And So It Ends

Our nearly six-month residency in the Tyrol came to an end last weekend as we left Innsbruck, spent a night in Munich, and returned home to Salt Lake City.  Our entire time there was like a dream, exceeding expectations in every way.

Having given my last lecture on Tuesday and finished grading on Wednesday, our last two days in Innsbruck involved packing and spending some time enjoying and reminiscing about the scenery and the city.

On Saturday, we departed for Munich.  Six months previously, we unloaded our gear on a cold winter's day and sat on the sidewalk pictured below hoping our landlady would actually show up and give us a place to stay that night (she did and was a wonderful host).  Once again, we were on the street and hoping all would go well, which it did (and this time, Delta didn't lose any bags).  As we did for the trip out here, we packed carefully right to the limit of what Delta would allow with checked bags and carryons.

We spent the afternoon in Munich and did a long stroll through Englisch Park, which is a great urban park.  There is a river that runs through it that has just the right current for a long float, which many were doing due to the heat.  There's even a surf spot.

No trip to Munich is complete without a stop at one of the breweries.  

And for us, a final schnapps.

I've mostly been blogging about our experiences in Tyrol, but from a work perspective, I had a very rewarding experience as well.  I taught three classes, all at the graduate level.  The first was a survey of cool-season (i.e., winter) precipitation, the second was an english writing class, and the third weather briefing (co-taught with one of my University of Innsbruck colleagues).  I probably learned more preparing and teaching these classes than my students did taking them.  What a great experience, and I come hope with increased knowledge of Alpine and European meteorology, as well as materials that I can use in courses at the University of Utah.  I also have new friends and collaborators for future science adventures.

Finally, the Fulbright program really provided a great experience.  I really enjoyed the two group meetings of Fubright scholars and students in Vienna and Strobl as it allowed me to see the remarkable breadth of work being done by the program in areas I am rarely exposed to (e.g., Austrian-American studies).

And with that, our Austrian adventure ends.  The Wasatch Weather Weenies now returns to its regularly scheduled programming.  Has the Steenburgh Effect returned with me?  We will see next winter.