CASSIDY RYDELL
AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT
After weeks of go, go, go, I decided to stay back in Gaming for a weekend before our pilgrimage for Poland, thinking that I would get a chance simply to exist and marvel at the sheer fact I am actually in Europe, studying in a beautiful little town.
I received some wise words from my dad before I left. He said, “You are so lucky to be here; make sure you actually slow down and take it in, because in a blink of an eye, it will be gone.”
I took it to heart and had my own adventure and recovery time away from the craziness of travel.
One can get so exhausted from the business of studying and planning and life in general that getting a weekend off can be refreshing, which is exactly what the weekend was. I got a chance to explore Gaming without all the hustle and bustle of all the other students around.
I managed to finish all the work I needed to get done, spaced over four days. The way I have my classes scheduled allows me to have four-day weekends, so, taking into account that I didn’t have too much homework to do, I could maximize my day to relax.
I got a chance not only to pray more, but also to figure myself out. Sometimes when we are constantly busy doing seemingly mundane tasks, we lose a sense of who we are.
There should always be a time to get back to “home base.” Because “home base” isn’t home in America, it comes as a challenge to find ourselves again.
As much as I hate saying it, I took and am still attempting to take advantage of the limited amount of Wi-Fi we get here in Gaming. When no one was around, the connection was faster, so I had a chance to catch up on a few things (a.k.a. Netflix and music) to unwind, something one normally can’t do here.
It gave me a taste of home. I also got the chance to be more present with the people that also stayed back: mainly a few of my household sisters, one of whom is an RA.
It was nice to actually talk on a more genuine level, because oftentimes it is arduous and feels slightly superficial, even in a place where you’re practically forced to talk with that terrifying species called human beings. On the chance that you get that one-on-one time, you come out of a conversation feeling like you know the person you were talking to.
Overall, taking a weekend to step back and realize all the beauty I have in front of me is one of the best decisions I’ve made here in Austria. It reminded me of the life we have, that we ought to live each day with virtue and to the fullest because as much as we love our earthly lives, our days are numbered until we see our King.