Week 211: Our Final Week in Austria
Less than 12 hours after getting back from our Dolomites trip in week 210, we were welcoming the movers into our house to begin packing up all of our belongings.
Moving day
Moving day
Moving day
Moving day
Eric stayed at the house managing that, while I took the dogs to their official vet appointment in Gmunden.
By Tuesday, all of the boxes were physically moved out and loaded into the container.
A mountain of boxes
Eric had his final going away dinners and townhall at work on Thursday.
Eric at work
I had my going away party with my team on Friday. They planned a cute Austrian-themed party starring a soup bar and my very own Dirndl that I fully plan on wearing multiple times when I am back in the States.
I learned the placement of the bow on the dirndl means different things.
Tied on the Left
It means that a woman is single.Tied on the Right
It means that a woman is either married or in a relationship.Tied on the Back in Center
It means that a woman is a widow
As my gift to the team, I drew a team illustration and wrote little notes to everyone.
Between both of our going away parties, we are stocked up on Austrian recipes and snacks for our drive across Europe.
For the past month, I’ve been searching for the perfect analogy to capture what living abroad has been like and how it feels to be ending.
From the outside, it might have looked like one big adventure—and it was. For some, these four years might feel like an eternity, but for us, they sped by in a blur. And if I had to describe it all, living abroad has been like an epic concert: a mind-blowing setlist of memories, experiences, and discoveries. The music was intense, loud, and full of energy. The highs were dizzying, just like every mountain peak we reached and every Ferrata we dangled from. Each experience felt like a crescendo, building into something grander. We were completely immersed in the rhythm of foreign life—the thrill of new adventures, the amount of friendships formed, and the unforgettable moments we shared.
But now, we linger here in the final notes and final days, like that last, drawn-out chord that won’t quite end. You’re waiting, ready to clap and go home, yet the music stretches, holding onto those precious seconds because the crowd is still cheering. Our furniture, our belongings—all packed up and shipped away—yet here we are, still living in this now empty house for one last week. The echoes of our lives in these rooms feel surreal like we’re caught between the final seconds of a song and the silence that will await once we’re gone for good.
And then, like at the end of any unforgettable show, the lights shut down, the band walks off, and everyone goes home with hands and hearts full of merch and memories. That’s exactly how leaving Austria feels—beautiful, bittersweet, and full, with a gentle pull guiding us toward what comes next.
A few final moments in our empty apartment…Charlie didn’t want to join in on the photo opp
Daisy & mom moment
