.

I made new friends and played a lot of černý Petr with this sweet boy.

I don't think the ukulele spent much time in its case.  Nobody complained.

That weekend is absolutely one of my fondest Austrian memories.  I won't be forgetting it anytime soon.

Grace and peace,

Hilary