As an American expat living in Vienna, there are a lot of things that seemed strange to me 2 1/2 years ago that don’t anymore.  I’ve changed, I’ve adjusted, I’ve gotten used to a lot of what used to be odd about living here.  I imagine that this progression is pretty common among expats who find themselves newly at home in Vienna (not just those of us from America).  And, so, I present . . .

You know you’ve lived in Vienna for a while when . . .

. . . you can say the number six without giggling in your head
. . . vanilla ice cream that tastes like lemons seems normal to you
. . . you carry an umbrella everywhere
. . . you never trust a weather report . . . not even one that is just reporting the current weather
. . . you know to walk well away from building overhangs in the winter (Achtung! Dachlawine!)
. . . you know to always check both ways, even when crossing a one way street
. . . you know that you can smell a horse a block away (or further)
. . . you know that deodorant is optional for far too many people
. . . you start to be more surprised by children who wear swimming suits than by those who don’t
. . . nudity at the pool or the lake seems perfectly normal
. . . you know that stocking up on milk and bread has to happen on Saturday morning . . . along with everyone else in Vienna
. . . you only vaguely remember what it is like to wait in an orderly line
. . . you can tell the time by the church bells near your house
. . . 24 hour time seems normal
. . . so does crossing your sevens

(More to come!)