Kangaroos in Austria

Fiction - At age fifty I moved from California to a country I had never been to before, Austria. Not speaking the German language made the adventure even more challenging. The three year journey was teeming with laughter, discovery and peril.

At age fifty, I found myself divorced, broke, and living in one of the most expensive cities in the world: Newport Beach, California. I had been married for twenty-four years to the father of my two children when I asked for a divorce. The marriage had long been an unhappy one. I moved out of our home in the vineyards of Temecula, California and into a small apartment in Newport Beach. After a few short job stints, I ended up working at a boutique on Balboa Island. My income was barely enough to cover my monthly expenses, and the divorce left me without any alimony. I was living day-to-day, hoping everything would work out. Then one day my daughter talked about how great her recent trip to Graz Austria had been. I had never been to Austria but she said that it would be the perfect place to live. The weather was similar to Newport and the streets were lined with tiny cafes. It was a pedestrian city so a car was not necessary and the people were friendly. Much to Christina's surprise, I packed up my belongings and moved to Graz. The crazy day- to- day events prompted me to write friends and family. Eventually I had enough stories and encouragement from others to write a book.

I lived my entire life in California. After divorcing my husband of twenty four years I was longing for an adventure. My daughter had visited Graz Austria for one week and said that it would be the perfect place to live. I didn't speak German and the idea of learning a new language and starting a new life sounded exciting. I booked a hotel for two weeks and within that time I signed a three year lease for a flat, figured out how to get utilities, a phone, and so much more.