Comes like a lion, leaves like a lamb

Hello fam and friends!

Spring has sprung, and Klagenfurt is bathing in sunlight! March has been somewhat low-key for me, with mono keeping me sidelined from normal daily adventures, but the month is coming to a close and I'm ready to get back in the game... Sunshine and blue skies are signs to me that the universe is ready too.. Sub one!!!

Something that I'm really appreciating about my awesome town is their dedication to promoting a communal sense of holiday spirit. Many people have heard about the Christmas markets that go up in December (selling all sorts of random Christmas gifts, sweets, spiced wine and baked goods), but did you guys know that there are Easter markets too? Yup. These Austrians seem to take any excuse to set up outdoor alcohol and pretzel vendors. But hey, it's fine by me, and the city looks wonderful with Easter-eggs adorning the trees and people lounging in the sun while enjoying a beer with friends at 1 PM on a weekday. (I know. Do they ever work?? That's the eternal mystery...)



Besides becoming evermore enamored with the Klagenfurter's idea of how to stretch holidays to cover basically a month of celebration, life is slowly getting back to normal.

The last month has been somewhat disappointing on the volleyball spectrum; after several years of playing in the finals of the Austrian championship, we lost last week against Linz in the semifinals, leading to elimination from the championship chase. We'll be playing against the team from Hartberg for 3rd place, which will be our last series of the season. It's crazy, season passed in the blink of an eye (even those marathon road trips to the armpit of Slovakia!), and we're all hoping we can end the season on a high note. My fingers are crossed that my well-intentioned doctor will clear me to play before our first match on April 10th!

Kristina's parents arrived last week from Canada for a 10 day European adventure. They spent several days touring around Vienna, then joined us in Klagenfurt for a couple days of familiarizing themselves with our home. We had a great time enjoying Pumpe with them, and I think Kristina's dad tried every beer on the menu! They took off for Italy yesterday morning, but will be coming back this weekend, and we might head to Salzburg with them on Sunday before they head back over the Atlantic.

On a last note, almost weekly dinners at Marco's family's house have led me to be introduced to some more random but delicious Austrian dishes:

1) Chibabchichi: a sausage-esque cylindrical meat yummyness
2) Schtrankalan: kind of like spinach, also delicious, but nearly impossible for me to pronounce correctly... "Can I have some more of the green stuff???"

They're kind enough to have invited me to their Easter celebration, which I hear traditionally involves a meal of cow-tongue (???) along with sweet breads, sausage, and many desserts.. I'm trying to go into it with an open mind, and I'm sure I'll be reporting back on the experience!

I hope all is well back home and that spring is coming to wherever you are... Vitamin D, I love you!

xoxo

Anna

ps... ooooh almost forgot. Yesterday, Kristina and I dyed eggs with Sophie and Ryan (men's volleyer), and it was a BLAST! We are pretty much amazing at dying eggs. Some people may not believe that we made these with our own hands. (Please note Ryan's "self-portrait" egg, as well as Sophie's "Volleyball" egg. Pure art!) Haha...