I do not understand how this summer is over already. What on earth happened? Last thing I knew, the spring semester was drawing to a close and I was looking forward to having the summer to get some work done, and suddenly it's the start of the fall semester already. Argh!
On the bright side, I did get some work done, though. I resubmitted my Monster Paper (fingers crossed), and I also started a new paper with my former office mate (which is to be submitted in about two weeks), and I also got some really awesome results on a project I've been working on with J. So things are rolling right along, just in time to start applying for jobs again. I'm kind of looking forward to the jobs thing now that the Monster Paper is in. It was really hanging over my head, and now I just feel like, "Okay. Let's DO this."
I also traveled! How could I possibly go a few months without flying across the country a few times? (I couldn't.) Shortly after I got back from El Paso in April, I went to a conference in New Jersey for a week, then I drove back to State College and caught a flight to the west coast so I could spend some time with J (and friends who have now left Berkeley - for good!). So I was in Berkeley for two weeks in late May/early June, and then I was in State College for a while, and then J was here for two weeks while I worked on Monster Paper (although we did get a chance to do some stuff while he was here, including spending a few days in IL), and then I went to Vienna for a week for another conference. I just got back late on Sunday night, in fact, and it was a very cool experience. I still feel kind of weird about going to Europe for a week, and my body doesn't deal with it very well (although I've found that a little bit of melatonin really eases the transition for me), but it was a great opportunity and I took quite a few pictures while I was there.
So without further ado: Vienna.
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| the Rathaus (City Hall) |
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| Tee-hee! We did not go there. |
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Google Translate tells me that this means, "Shit, the ka is hit."
Thanks, Google. |
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The pedestrian crossing signal is apparently two people holding hands with a heart between them?
That's lovely and everything, but what a weird thing to put on a crossing signal. |
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| The hugest vat of sauerkraut I've ever seen, at the Naschmarkt (open air market). |
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| The back of Schönbrunn Palace. It's like Versailles, but Germanic. |
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| The gardens at Schönbrunn. |
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| Squinty-eyed selfie at the gardens at Schönbrunn. |
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Super close up cheetah at the Schönbrunn Zoo.
I have very mixed feelings about zoos in general, but this was a pretty nice zoo, at least. |
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| Emperor penguins! Chillin'. |
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| View of Vienna from the suspension bridge at Schönbrunn Zoo. |
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| The front of Schönbrunn Palace, as I was leaving. |
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| Inside of Café Central. Thanks for the recommendation, K! |
My favorite museum was probably the Freud museum, which is in his family's former apartment. There was a HUGE statue of a naked body hanging from the ceiling in the middle of a rather small room (complete with huge and, shall we say, prominent genitalia) and it was pretty hilarious to watch people try to navigate the room and look at the exhibits without staring at the giant penis. Extremely Freudian.
Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to visit Mozart's house, but I did walk by Beethoven's apartment, and that was pretty cool. It was a really neat city, and I hope I'll be able to go back sometime.
I'm gonna go for a walk now before it gets too dark and chilly. (What's with the chilly air today? It can't be fall already! Aack!)
