Australia with an 18-month old – part 2 – the flight

debbiekaye19802 Comments
airport with toddler

I’d read a lot of stories online of people who travelled with kids. And there was one general consensus. The difficult age is between 1 and 3. Before one, kids are more flexible, sleep a lot, and their bodies don’t react as much to things like jet lag and so on. After 3 they are old enough to understand what’s going on and old enough to be reasoned with (to some extent).

The bottom line was… when I looked into the question of ‘should we do a long plane trip with an 18 month old’ the answer was… DON’T.

It can’t be that bad, I thought. And in any case, we don’t have a choice – I want my friends and family to meet the little dude before he’s not so little any more.

It WAS that bad.

So, if you’re thinking about it. My advice is… DON’T. lol. But read on. Enjoy my pain.

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Australia with an 18-month old – part 1 – getting to the airport

debbiekaye19803 Comments
bad weather austria

I had to split this blog post up… because when just getting to the airport became a mission in itself, well… I guess you’ll find out if you read along.

I was nervous about the prospect of flying with an 18-month old. But how bad can it be, really? In the end it’s just a day of our lives. It will be difficult. But it won’t be terrible. Well… actually it kind of was.

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So you’ve got a gift voucher… here’s my tip

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Vouchers… they’re the best presents… right? When you don’t know what to gift someone… a voucher is perfect! And receiving one is always a bonus… right? Well… only if you use it.

Some vouchers are simple to use. They’re usually not the fun ones though… amazon online, or a supermarket, for example. Receiving them is always welcomed, but they don’t really inspire. What people want to gift is an inspired voucher… for a hotel stay… or a dinner out… or a day trip. And here’s my tip for when you receive those non-standard vouchers… use it right away.

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Getting paid to study German? How can that be a thing?

debbiekaye19804 Comments

In between raising a child I’ve taken on another challenge: learning German… again.

You see, there is a thing in Austria called Ausbildungskarenz. Which translates to something like training on leave. With the blessing of your company, you can take time off work to do some kind of further education. There are plenty of courses available, the caveat being that it has to be relevant to your line of work. For this you get the time off (can range from months up to a year) to study, as well as a bit of cash for doing it.

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The garden summary 2023

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vegetable garden 2023

It was a bit of a weird season this year. Things didn’t really go to plan. But they never really do, do they?

Since time was scarce having to run around after an almost one-year-old, I decided to work smart this year. I started early with the radishes in a small free standing garden bed to reduce the amount of weeding. I watered them and I remembered to put the lid on every night. Except one night.

And then this happened. Snow.

snow on radishes
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What’s your favourite spot in the aeroplane?

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aeroplane seating plan

Every traveller seems to have one. There’s not always a reason for it, but most people will pick a similar place every time they fly. Hubby and I clash because he likes to sit on the left of the plane and I prefer the right. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why we prefer these sides… it just is what it is. So what are you? A window or an aisle person? On the wing for less turbulence? Toward the back because statistically that part of the plane is more likely to remain intact upon impact? (I’d be lying if I said the thought had never crossed my mind) All I can say is that it really does seem to come down to personal preference.

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Weird things Austrians… eat… Herring Salad

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Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, and if you find yourself in Austria on this day it’s highly likely you will be served… Herring Salad. The main ingredient is obviously herring (often pickled), and though there are different versions, think of a creamy texture with things like apple, gherkins, potatoes and beetroot mixed in.

How did this tradition develop, you ask?

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