But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize
Vienna waits for you
--Billy Joel, Vienna.
So, here I am. In this beautiful, surreal, unreal place. And I love it in a big way. In a super huge, upside down, halfway across the world from everything I know, learn a lot every day, world traveler, new experiences kind of way.
Does a place like Vienna really exist? Do people really take Sunday as a rest day? Do shops really close at 8pm? The air is so subdued here. Relaxing and family take a heavy stand above almost everything else. The society here works like that. And I think it's a beautiful, lovely, special thing.
So my question is thus: What is keeping America so damn busy? Why are we rushing and running and yelling and screaming? The American Dream? Come on --Life is what you make of it. You should see it here in Vienna. The tones are low on the subways. You can be in a park full of screaming kids and you still would describe the air as calm. A society that doesn't place all of its needs and desires on who's working the longest hours, who's working the hardest.
No, the people of Vienna are not the warmest people in the world, but from what I've seen, they're happy. And isn't that all anyone wants? Screw the labels and the things you should be when you are old. Screw the finances and the retirement funds and the big fancy houses and the yard full of kids. Screw all the things you're "supposed" to have. I'm having the time of my life here. I'm learning, I'm adventuring, I'm exploring, I'm traveling, I'm loving the art and the history and the culture and the food and the beauty of this country. This is how I want to live my life.
When I grow up, I want to be happy.
