Thank you, 2014

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What a year.

No really: What. A. Year.

So much has happened, so many things that I’ve learnt, so many opportunities that arose, so many people who I’ve met.

I honestly could not be more thankful or appreciative.

I don’t even have words to explain everything that happened this year or how it changed me and helped me become the person I aspire to be.

One of the things that stood out most to me were the people I got to meet this year. I’ve made new friends all over the world. I met inspiring and hardworking people. I was fortunate enough to talk about life and get a glimpse into their view of the world and learn from them. The friendships I made in 2014 are probably the most coveted thing I take with me into the new year.
It’s also how these people made me think about the world differently, how they influenced how I feel and think about myself, how I consequently I carry myself now.

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I originally titled this post “Goodbye, 2014” but no, I don’t want to say goodbye, and thanks to all the crazy memories I will never have to say goodbye. I want to thank you, 2014, for teaching me about myself. For allowing me to be brave, for letting me do things I never had done before and for being patient and encouraging.
When I say 2014, I mean every single person I’ve met, everything I’ve done, every song I’ve heard (and obsessed over), every book I’ve read and every stranger that threw me a dirty look on the street for no apparent reason.

I have a feeling that 2015 will be different in many ways but with what 2014 has taught me, I hope it will be easier for me to navigate through the next year.

So thank you, 2014, it’s been real.

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Frage Foto Freitag

Question photo friday hosted by Ohhh Mhhh.

1.) Immer wieder gern?
(Things you like doing over and over again?)

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/ Mit Freunden im Park sitzen und die Zeit vertratschen :)
/ Sitting in a park with friends and talking the time away :)

2.) Immer Samstags?
(Every Saturday?)
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/ Mittlerweile ist es nicht mehr jeden Samstag, aber früher war Samstag mein “Stalltag”.
/ It has changed by now but Saturday used to be my “stables day”.

3.) Immer wieder schön?
(Always beautiful.)
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/ Wien.
/ Vienna.

4.) Immer ‘ne gute Idee?
(Always a good idea?)

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/ Gartenarbeit.
/ Gardening.

5.) Einfach immer?
(Always?)
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/ Spontan sein (und einfach mal nen Nachmittag am See verbringen).
/ Be spontaneous (and spend an afternoon at a lake).

Memories

Thailand 2010.

The best five weeks of my life.

/Drive to the orphanage.
/Talking to the kids after a fun English lesson.
/Evenings at the bar across the street.
/More teaching.
/Kids at the orphanage LOVED recording with my camera.
/Painting a classroom.

/At the local pool.
/Playtime with the kids at the orphanage.
/What do you do when the taxi you ordered doesn’t show up and it’s 2am? Right, you pile onto the pick up truck of the owner of the nightclub- even if there’s no way 17 people can really fit. And then? Then you start singing silly children’s songs. It’s moments like this – stupid and utterly reckless, when you feel most alive.
/Saying goodbye to friends was always hard.
/New adventures: on the way to Koh Samet!
/The bar where we spent most nights.

I was 18 when I left and I was hesitant at first but those five weeks soon turned out to be the best of my life. I’ve met people from all over the world and we became fast friends. We spent weekends away traveling the country, hiking up to waterfalls or partying to the early morning hours in Bangkok. We taught at orphanages and schools, ate fish flavoured ice cream and cooked pad-thai. We all had the time of our lives.

World: Piran

In May 2011 I went on a roadtrip with a couple of friends. Our destination was Trieste, Italy but we spent one day in Piran, Slovenia. Piran is a charming little city – magical, really. We walked around town, through tiny alleys and along the boardwalk. We ate gorgeous food and had a very intense water fight. I truly have only fond memories of this trip.

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[Above: Piran at our feet | Below: details. ]

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[Above: delicious lunch. ]

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[Above and below: water fight!. ]

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We took our car from Vienna to Trieste (had to pay for parking in Trieste, but only around 3€/day). We divided petrol cost through four so each of us only had to pay around 20€. We stayed in a small hostel near the city center – meals not included.
We made a day trip to Piran with a short stop at Hrastovlje, a small town in Slovenia with a cute medieval church. We hiked around the hills there for a while and bought a bottle of wine from the church. Parking in Piran was a bit of a challenge but we managed to find a parking lot not too far off.