mindheartsoul7 - Tumblr blog

[mindheartsoul7]

This gorgeous landscape is not the only reason why I love driving in New Zealand. New blog post online. Link in bio. (at New Zealand) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxaPZkihdwu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1x43aubmh92i2

[mindheartsoul7]

Finally my website is online. That was Prague: https://escapingworlds.com/oh-prague/

[mindheartsoul7]

Street Food addict - London (2)

On our „perfect day“ in London we did a lot. Our neighbor who we send a postcard thought this was the whole London-stay program.

For this reason I don’t like city trips much. Because they make you tired. Specially if you are introverted you need to get the energy from being alone. My sister and me are those kind of persons. That wasn’t what we considered in our planing. I would recommend every introverted traveler to book for a city trip a airbnb/hotel/appartment or anything similar where you can go when the city gets to exhausting. We stayed at a couchsurfing host for the first three nights and than at a airbnb a little outside of the center.  

What I didn’t actually mentioned the perfect day endet actually in Harrods shopping mall. Crazy. Too crazy for me. Lights people, more people, too many employes and more christmas lights. I think the most exhausting thing was strolling around this shopping mall. That was our schedule for thursday. We woke up early to walk just north from our host place to Old Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane Market (which wasn’t open, but at this area were some second hand shops which we were looking for). We stopped on the way to have some breakfast. The sign of the coffee shop attracted me, it was called Pause (which is the german word for break). We had delicious egg benedict with bread, real bread - dark bread and veggies. After eating we checked out Old Spitalfields Market which looked like an expensive street food market. Not all stands where open at this time. As we were looking for clothes we continue our way, up north. Again is was the fault of our poor planning, the shops where we wanted to go where still closed. But it was anyway worth it to come here - our own street art tour.

We took the train to close to Camden Market and walk the rest of the road. On the way we stopped to listen to some street musicians. The happy tunes of song they played in mix with the sun which came out made the atmosphere beautiful.

Camden Market is awesome! If you have the change go there, do it! We didn’t bought that much but just to stroll around or getting something to eat it’s really fun-filled.

On Sunday we made it to Brick Lane Market and checked out the clothing stores there. Which wasn’t at all our taste. There were only vintage clothing. At every 40 meters were amazing artists - street musicians. At one building, we almost passed it, was the street food paradise. Mexican, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, so many different national dishes. I wanted to buy from every stand something. We took a lot. It was really delicious specially the Dutch Poffertjes, what we didn’t liked where the Japanese dumplings. It was our last perfect sunny day with a lot of good tunes.

London we will come back for sure.

[mindheartsoul7]

Where is the bridge? - London (1)

It was 10 a.m., the ray of sunlight was shining through the window and was bringing light into the room. Our host told us how lucky we are „days like this are very rarely in London“. After we telling him our plan for the day, he gave us some advice about how the rental bike thing is working here.

We made a little detour to the Tower Bridge. Now that we were here, of course we had to cross it. To stand at one of the world famous sights was pretty stunning. While we were crossing the bridge we took pictures of every angle. Very touristy, I know.

Finally we got to the bike station. Our plan was to go with bicycles along the Thames river to Greenwich, where we wanna check out the market. The most of the route we didn’t drove along the river, which didn't matter. The way was still beautiful. We were one block before, on a little busy street. The stone pavement wasn’t really comfortable to ride the bikes on it. Luckily this pave wasn’t continuous. The way led along this beautiful brick wall houses. It looked like a nice old harbor area. We crossed a park, drove a part on the sidewalk of busy street and turned into the path which where laying directly at the Thames. The sun was shining into my face, I felt the little brise on my skin, a smile appeared: this day couldn’t be better. I knew my sister, on the bike behind me, felt the same.

We reached the station where we dropped of the bikes. Right next to it was a school. They had break and all the students where outside at the court. I never saw so many students, they where incredible loud. We just wanted to get away from there, we walked quickly to the river to cross the bridge. But there was no Bridge. Do we have to search for a bridge? We walked across the park, where we where and reached a round small building. The bridge was actually a tunnel! Excited to cross it we took the stairs.

From the Greenwich Market we where disappointed there where a few nice shops, but the actually Market was more flea market, with a lot of useless stuff. While we had lunch, of course street food - English and Etiopean, we decided to go back to the city by boat (but only if it is the speed boat).

It was one. I found myself standing outside at the back of the boat, holding on at the railing, enjoyed the speed, the sunshine and a second time of this day I was incredibly overwhelmed. Overwhelmed of this beautiful day and of this beautiful exploring tour. The highlight was when we went under the Tower Bridge. Until the London Eye, where we got off, they didn’t speed up, probably because there was more traffic.

James Park When my sister told me she want that squirrels eat nuts from her hand I didn’t believed that it would be possible. But here I did it myself. Actually the squirrels just run to us as the heard the bag with nuts rustle. They where a little afraid though and didn’t got too close. My sister put a nut between here fingers and feed them. After a while she put it at her palm of the hand. We continue walking in the park and stop time by time, to feet the animals. There where many of them. I also did it, actually I was a bit afraid. It was fine. The squirrel was also afraid and took the nut quick from my hand. I didn’t felt claws, it felt more soft they feet of animal. It would have been lovely to cuddle them.

We heard trational music. We went to check whats happening. It look like a changing the guard kind a thing, it just wasn’t in front of the Buckingham Palace. Google says it’s the Guard Museum, but I'm still not sure yet. We stood there a while - nothing else than music playing happened but then they moved. It wasn’t that exciting. Still after this eventful day, was our "accidentally run into" a-changing-the-guard-ceremony pretty terrific.

[mindheartsoul7]

My trip to Cyprus

[mindheartsoul7]

Larnaca

Everything went pretty fast. I quit my job to work in another company and last minute I got the ok from my old boss to leave at the date where I wanted to start at the new job plus I got one week holiday. I was overjoyed. Actually the job change was planed without gap, but now I was really glad that I got a break before. I needed to get away, to relax after this exhausting high season.

Completely stressed with no idea where to go I started my weekend. There where many options, actually I wanted to go in autumn somewhen to Amsterdam. Now nevertheless I wanted something calm, warm, something which smell like sea and sunscreen. There was a flight to Malta, but because I hesitated to long I missed that change for a low price. Finally on Monday morning I booked a flight to Cyprus for 84 euros. Unfortunately I wasn’t that lucky with my accommodation. I spended almost another 100 euros for a really lovely airbnb room. On Tuesday evening there I was sitting in the train to Vienna airport. On the way to the train station I felt a mix of excitement and nausea. It was one of my spontaneous trips ever. I reminded me back to the time where I was a calm spontaneous traveler. When I went from Auckland to San Francisco I didn’t had a host and I was calm not completely calm but very less stressed. And now? I was stressed and scared to book a spontaneous trip to somewhere. Did this routined life killed my travel-just-do-it-mood?

Honestly I didn’t do much exploring in Larnaca. I rented a bicycle for two days explored the city and went a little further to relax on the beach at a Luxury Hotel, saw the dried up Salt Lake and the Church of Saint Lazarus. Soon I realized that I was already sick of traveling alone. Luckily I met some really awesome guys, at the place where I stayed and from couch surfing. Eating, talking, drinking, swimming and partying at Mackenzie Beach. And of course there was a funny night swim at the sea not missing. All in all pretty good three days.

[mindheartsoul7]

Minimalism

We are living in a consuming World. Consuming without thinking.

A new phone although the old one is still working. A new TV because it has so much more options. New clothes because the old once are not „in“ anymore.

Did you ever ask yourself does it make me happy? Does it make me more happy when I will buy this music box, this new jacket, this new Phone? Or will it be just a collection of new things which you store at home hardly using? The society and the advertising is telling us we need that, but we actually don’t.

The first time when I realized that I own too much stuff was when I moved in Vienna from one place to another. My brother and my sister in law helped me. He borrowed a VW Bus and that was still not enough. I was shocked.

Where did all the things come from? Why do I have all this things? I just lived in a shared apartment, so there wasn’t actually space for collecting meaningless stuff. This time I was thinking about Minimalism, the first time.

Before I made my gap year I sorted out a lot of things. After one year traveling with a backpack I figured how less I need indeed.

Now, back home settled (only for a certain period of time hopefully: P) there is the threat of amass a bunch of meaningless things. Specially because I have a bigger room and a storage room. It took me a while to figure out what's the best way for me to become a sustainable Minmalist. Finally I found a good solution: In my storage room I have box, everything which I do not use will come into this box. If I do not use it after a month I want to (and hopefully will) get rid of it.

When did you ask yourself how much you own? How often you use the things you have? How much you spend organizing your room? Cleaning up, sorting out?

We are living in a consuming World. Consuming without thinking.

[mindheartsoul7]

Abbazia di San Galgano

[mindheartsoul7]

My pictures of Budapest. Photographed with my analogue Camera, Canon EOS 300

[mindheartsoul7]

My trip to Budapest

It was 3:40 am in 10 minutes my train will leave and it’s a 15 minutes walk to the train station. Yes sometimes my time management really terrible, but lucky me, I've got it. The train was uncrowded, again lucky me, so could lay down across two seats. In between I woke up, fall asleep again, had weird dreams, woke up and was snoozing. Before we reached Budapest the old friendly women woke me up. She talked to me in Hungarian I couldn’t understand. I ask bleary „Budapest?“. No response which I understood, so I looked at my phone, that showed 9:20 am. Wow I slept all the way.

Without navigation and a bad city map I tried to find my hostel where I would stay one night. On the way I felt in love with all this unique small shops names like Vanyl World, Espresso Embassy, The Strawberry Project, Fair Bank and Cafe, Falafel & Hummus.

I didn’t made a plan what I wanna see in Budapest, I was just happy a be away from Salzburg. Unfortunately I was also a bit sick, I also wan’t really in the mood for big sightseeing tour. The first thing I visited was the Central Market Hall. Bought some vitamins and found this amazing Langos booth at the first floor, I didn’t had appetite, because of my cold. Next time for sure I will go there. They all kinds of Langos with veggies, cheese, ham on top or sweet once with nutella, peanut butter, banana, etc. Looked so delicious.

In the evening after I got some rest in the hostel I met up with some couchsurfers. When I wouldn’t explored the nightlife in California, I would say the coolest bar I ever been in. Nevertheless it was still a freaky nice bar. I drunk some Schnaps, against my cold.

The next day I felt indeed better, also I’ve got medicine from the Moroccan guy who suggested the bar. He also invited me for Lunch. Sometimes I’m thoroughly surprised how selfless and absolutely kind people can be. That was at this day. So I was sitting with these new friend ate moroccan lunch and drunk tea.

The last activity I wanted to do in Budapest was going up the hill to have a view above the city. And truly I had a great walk, the view was different than I expected somehow it reminded me of Vienna.

The rest of the day was more or less very shit. I’ve got a penalty for riding the metro with a tram ticket and I was annoyed about the crowded train.

The first time since years I was happy that that I returned to Austria. Where I can understand the language, how public transportation tickets working and so on. I was so relieved as I came back to Austria. Before every trip I have this feeling if it’s going to be a good or bad trip. I knew that this journey will be valuable for me, but I didn’t thought about that the coming back will be the positive thing.

[mindheartsoul7]

Being present

A few days ago I had a excatly idea what that blog post is all about. But than I made a unique experience which changed this idea completely.

Did ever a stranger read you. Me, yes.

The returning home part and getting used to everything was already done I thought. In autumn I changed places and jobs, I was really happy about this new things in my life. After a while the winter and the routine came. I remembered where I was, all this places around the world. I remembered the people I met and all this little memories Why should I freeze in Austria when I can spend christmas at a beautiful beach in California to watch surfers. Why should I buy avocados from oversea when I know how it taste’s fresh from the tree. Why should I wear big warm shoes when I could walk all day long barefoot in the sand. Why should I work. Why should I have routined life. Why should I be in Austria.

The hate against my life here grew. It was a fight with my self. I felt stuck in my own life.

I wished I would be somewhere else. I wished I would be this easy going Lisi, who I was when I traveled. I felt so stuck in Austria, in my life. All my problems from work, from life I let them too close to me, worried about little things, thought about vanities too much.

To read a people's thoughts and emotions, I think that’s a special gift that just a few people have. They will feel the energy that you radiate. This person told me things about me which are exactly true, things which I even wouldn’t say out loud, things which are bothering me since a while.

This experience open my eyes and I realized that this negativity dosen’t only infect my mind also my body. I have to change something. I have to get used to Austria. Even I know it will not be living here forever, I have to be happy about living here.

[mindheartsoul7]

Year Review Sometimes you have to go closer or make a step back to see the things in your life precise. And suddenly the make sense.

This year was full of up and downs. Full of new decisions. It wasn’t easy to come back from a gap year and step into the normal routined life.

When I look back now, I’m glad about my decisions, about the new career step I took, about the teaching experiences and about the people who came into my life and still there. 2018 I’m more than ready for you. It’s going to be great!

[mindheartsoul7]

Wieder in der Heimat –  Back home again

GERMAN

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Als ich meine Reise began habe ich nicht darüber nachgedacht wie es sein wird wieder zurück zu kommen. Ich habe nicht daran gedacht wie sich mein Leben verändert hat. Ich habe nicht daran gedacht wie ich mich fühlen könnte.

Nun, da meine Heimkehr schon etwas her ist und endlich schaffe ich es diesen Text online zu stellen.

Irgendwie war es als wäre ich wieder 17. Ich muss mich entscheiden wie es beruflich weiter geht. Doch was sich geändert hat war, dass ich ganz genau wusste was ich nicht will und das war hier im Pinzgau, ja in Österreich zu bleiben, Deutsch zu sprechen und den Winter ertragen zu müssen. Geplagt vom Fernweh, vom vermissen der tollen Zeit machte ich mich auf Jobsuche. Zugegeben keine guten Voraussetzungen. Dazu kam das ich mich unglaublich fremd und verloren fühlte, in meiner Haut, in diesem Land, in der ganzen Situation. Ein Jahr konnte ich fast tun und lassen was ich wollte, ich stand auf und ein ungeschriebener Tag lag vor mir. Nun musste ich mich fügen, den System, den Vorgesetzten.

Meine Freiheit und meine Unabhängigkeit habe ich nur mit Widerwillen aufgegeben. Zum einen hätte ich gerne eine Arbeit, eine Wohnung einen Plan über mein Leben gehabt, auf der anderen Seite hatte ich Angst, Angst davor wieder in eine Routine zu fallen, eine Routine die mich langweilt, ein Job der mich langweilt, ein Leben das mich langweilt, Hobbies die mich langweilen, Leute um mich rum die mich langweilen. Ich hatte Angst nicht mehr klar zu kommen mit dem System.

Mittlerweile habe ich eine Beschäftigung gefunden, die mir Spaß macht. Darüber das es „nur“ eine Saisonstelle für den Sommer ist, bin ich froh. Somit habe ich im Herbst nochmals Zeit mir genauer zu überlegen was ich eigentlich machen möchte. Ziemlich erstaunlich war für mich wie schnell ich mich wieder auf Deutsch eingestellt hatte. Als ich im Zug vom Flughafen nach Hause saß und wieder Deutsch um mich rum hörte, schmerzten mir die Ohren, ich dachte ich könnte die Sprache nie wieder ertragen. Doch nach nur einigen Wochen konnte ich normal Deutsch sprechen ohne es mit Englischen Wörter zu mischen. An was ich mich bis heute noch nicht ganz gewöhnt habe sind die Öffnungszeiten der Geschäfte. Sonntags geschlossen. Samstags nur bis 18 Uhr. In diesen Bereich ist Österreich noch sehr weit hinten geblieben.

Jetzt bin ich wieder zurück – im normalen Leben Alles hat sich verändert, vor allem ich habe mich verändert. Ich bin spontaner, flexibler und anpassungsfähiger geworden. Meine Einstellung auf Dinge wie Geld, Besitztümer und Mitmenschen hat sich sehr verändert. In Tansania habe ich erlebt wie die Menschen sich Zeit für einander nehmen, Familie ist wichtig, da die Leute arm sind besitzen sie nicht viel und trotzdem (oder gerade deshalb) tragen sie immerzu ihr schönes Lachen. In Neuseeland habe ich erlebt, wie gastfreundlich ein Land sein kann, das die Menschen aufeinander eingehen, Rücksicht nehmen auch auf Wildfremde. In der USA habe ich lernt das man als Einzelkämpfer dasteht, vertraue niemanden! Auf der anderen Seite die Freizügigkeit und Offenheit in manchen Sachen, die das ganze wieder in ein anderes Licht rückt. Das Fernweh ist stärker geworden und die Freude Leute aus aller Welt zu treffen, mich mit Reisenden zu unterhalten größer. Die nächste große Reise kommt bestimmt!

ENGLISH

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

When I started my trip I didn’t thought how it would be to coming back again. I didn’t thought how my life could changed. I didn’t thought how I could feel like.

Well, my return is already a bit ago and finally I managed to put this text online.

Somehow it was like I was 17 again. I have to decide how to continue my career. But what changed was that I knew exactly what I didn’t want and that was to be here at home, to stay in Austria, speak German and have to endure the winter. Plagued by the wanderlust, the missing of the great time, I looked for job. Admittedly, no good conditions. In addition, I felt incredibly strange and lost, in my skin, in this country, in the whole situation. For a year I could almost do what I wanted, I stood up, an unwritten day was before me. Now I had join the system, the superior.

I given up my freedom and my independence with reluctance. On the one hand, I would like to have a job, an apartment a plan about my life, on the other hand I was afraid to fall back into a routine, a routine that bored me, a job that bored me, a life that made me bored, hobbies that bored me, people around me who bored me. I was afraid that I couldn’t handle the system anymore.

Meanwhile, I found a job that I enjoy. It is "only" a job for the summer seasons , I'm glad. So in the autumn I have time to think more about what I really want to do. Quite surprising for me was how quickly I had set myself back in German. When I was sitting on the train from the airport and heard German again (after one year) around me, my ears ached, I thought I could never hear this language again. But after a few weeks I could speak normal German without mixing with English words. What I’m still not used to, are the opening hours of the shops. Closed on Sundays. On Saturdays only until 6 pm. In this point, Austria is still very far behind.

Now I am back again - in normal life Everything has changed, especially I have changed. I have become more spontaneous, flexible and adaptable. My attitude to things like money, possessions and fellow human beings has changed a lot. In Tanzania, I have seen people taking time for each other, family is important because people are poor, they do not have much, and still (or even for that reason) they always keep their beautiful smiles. In New Zealand, I have experienced how hospitable a country can be, how people looking for each other, respect for wild strangers. In the USA I learned that one stands as a single fighter, do not trust anyone! On the other hand the freedom of movement and openness in some things which is pretty contrasting. The wanderlust has grown stronger and the joy of meeting people from all over the world and talk with them bigger. The next big trip will come!

[mindheartsoul7]

One Year in Numbers

364 days 5 countries 44.732 km in the air 12.613 km on the road 324 km on the water

[mindheartsoul7]

Die Heimkehr – Returning Home

It’s pretty hard for me to write about it, because I had many feelings and it is very personally. My best friend described it very well: roller coaster of feelings. The last two days was cloudy and rainy in Long Beach. It made the farewell easier. But what it doesn’t made it easier were all this great people which I met. There is this proverb which come in my mind: Always leave them wanting more (Immer muss man dann gehen wenn es am schönsten ist). I didn’t wanted to leave. I wanted to go outside and don’t wear big jackets. I wanted to drive along the beach and palm trees. I wanted to feel the sun on my skin. I wanted to speak English every day.

A friend brought me to the airport. The guy behind the check-in ask me where I’m going. Vienna. After the check-in I ate my last american pizza and was wondering how one year can go so fast over. How? I thought about when I left Tanzania and New Zealand it was always the same on airports, I wanted to cry. But this time, it worse, I wanted to scream. Every time I went to a unknown country, my future was unknown, my journey was unknown. And this is what made it exciting. But now I’m going back to my home country. Where I know the language, the area, the people, the weather,…  All this didn’t provoke positive emotions. I was afraid. I finished my Pizza (almost) and continued my way to the security check. As I waited in the line I saw a huge art construction hanging from the ceiling. Suddenly I felt completely emptiness, to distract me from my feelings and thoughts, I listened to the conversation of the family before me.

I’m sitting in the airplane, chat with friends on the phone until a crew member told me to switch to airplane mode. No, no, no I don’t want to leave, I didn’t finished, I didn’t finished my journey.

The whole 10 hours flight I couldn’t sleep, I didn’t even was tired. I watched one movie after another. I just wanted to keep my mind away from the sadness which come over me. As I arrived in London I felt pretty bad. Suddenly, I got tired. I had to find a cafe shop.

At the next two hours flight I felt the sunbeams on my face, luckily I had this window place and I could sleep most of the time. Before we landed I woke up. We got down, through the cloud covers. As I saw the gray and brown fields I didn’t felt to land here. I shouldn’t stay here, I didn’t feel of going home. It didn’t feel like my home.

We flew over Vienna, I recognized the DC-Tower and the „Seestadt“. I wasn’t ready to go home, not now, I'm not ready. This airplane should land somewhere else, somewhere where it is more beautiful.

I arrived safely in Vienna. German, German, German, everybody next to me speaks German. I had to think how do I order food in German, I had to think how I communicate in German. Is it really my mother tongue? It sounds terrible. I don’t want to hear it.

Now after almost a week I’m already get used to almost everything here. German don’t sound that stupid anymore (even if I still prefer English), manual driving is not that difficult after one year only automatic and even the cold isn’t that bad. My family told me I go a better driver, I look refreshed, but I got some more kilos (yes, this is unavoidable in the USA). The only thing which I will miss always is the open times of shops. In this point and in some others Austria is very conservative. The landscape doesn’t seem „wow“ for me, also if it’s one of the most beautiful parts of Austria. But I was at the most beautiful parts of New Zealand. So here there a just other snow covered mountains.

[mindheartsoul7]

Fears and Hopes

10 days 10 days left In 10 days I leave this country In 10 days my gap year is over In 10 days it's time to go home It seems that I just started my trip and now it's over? Back to Austria? In my inside I'm screaming. Two weeks ago I was happy about this thought. Now I realized what it means to go back where I grow up, where I know everything: the language, the culture, the people and there behaviour. It means no new cultures, no new countries anymore. Everything will be the same. When I'm looking back I'm standing in Tanzania on the beach, in New Zealand on the beach, in California on the beach and everytime I got richer on experiences, on friends, on good and bad memories and on knowledge. I'm so glad that I had the chance to make this trip and thankful for every person who was a part of it. Even when my motivation to go home is not very high there are however a few things which I'm looking forward to it: Good food, my family and friends and daily routine. But at the same time I fear that I will be unable to get used to everything, that I will be unable to speak German (yes, I love to speak English), that the daily life will be more boring than ever before. However it will be, it's not over now. Last 10 days :)

[mindheartsoul7]

The Wall

Here I'm standing on the boarder between Mexico and the USA. It's not just a simple wall, no these are two walls with some space between each other and regular police controls. I felt shocked and sad as walked along the boarder and saw the crosses which are painted in the wall, for them who died trying to cross the wall. For the first time of my life I realized what it means to be European. For me is a boarder a line on the map. What means boarder for you?