You could have told me that weeks ago...

See, originally I was told that I would need to work the Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday of the week my family was here. As the days got closer and closer, I kept trying to weasel out of lessons that were of the afternoon variety so I could spend some nice quality time with everyone in my town.


Fast forward to Sunday night of that week. I had to know whether or not I HAD TO teach on Tuesday morning so we could figure out if my family needed to drop me at a train station Monday early evening with time to get home for the next morning's classes or not. Of course, some of my colleagues are not, um, the most reliable when it comes to communication and decision-making skills. So, naturally, I found out Monday morning that I could actually have off that week with basically a promise in blood that I would make up the lessons some other time. I should have been happy to finally receive an email from the last teacher to agree to let me reschedule some lessons in order to spend more precious time with my family while they were on this side of the pond...and I was...but...


"You could have told me that weeks ago" was also what I thought. Not to mention I found out last week that I am contractually allowed 7 days off at my choosing. Wish I would have known that then.


Regardless...


Surprise! I got to spend an extra day in lovely Salzburg with my dad, stepmom, Wendy, Justin and the kids.


The hills are aliiiive, with the sound of music. AhhhhAAhhhAAhAhAhhhhh!


Of course, we did a drive-by at the house from the movie where Maria arrives by running/skipping down the street with hat on head and guitar in hand.

And then naturally, we went by where they filmed the back of the house stuff...

Then we saw some of the sights in Salzburg:

If you stand in juuuuust the right spot, Mary gets crowned by the angels.

My super ambiguous comment when I entered this cathedral was "This one just looks so...so...Austrian." At least I know what I meant that to mean at the time.

I am also one of those weirdos that likes a particularly pretty cemetery from time to time (Uh, Myrtle Hill in Rome, GA, anyone?) and Salzburg doesn't disappoint.

Then it was fortress time!

 Seriously. Austria. Stop showing off.

 Just stop.

 ...and below is the same picture take by my 3 year old nephew

Then we had some fun silliness in the Mirabell Gardens!!!

Shops

 Want. Need?

We finished the evening at the Augustiner Bräustübl for some beer for Lent and some food.

 I am not as cool as these people.

Some of you know that I went to Salzburg back in 2009 and had a rough day that had absolutely nothing to do with Salzburg. So, I am glad to have completely 100% redeemed that city. I was charmed.