Last night on the way home from Dorfgastein Natalie contacted me saying that she was ill and that our plans for Monday (today) were changing. Instead of getting home at 10:30 (meaning more like 11pm for me and closer to 11:30pm for the girls) and then turning around and making the 2pm train to Ostrava, she allowed herself a full day to rest up in Vienna and then we would take the 8am train on Tuesday. No worries AT ALL. In fact, the girls were all very tired so they were jumping for joy (on the inside) to have a free day where they did not have to get up early, get things done, then meet at the train.

I was equally as excited! I let myself sleep in for a long time. Did some laundry and packed as much as I could with dry clothes, cleaned up and then headed the short train stop away to meet Natalie in her hotel room. We caught up, talked shop, and then I went out to get us lunch. Her first mea in Vienna was from Vapiano’s. It was wonderful as always, but she didn’t get the full experience as she only got to eat it rather than also getting to watch them prepare it.

While there we purchased train tickets for Ostrava but then I headed into the Institute to have them printed for us. It was nice to chat with Hermann and Verena. I love that we have become friends!!

Hermann was telling me something he had recently heard about Silicon Valley in California.

America is definitely NOT a socialist country. This specific example made me sad for the people, but it made him furious. The news report had documented a long street in Silicon Valley lined with cars - like long meaning miles long. In those cars were homeless people. I had been telling him about our homeless tour by Shades Tours, saying he needed to participate in one some time. He said the news story in California interviewed two of these people without a home, living in their cars. He said it was a married couple, both of which worked as high school teachers but could not afford a home. On the TV it showed both of them sitting in the front seat of their car grading. They would kiss each other goodnight and then one would head to the back of the car to sleep and the other would go to another car to sleep.

Wrapping my head around things like this is so difficult. While I see the benefits of a socialist society, I also see the American point of view of who is going to pay for it. Hermann’s beef was that American’s aren’t willing to give up their money to support others. If we want public transportation, someone needs to fund it, or donate the money. Rather in Vienna, EVERYONE pays a portion of their income to this program. Same with homeless shelters, etc. It is difficult to wrap my head around it….I don’t necessarily want to work my back side off so others can have the benefit if they are not working to help themselves. But if they are working, and trying, I feel better about helping. I think a lot of American’s are like this. And I totally get it. We have been conditioned to see that those without don’t try to get, or to make a way on their own. This may or may not be true. Changing our cultural view is very hard indeed.

An early night (yippee) to clean up, pack, and prepare for Ostrava tomorrow. I think it will be a fairly long day going going going.