The Road to Salzburg

This morning the dining hall was closed, I must have missed the signs that said breakfast was being served next door, I just thought maybe they weren't doing breakfast. It was fine anyway, because it gave me a chance to try to look for a nice pastry shop of some sort. India and Nerida had gotten up earlier to go to work. They'd recently both gotten jobs in the city teaching English. I said goodbye to them before they left, and Nerida gave me her email address to stay in touch. She said if I was ever in Australia, I'd have to look her up.

I'd bought my ticket yesterday for my trip to Salzburg today at 5, so I figured I had till about 4 for one last stroll around the city. I took the metro to city center as I usually do, and first went looking for food. I found a couple things that looked somewhat appetizing, but I like to cover as much ground as possible and see everything before deciding what to eat. Suddenly, in passing I noticed a store that had on it a big sign that said "Supermarket." I thought, this has to be where I'll find toothpaste and a thurmos. I entered the store and looked around for a while, but did find anything like it. It seemed this particular supermarket on sold food items, and not toiletries things of that sort like every supermarket back home. At last my hunger got the best of me, so I bought a pastry at the supermarket pastry counter. It really wasn't all that good, and it didn't do much to filling me up, so I mostly regarded that as a bad decision. I walked around, and waited for lunch before buying my last Czech hotdog which was much more satisfying. I worked a little on last night's blog, and sat at a bench in old town square before deciding it was time I should get back. Then I packed up the rest of my things, and left for the train station.

I didn't have a lot of trouble finding where I needed to go. I was there a little early, and I'd done this enough times to sort of know how things are supposed to work. My train left promptly at just after 5, and isn't scheduled to arrive in Salzburg till midnight. I had tried to get a more accommodating trip, but this was the only train going to Salzburg today. I figure I can sleep on the train (It's 7 hours anyway), then I'll have to wait in the station at Salzburg till things start opening up. I'll find a train or bus leaving to Zermat Switzerland later in the afternoon, or a night train perhaps, then spend the day in Salzburg. I doubt that Salzburg is going to be somewhere I'll want to stay. I keep hearing it's really expensive and touristy because of the whole Sound of Music thing. I just want to see the green hills, and the little town like in the movie, which I'm sure they'll have kept (at least part of it) exactly the same as it was for all the tourists. Zermat I hear is very pretty, and worth staying in. Plus I'm excited to see the Matterhorn in real life, and not just the Disneyland attraction we have back home. This is gonna be another rushed through sort of couple days, but I'm prepared for it. I don't even know how exactly I can get to Zermat from Salzburg, it's not on my Eurail map. As for staying in the rail station for another night, I think I'm ok with it. If I sleep on the train, I won't need to sleep so much there. I'm only going to be waiting 4 or 5 hours till the morning staff comes to work, and then just like an hour or two after that to when shops and things start opening up, and I can begin exploring the city. In terms of safety, I'm pretty sure the rail station in Salzburg's going to be a lot friendlier than Gyor, Hungary. It's a popular enough place that there should be a fairly big station, and people around all the time. Regardless, this is what I do. I jump head first into the situation and figure it out as I go. It's an adventure.

My greatest comfort always harps back to my adventure to Jerusalem. God didn't leave me in the sands of the desert, or even stranded in Jordan. He provided for me. He gave me transportation and shelter. Even in Gyor, God allowed that train to get there just when I needed it. It's my guess that God figures I do more good alive, so I worry little about provisions. That's not to say I don't prepare at all. God's not going to intervene every time. Sometimes it's up to me to make the right decisions. I can't think of God like an over protective mother, doing everything for me; but more as a guide telling me which way to go.

I think my story has become somewhat valuable in reminding people what it's like to be a lonely, confused kid looking for answers. The God I've come to know seems to delight in making my story worth talking about. I'm not just talking about the epic journey anymore. The life that God has allowed me to live is worth talking about. It's often hard for me to do, but it's more because I don't know how to tell it, than that I don't want to. I'm still in the middle of it. I don't know where this story leads to, or if it has a happy ending. Parts of it, I can't even remember. How am I supposed to tell a story that's not finished yet; which has pieces missing all over the place? How are the jottings of my random though processes going to help anyone? Or lead anyone in to the right direction? I don't even know which direction I'm headed right now, I have no compass!

I'm really pressured by the idea that I have to enter this journey as a representative of christ. I've been told all the eyes of my church are upon me, as well as my family and friends. I feel some pressure of disappointment were I to go through this journey and not change someone's life. The truth is simply that I'm not a saint, or missionary or Jesus Christ. I'm just some kid who's looking for some certain things to learn from life. I'm a terrible preacher, and I hate doing it. It's awkward for me to sit down with someone and talk about Jesus. I feel like I'm selling something, and I was never any good at that anyway. I'm much more comfortable just talking about my experience. What I've seen and heard, and felt in this world is all I know. I wasn't at the birth of christ, I wasn't at the crucifixion. I wasn't there. But I was in Jerusalem and I met an amazing Jewish couple who made me dinner, and talked and laughed with me. I was in Bethlehem and met my tour guide's family who brought me into their home and made me feel welcome. I know that there are some people in this world who hurt like I do, and sound like me when they complain about things, and who find the same things funny who don't even speak a word of my language. I don't know how to be an example of christ. I just know how to be me, and I have faith that that's enough for God to work with how he pleases. If it wasn't, I think my journeyed be over a long time ago.
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