The Death Pass – an excellence place for an Aussie to learn about snow driving

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My job is conveniently located (despite quite a long drive) just off the autobahn out of Graz, which means I have an easy run every day with no traffic problems. The only problem is that it also requires me to drive over ‘The Pack’ which I have affectionately renamed: the Death Pass.

It's not surprising it's always snowing on the pack
It’s not surprising it’s always snowing on the pack

It is one of the higher parts of the Austrian autobahn, climbing up over a mountain range and being notorious for heavy snow and ice. With my minimal snow driving experience, the thought of driving the Death Pass in winter scared the crap out of me. I was sure I was going to be stranded overnight in my car as thick snow slowly built up around my car turning it into an icy death den… ok so I was being a little bit melodramatic.

So now that winter is finally over, here are my more realistic reflections on the Death Pass.

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Beach, family & my dog – the Top Ten things I’m looking forward to in Oz

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I’m loving life here in Austria… especially as it slowly but surely progresses from winter to summer. But there’s no doubt I’m extremely excited about a few weeks back in my homeland, amongst familiar sights and surroundings. So I thought as a farewell post before I head to the Land Downunder tomorrow, I’d list the top ten things I’m most looking forward to. Please note that this excludes things like catching up with family and friends and getting married, which are obvious ones. Continue reading →

Driving on the Autobahn – Deb’s Top Ten Tips!

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It’s pretty exciting (and scary) facing the prospect of driving legally at 130km/h. I have to admit it took me a couple of weeks before I was comfortable but now, I am just like everyone else – hating slowing down to 100 to go through the tunnels.

So here’s a few tips I’ve put together if you ever get the chance to drive the Austrian autobahn. Continue reading →

My first Austrian Christmas Party – what was I thinking not wearing a dress?

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Are Austrian work Christmas parties any different to Australian ones? I found out last year – and rest assured I’ll do a better job this year!

I was full of nervous excitement about my first Austrian work Christmas party. Excited because it was a night of eating good food, drinking and dancing, nervous because I’d only been with the company a month, and my German was not quite ready for drunken conversations.

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The wonderful world of visa applications – Take 2 – Rot-Weiss-Rot

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Around the middle of 2014, job seeking became my main focus. To be honest, I wasn’t overly motivated, and I wasn’t really expecting to find a job in Austria. I sent off a letter maybe every few weeks, and very few of those job ads were actually in English, so consequently, the return rate was very low. Actually, it was pretty much non-existent. I had the skills, but without the German language, I was pretty much useless to most companies. Continue reading →

Why my new job is awesome

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Lucky as I was to actually land myself a bona fide job here in Austria before my visa ran out, I have been extra lucky that the company I am working for has a culture that not only fits in with my working philosophy and personality but also provides a number of perks.

If you’re going to read on… be prepared for some major job-envy.

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Austrian food – what’s missing

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Food plays a very important role in my life. Not only do I need it to stay alive, but I love to eat it, I love to cook it and I love to read menus! After a few months living in Austria (remember, small town) I found that most things I knew existed in some way, shape or form… it was just a matter of translating and hunting.

First pie attempt in a tart dish... unacceptable.
First pie attempt in a tart dish… unacceptable.

But more than a year in… there are still some things missing. I’m not talking about the classic Cadbury chocolate, Tim Tams or Vegemite, I’m talking things you wouldn’t initially think about. Here’s my top five:

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European Beds – two singles, that’ll make a double

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I know what you’re thinking. It’s happened before: you check into a ‘double room’ in a hotel only to find out that they’ve simply shoved two singles together, there’s an annoying gap in the middle and the beds gradually move apart throughout the night. But seriously, when it’s done properly, there are benefits you wouldn’t even think of.

But actaully, it's awesome
But actually, it’s awesome

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Longer Trips – Scotland – Castles, comfort food and countryside

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I love Ireland and I’ve been there twice but I’ve never quite managed to get to Scotland. Luckily, Thomas is a big fan of Scotland so for our main trip in 2014 we spent 2.5 weeks in the UK. I was very much looking forward to all the ‘normal’ food I would be able to find there as well as exploring old country towns and castles.

scotland pastie
Mmmm… pastie!

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