The sun was beating down on the Mozart city. Tourists wandered past Carpe Diem snapping photos of the antique-style iron signs hanging from the building facades along the Getreidegasse. Three of us sat on the terrace enjoying some bite-size snacks for lunch, but time was nearing for us to pay our bill and head to the train station to meet Angie upon the arrival of her train from Munich. Those of us that survived any sizeable sojourn at the American School knew the type of chaos our students were capable of causing, but none of us were prepared for the apocalyptical signs that would accompany our gathering.
At the very moment that we were preparing to leave our seats, the exact number of former AISers and SIPsters necessary to knock the planetary alignments off whack had arrived in the city. The sky went black and the rain began to beat down on the passers-by. With a crack, rumble and flash the wind whipped through the awnings and rain was falling sideways into the restaurant. Golf ball sized hail began to pour from the heavens - it was if the city was being stoned in pre-emptive action against our transgressions.
Eventually, the weather improved slightly, and we made the run back to our apartment. Wet but full of anticipation, we awaited our scheduled gathering at Murphy’s Law - the first large meeting of our former students in almost 10 years. Spending the evening at the Irish Pub, hugs, kisses, smiles, laughter and stories of days-gone-by were in abundance… as were the drinks. We all enjoyed ourselves over a few beverages - some may have indulged in a few too many, but it was a great night.
Earlier in the day, some of us had stopped by the school to trigger some more memories and say hi to old friends and teachers. Much had changed at the school, and yet everything was the same. New paint, new faces, but everything was still eerily familiar. We spent some time catching up with our old history teacher, Mr. Agardy, who seemed happy to catch up on all of our personal stories since we left the big yellow building, and applauded us on our ambition and successes. Over an hour was spent in the Dean of Students’ office chatting away like it was 1999. We also stopped by the main office and said hello to Frau Gundringer, the one that keeps the school running as smoothly as possible. The headmaster was in his office right next to us when we stepped in. His door was wide open, but he never bothered to come out to greet us - didn’t even give us a hello from his desk. Part of me always felt like I was more mature than he was back in high school, but I can say with relative certainty now that he is about as childish as a school administrator could be. Such a lack of simple courtesies is appalling for someone in a leadership position. Once upon a time, he was one of my favorite teachers, and I still think he belongs in a classroom instead of an office. When I left the school back in 2000, he and I were not on great terms, but I never stopped being cordial, and I would expect the same from him. Besides, his problems with me should not affect the way he greets my friends.
No disappointments or difficult memories can overcome the fact that my decision to leave home and move to Austria at the age of 14 was the single most important decision of my life. The lessons I learned, the experiences I had, the people I met and the friendships I found will last a lifetime. It wasn’t all a fairytale, but sometimes it feels like it when I’m surrounded by the amazing people with whom I shared that period of my life. Last night, we enjoyed dinner together, followed by a few drinks at one of the old bars along the river. From 1993 to 2002, former students of all ages gathered to remember the good times and laugh at the bad. Age and circumstance have changed us all, but we can never forget the school that brought us all together.
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