Greetings from across the Pond!

Hey to all you people out there in Cyber-space. Greeting from across the pond. Sorry I haven't written sooner, but I was settling in here, don't come after me with a pick-axe (yes I am talking to you Jamie-Liegh! Katie!). Any way, on with our story.

The flight out of Grande Prairie was actually kinda fun. I was sitting next to a lady who recognized my blazer and we got talking. She told me that two of her friends had gone on exchange, but I don't remember where. After we laughed at the steward for a while, ( I know, it was mean, but he was really funny. You could tell he was new because he read everything he said off of a little sheet of paper.) That flight was also very loud, because the propeller was right outside my window, but I couldn't put in ear plugs because it would have been rude to my seat buddy. Anyway, I got to Edmonton, and went on to Calgary, that was pretty much same old, same old. Finally, I was on the British Airways plane and on my way over seas. I learned something neat then, apparently they've abandoned the old safety video, and just acted all the safety features out. It was a big let down when they didn't actually inflate the lifevests though, it would have been funny. On this flight I was sitting beside a very nice German lady, who told me all about the knee surgery she had a few days before. Then I promptly fell asleep. Nine hours, and on major crick in the neck later, I found myself in London England standing in an aiport bigger than Fairview with a hairdo that would make Einstien jealous, I guess that's what you get for sleeping on the plane! I made it to my terminal just fine, but then the fun started, I got lost 4 times, and all I did was find my gate, then go get something to drink, and go back to my gate! I also put my blaser to good use because Heathrow Airport is very drafty, who knew?

Finally I made it to Vienna. It was very cloudy, so I couldn't get an aireal view, which kinda sucked. Anyway I got off the plane, went through the fastest customs line I have ever seen, and waited for my suitcase. And waited, and waited, and then waited some more. Finally, like a light at the end of the tunnel, my first suitcase came coasting around the corner. After I managed to haul it off the belt, a feat I am quite proud of by the way, I started all over again. Eventually, after no more suitcases were coming by, I started to panic. That was, until I saw some people gesturing me from the other side of the conveyer belt. When I got over there I saw an amazing site, my suitcase! The only problem was, somehow it had fallen into the space between the two sides of the conveyer belt, and I had no way to get it. Eventually, some random airport official grabbed it for me, what a nice guy! Once he had left, and I had figured out a way to haul both my suitcases, without tripping and/or killing myself ( I didn't have any Euro coins, so I couldn't get one of those cart things.) I came to a rather aggrivatinng conclusion, I was lost, again. After pulling around my suitcases for a while, and walking around in circles (the airport in Vienna isn't actually very big!) I finally saw a sign. It said exit, with green tags only. I looked at the tag on my suitcase and what do you know, no green tag! Figures huh? After another loop around I decided to live on the wild side and I went through the green tag exit anyway, and guess what, nothing happened. There were no alarms, no security guards coming at me, I just waltzed on through. Finally I located my family, they had this awesome big cardboard sign which I managed to miss completely but they spotted the blazer, and the next thing you know I am on my way to my new home. Well, after stopping for lifes essentials, that's right, we stopped to grab something to eat at McDonalds. Although, you wouldn't recognize it as McDonalds, I've been in nice resteraunts that weren't as nice as that place.

Finally we made it to Tulbing, were I first saw our little house. And when I say little, I mean little it has one room with a shower, on little closet toilet, two bedrooms, a kitchen only slightly larger that the bathroom back home, and a joint room for Daniela's bedroom, and the dining room. It is small, but it is very cosy.

So, this is were I have spent the last few days. I went to the bank, the government building, the grocery store, and the bookstore. Tulbing, and Tulln (which is a neighbouring city, well, I call it a city, they says it's a small town, but it's the size of GP for Pete's sake!) are like story book towns. All of the neat, brightly coloured houses on small winding side streets. I also met my host mom's boyfriend Kristoff (I just made up that spelling, no idea if it's right). He doesn't understand a word of English, and speaks a dialect of German, so neither of us understand a word of what the other one is saying! Tomorrow I am going to Vienna to meet my host father (well, not really because Daniela and him are divorced) and my host grandparents.

Talk to you all again soon,

Ellyn