Now that we’ve sold the house, our finances have finally started to flow in a positive direction, and I’m trying to get started with one of my major plans for our time here:  travelling around within Europe.  We’re here for two years (most likely) and I want to go home with a lot of memories and experiences not just from Vienna, but from varied locations within Austria and elsewhere around Europe.

Before we left the States, I drew up detailed plans for where and when we’d go — I divvied up our vacation time relative to the importance of each destination, and planned each trip to maximize the good weather in each locale.  I had little outlines of which sights we wanted to see in each place, and an idea of how we’d make it work.

At this point, all of that is pretty much out the window.  We’ve already missed planned trips to Prague, Salzburg and Innsbruck.  Initially, there was a necessary delay of travel — we just didn’t have the funds to support life here, a house at home and vacationing.  But even over the past weeks, since the house was sold and our financial picture has improved, I haven’t done anything about planning travel.  Part of it is inertia — now that my detailed itinerary is blown, it’s slightly harder to move forward because I don’t have a plan (and I do love a plan).  But the other, more significant part is that I’m really enjoying Vienna.  It’s hard to get motivated about going someplace else, when there is still so much to do and see here.  It’s a nice problem to have — I’m so happy where I am, I don’t feel the need to leave.

I need to get on with my planning, though.  I know I’ll regret it if we leave here without having seen some of what the rest of Europe has to offer.  We have less than 18 months left on our big adventure, and it’s time to start exploring!