going Bezirk

Oh, I would very much like this to be the hallway I walk down at the end of each long, long Staatsoper day.

I may not have to work endlessly here forever, but I certainly will have to in the first few seasons. It isn't just that there are so many performances. I need to show up for my colleagues. They need to know: die Chefin ist da. Sie hoert zu, sie merkt was: she's listening, she's paying attention. She cares about what happens here. Talk and email all you want, what matters is presence.

My heart breaks a little as I type that...

So I made an offer today on an apartment. The picture is of the entrance hall (check out the ceilings!) The apartment is cute and clean and small but not too small for visitors. The district is beautiful and the streetcar is near and goes right to the opera house. The Donaukanal is a few blocks away and the new farmers' market is close.

I can imagine starting my days here, returning to this lovely place at the end of my long work, and walking down to the street on my day off to sip coffee and start exploring.

Maybe our offer will be accepted, maybe not, but I'm one step closer to it: zu hause in Wien.

dkz