The proposal – what a way to end a perfect day

For us it was clear, right from the start when I decided to move to Austria, that Thomas and I were in it together, that the end goal was to spend our lives together.

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The happy couple on our one year anniversary.

It was quite a stressful though adventurous way to start a new relationship, but we very quickly realised that we were highly compatible and could definitely make it work.

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Short Trips – Prague – the Paris of the East

I went to Prague in 2007 and spent 3 freakishly hot (40+) days with a couple of girlfriends. It’s a beautiful town, rich in history and architecture, and one of the few big cities I actually enjoy.

And yes, that's a penis
And yes, that’s a penis

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My first Austrian wedding – these guys know how to party all night long

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Thomas and me at the wedding

My first Austrian wedding was in May. The weather was cool, but sunny, the bride looked beautiful and it was heaps of fun.

But there are lots of differences between Austrian weddings and what I’m used to. Read on to find out all about the crazy Austrian wedding traditions.

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The weather in summer – it’s a bit like Melbourne

I was really looking forward to summer 2014. Having arrived back in Australia the previous August, I had almost just gone through two winters, the Austrian one being a lot colder than anything I’d previously experienced. It started warming up around March, albeit slowly and we made plans for all the holidays and short trips we would take during summer. We live right in the mountains, among the lakes so there is plenty of hiking to be done, lakes to relax around and small, out-of-the-way places to stay.

It started raining not long after this picture was taken
It started raining not long after this picture was taken

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Ostern/Easter – Chocolate, ham and sweet bread

Sadly, I missed Easter in Austria this year. I was enjoying some much needed sun and friend catch-ups in Australia. Like Christmas, it seems that Easter is taken a lot more seriously over here. Once again, completely different if you’re religious. So despite my not having actually been here, here are my impressions of it.

This Milka surprise was waiting for me on my return.
This Milka surprise was waiting for me on my return.

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Short Trips – Amsterdam – Hello cookie…

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We’re on a boat!

In June we took a mini break to Amsterdam. Neither of us had been there before and we were keen to spot some windmills and try the local… cuisine.

We booked ourselves a tiny room on a canal boat for four nights. We were lucky enough to have a shower in our room, though the toilet was communal (and the paper goes in the bin, please!), but for four nights it was perfect. Following are my impressions of the gorgeous city of Amsterdam.

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