GW&M: You told me earlier that you know other American women who have married Austrians. How do their experiences compare to yours?

LICHTENBERGER: I am very fortunate to know quite a few American women here and as diverse as we all are, we have our American background as a common factor and we're also a sort of 'support group' when someone is feeling down or homesick. We all have husbands and families here and most of us are in the situation where returning to the US to live is just not in the stars, so to say. Some of my friends would like to move back if given the chance and others have no desire to move back, claiming life here is definitely better than in the US. It's different for everybody.

GW&M: What about American men married to Austrian women?

LICHTENBERGER: I know three American men here who are married to Austrian women and it seems they go through the same homesickness and cultural problems that we women do. I think there is extra pressure on them to be more the family 'breadwinner' and less opportunities job-wise to do so.

GW&M: One of the first things I remember you telling me had to do with your adventures with the Austrian bureaucracy. Can you share that with the readers?

LICHTENBERGER: The Austrian bureaucracy is something else!! I sometimes feel like they are trying purposely to make things as difficult as possible because it can be frustrating at times. For example, we are currently in the process of purchasing a home and it's been very frustrating dealing with the authorities, the bank, and construction company. Without getting into great detail, there are so many things you have to be careful of and aware of. You would think they would be more helpful and facilitating since we want to purchase this home from them but instead it's been quite a nerve-wracking experience! I know it would not have been this difficult to purchase a home in the States!!

GW&M: What's it like to drive in Austria? Do you drive a lot less than in California?

LICHTENBERGER: I don't find it a problem to drive here. The narrow streets do take some getting used to though. My husband takes the bus to work because he works in the center of town and parking is a nightmare there (similar to NYC from what I've heard). I usually have the car because it's easier for me with the kids, grocery shopping, etc. But the public transportation is wonderful and convenient. The only problem I had a few years back concerned my driver's license.

GW&M: A driver's license can be an expensive proposition in Germany. And in Austria?

LICHTENBERGER: I had to pay about $1,000 for mine! -- I was allowed to drive one year on my California license and then, because I reside here, I was required to get an Austrian license. That was one of the most difficult (and expensive!) things I've ever done! The legal age to drive is 18, so there is no 'Driver's Ed' in the schools here. If you want a driver's license, you have to go to a driving school. I took a three-week course which was every day and required not only learning the legalities of driving, but also technical things like parts of the car, etc. The book of information is over 100 pages and you are required to learn it BY HEART so at the police station (where you take an oral test in two parts; the legal part and the technical part) you can basically regurgitate the answers word for word to the examiner. It was difficult because the answers are written in complex legal terminology, and that's what they want to hear. It was very difficult and on top of that, I came to a total cost of about $1,000 for the driving school, exam fees, Stempelmarken (a sort of tax stamp), etc.

GW&M: I take it that California doesn't have a reciprocity agreement with Austria on driver's licenses, like some US states do?

LICHTENBERGER: No, unfortunately for me, they don't. [For more on the topic of driver's licenses, see our Driving page.]

GW&M: Do you and your family get a chance to travel much? Other than home to California, where do you like to go?

LICHTENBERGER: Austria is very centrally located to many European countries and although we haven't traveled around as much as we would like to, we have been to the neighboring countries. Last year we drove to Lignano, Italy which is located on the upper coast of the Adriatic Sea. It's only a 5-hour drive from Linz and it was a perfect trip to take with the kids! We'd love to do that again next spring. When they get older I would love to travel more around Europe with them.

GW&M: Whenever I'm in Austria, I'm struck by how much the Austrians smoke. A non-smoker like myself can find it tough to deal with. What have your own experiences been like?

LICHTENBERGER: The smoking problem here is horrendous! Despite the high prices of cigarettes (about OS 30,-- a pack, around $2.50), most Austrians smoke like there's no tomorrow and they begin at relatively young ages. If you go out to eat or to a bar or disco, you know for sure you're going to come home reeking like smoke! The rights of non-smokers to breathe fresh air are completely ignored.

What really gets to me is places where children are. Some friends and I recently went into town to check out a new place called a "Familiencafe" which boasts a playroom for children, child-size portions of food and drinks, etc. We were amazed at how the adults puffed away on their cigarettes in a place that was intended for families. There were not only many children, but infants as well! However that didn't deter anyone from lighting up!

My husband was quite a heavy smoker when we first met but he quit a year and a half ago. He said it's very difficult to quit here because of the mentality of the people. He noted that in southern California (which can be considered the other extreme) it was easier because many people congratulated him on his efforts to kick the habit and encouraged him to keep it up. In Austria, they egg you on. When my husband goes out for a beer after work or something, they hold a pack in front of him and say, "Come on! Smoke one with me! You haven't really given it up, have you?! Come on!" ("Geh weida! Rauch' eine!!") -- It's awful! It takes a lot of willpower to resist pressure like that, especially if you're trying to quit! I know most Austrians are aware of the dangers of smoking, but I really think they live in this fantasy world of "it won't happen to me..." I also think that because the Austrian government earns a big chunk of taxes from the sale of tobacco they are not all that interested in starting a big anti-smoking campaign. And that doesn't seem to concern the Austrians one bit.

GW&M: What is today's situation for women in Austrian?

LICHTENBERGER: I think this is more traditional society where women stay home, raise kids, clean their windows, and make Apfelstrudel. -- Well, that is pretty general and NOT entirely true. Young educated Austrian women are quite career oriented and, while I believe it is more difficult for women to advance to high positions in government and business here as compared to the US, many women have made quite good advances here in politics and business. In fact just the other day I heard on a radio report that statistically more women than men are opening their own businesses here. But whatever women here choose to do, they do it to their best capabilities. I find that women who choose to be homemakers and full-time mothers dedicate themselves to spotless homes, being there for their families, and all the things that go with maintaining a tightknit home. Women who have chosen careers put everything into their careers and being successful. That is also one of the reasons that the birthrate is low because more and more young women here are opting to dedicate their lives to careers instead of families. The paid maternity leave, job guarantee and the other benefits are incentives to encourage women to have families (thereby bringing new taxpayers into the world!).