Since my last post, things have been going well here in Austria. Until the weekend, then it went downhill. But we’ll come to that later – I’m going to talk you through my week, full of ups and downs.
Monday 6th
I went to bed really early on Sunday evening and woke up on Monday morning in a WINTER WONDERLAND. Loooook how stunning it is!! Literally this is the view from my bedroom window!!! How lucky am I.
Tuesday 7th
I decided to sign up for an evening course at the Volkshochschule (community college) in Saalfelden. It’s called Richtig Pinzgauern, basically a course to learn the dialect of the region. So after a long day of teaching, it got to 6pm, I really reeeeally didn’t want to go, but I headed into town. A lovely group of ladies helped me find the room, so I waddled in (I was wearing about 14 layers it’s FREEZING here) and there were only 2 other people in the room. The guy running the course and his wife. Aghh so awkward. Then 2 other people came into the room (thank GOD), so there were 3 of us in total. The course lasted 1 hr 40, and it was so shit.
Firstly, the man running the course was like 90 years old and didn’t know how to use a computer properly, which was pretty painful to watch. Secondly, the speakers weren’t working on the laptop, so we couldn’t hear any of the sound clips/videos he’d wanted to use. Thirdly, the whole session was just him talking through a website about the Pinzgau dialect. There’s meant to be 2 more sessions in the next few weeks, but I have no idea what else we can talk about. Haven’t actually paid yet so might not turn up tomorrow. Hmm, we’ll see.
Wednesday 8th
Pretty quiet day (I only had one lesson) so I spent the morning shopping. Honestly I think I have a spending problem, I haven’t been paid yet and I also forgot to send off my Erasmus form (I’m such a dicksplash – it’ll be another month before I get my grant). But despite this, I thought it would be a good idea to spend €80 on food, makeup and earrings. Within the space of 30 minutes. I really hate myself sometimes.
Thursday 9th
I’m sure you’ll have seen from my Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat but I went skiing on Thursday, wahooooo. There’s a glacier near me called Kitzsteinhorn, and it’s open pretty much all year.
So on Thursday, I spent:
- €600 on a whole area season pass (it’s an investment)
- I don’t have my skis/boots with me in Austria, so €53 on equipment hire
- Also don’t have a car here, so €10 on travel
- BUT I took a packed lunch with me so that saved me about €7 ha ha every little helps right ?!?!?!
Oh God. I really cannot wait for payday on Wednesday.
But apart from spending nearly €700, I had an amazingggg day. The weather was beautiful, the pistes weren’t too busy, it was my first day on the slopes of the season, and it was blissful. A lot of people seemed confused that I went skiing alone but I figured it was like going for a walk/run by yourself? I’m also an experienced skier and know how to get myself out of trouble if I needed to, so I wasn’t too worried.
Before it all went downhill !!! Literally !!!!! Ha hA HAHAA
Friday 10th – such a sick day #foodpoisoning
In the morning, I had 4 lessons, and I finished at 11:30. After lunch, I got the bus to the station, and then the train to Feldkirch (where Megan lives in Vorarlberg). The journey took just under 4 hours, so not too bad. I was so excited arriving in Feldkirch, I’d not seen Megan since Vienna and it was soooo nice to see her and the gang again !!!
I arrived just before dinner, so after doing our makeup, we went for a meal. I ordered the mushroom risotto and Megs had a pizza. I wish wish wish I’d ordered a pizza too, because I am 100% certain that the risotto gave me food poisoning. Not sure if you know this, but you can get food poisoning from rice (if it’s been left out on the side for too long). And our food came out within like 10 minutes, so it wouldn’t surprise me if it had been sat there for ages.
she’s here and she’s gonna vom all over your bed lol sorry megs xx
Anyway, Megs and I had a lovely dinner date and a much-needed catch up. We headed back to hers, got changed and started getting boozaaaay. James, Luke and Sam (my favourite bunch of Narrens) joined us at Megan’s and we started predrinking. I honestly never laugh harder than I do when I see these guys, they are all just so fkin funny.
cuteeeee
We were drinking for hours and drank bottles and bottles of Vodka, so by the time we left for the club, we were very, very, very giggly (hammered). Megan is an actual legend, we didn’t think she was going to make it out but she turned it around, got her shit together and managed to sober up for the club (by drinking loads of water and eating her bodyweight in crisps).
I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but smoking is legal in bars in Austria. I remember walking into the club, and all I could think was how smoky it was. I don’t smoke, but I have become acclimatised to the smell of it. I’ve kind of had to. Do you know why?? Because at uni, ALL the fit boys are in the smoking area on a night out. Seriously. All of them. So because I don’t smoke myself, being able to tolerate the smell of cigarettes became my only option. And my one-way ticket to a giant cockfest (just kidding mum I’m a virgin).
I don’t remember too much else of the night to be honest. My memory is very blurry, but here’s what happened before I started chucking up:
- I think we were walking to the club and trying to do a triple piggy back with Luke and Megan. And then I think I jumped on James?? Can’t really remember. Can’t think why.
- Luke shouting “don’t choke me, I’m asthmatic”. As if only asthmatic people can die from choking loool
- Someone (me? probs not) bought me a vodka lemonade and I spat in it and didn’t drink it (sorry, I owe you a drink)
- ???
Okay, just a disclaimer for this next bit: I am very very rarely sick from alcohol. And if you don’t like sick stories, stop reading now.
I just could not stop chundering. I do remember going to the boys toilets and Luke holding my hair back while I was chucking up. And I remember looking at my sick thinking “wow that risotto doesn’t look any different from earlier”.
Obviously in the moment I thought it was because I’d been drinking too much, but looking back, I think I must have had a funny tummy after eating the risotto, and then the alcohol aggravated it. Lol.
Anyway, I had to be taken home because I COULDN’T STOP VOMITING. On the street. In the toilet. On myself. In Megan’s bed (I am so sorry). On her floor. In the bin. It was fucking disgusting.
Me, Luke and Sarah stayed over at Megan’s on Friday, so 4 in her double bed, with me on the end. I didn’t sleep at all Saturday night. Every 30 minutes I woke up to run to the loo. Let’s just say I was firing from both ends – I never knew there was so much liquid in me!!! (omg this is so grim haha I am so sorry. Just want to document my year abroad as honestly as possible)
“take a photo of me for the blog”
***Luke has just filled me in on what happened on Friday night – these are his words exactly:
“In terms of Friday night, you had a piggy back on James to the club, you asked some people the way to the club when we were stood right next to it, you asked me to order you a vodka and fizzy water, which I questioned, you insisted that was right, then after I’d ordered you changed your mind. You then slumped on the sofa, gobbed in an empty glass, poured half of your €9 drink into the same glass and headed to the dancefloor. You disappeared for a bit, re-emerged, I took you to get some fresh air, you said you were going to be sick and when offered outside or the bathroom you chose bathroom. I showed you into the gents because the ladies were full. After throwing up a couple of times and trying to recover, you admitted defeat and said you needed to go home, so Megan and I took you back, she got you changed and you passed out into a peaceful sleep…for about 20 mins before you vommed all over yourself. Then after cleaning up what I could, you did it again, just lying on your back and pushing me off when I tried to help you to the bin. At some point, the sight of you lying in your own sick made me vom and you patted my back whilst I threw up in the bin. There was also a point where you got up suddenly to go and shower and returned in just a towel shivering. Then the last noteworthy event was when you got up at 4, I thought you were going to vom so followed you down to the bathroom, whereupon I asked if I should come in and entered expecting to find you needing help throwing up, and instead you were just sat on the loo”.
Saturday 11th
In the morning, Luke (the actual SAINT) walked into town for me. He bought me some medicine from the pharmacy to help with the vomiting, and some energy drinks to keep my hydrated.
SLEEPING BEAUTY
Initially, Megan and Luke didn’t believe me when I said I thought I had food poisoning. Actually, no one did. Everyone thought I’d just been drinking too much lol, but after 15 hours of chucking up, they realised that I was actually really poorly.
Saturday was a write-off. I spent the morning in bed, stopped chundering, had a shower, went back to bed and Megs and I napped for a few hours. Me, Megan and James went to Luke’s for a takeaway and movie night (but I ate rice cakes and fell asleep as soon as the film started). They watched Wild Hogs, and I wish I’d been awake because they said it was funny and the soundtrack sounded good.
Sunday 12th
I checked the train times from Feldkirch – Saalfelden on Sunday morning, and realised that most of them were cancelled, and there were rail replacement buses instead. The train/bus journeys were terrible, I had to change 4 times before I got back home and I kept falling asleep. I’ve decided there’s NOTHING worse than travelling when you’re poorly.
So I got home (at 4:30pm), and I just couldn’t stop sobbing. You know when you’re ill and all you want is to be at home with your family looking after you? I was so poorly, I felt sorry for myself and I was just really sad.
I had a shower and watched Love Actually. I had to pause the film I was crying soooo much.
Even today (Monday) I’ve been crying loads! I just can’t stop!!! God knows why I am so hormonal at the moment. Maybe I’m pregnant. Ha ha just kidding, you have to have sex to get pregnant and that hasn’t happened in a long time.
ANYWAY thank you (so much, as always) for reading. I haven’t gone outside today, I still feel shit and it’s snowing loads.
Speak soon. Loads of love,
Rach x
- Times chundered this weekend: approx. 60-70
- Hours spent sleeping on Sunday night: 13
- Homesickness on a scale of 1-10: 8. This is the worst I’ve felt so far.
- Friends of the week: Megan and Luke. Absolute angels.
- Song of the week: Baby It’s Cold Outside. Cold is an understatement hun it’s fucking freezing
The hills are alive with the sound of Rachel 