Back to the Roots

Daily miles: 30.35 | Total miles: 15,101.55

I woke up in the tent when my alarm rang—and I definitely could have slept longer. But it was an exciting day.

I was going home.

Home to a place I feel connected to, even though the distance, fewer connections over the years, and my irregular visits have made it feel like it was slowly slipping away. I don’t have many relatives left there, but I’ve always loved the place and the people in Wagna.

So it was time to run there—and see how it would feel.

Cold coffee, brushing my teeth, packing up—and back out on the road.

After about seven miles, I stopped at a Shell gas station for a coffee. Gorazd and Jan were very friendly, and I thought, what a wonderful start to the day. Gorazd even took the time to sit down with me for a while and share some stories. I appreciated that.

A few miles later, I reached Maribor and stopped at a McDonald's to catch up on my posts from the night before. Running into Maribor from Zagreb felt amazing. When I was a child, we used to drive there for cheaper gas and cigarettes. I still saw many Austrian cars at the gas stations—some things don’t change.

I was in a great mood and really enjoyed the run.

Along the way, I met Sasha, whose tractor had broken down. I offered to help him push it off the road. It was heavy—really heavy—but together we managed.

After about 20 miles, I approached the border between Slovenia and Austria. There was nothing there except the old customs houses—no controls. Just the way I like it.

And then I was back in Austria. Back in Styria—die grüne Steiermark.

Back to the roots.

I felt it immediately. A mix of memories, emotions, familiarity. In the first town I ran through, I almost felt like flying. An older woman sitting at the entrance of her house saw me coming from afar. I waved, she waved back—and something about that moment made me incredibly happy.

Then she stood up and walked toward me with her cane.

Maria asked, “Ja wo renn’n wir denn hin?”

I smiled and said, “Around the world.”

Maybe a bit much—but I hugged her and told her why I was so happy.

From there, I followed the river Mur, through green fields, past the train line, through Ehrenhausen, all the way to Wagna. I felt a wide range of emotions—but I was ready for them. And it felt good.

When I finally ran into Wagna, everything felt both familiar and changed. And there was a lot of anticipation to meet Herwig at his Bierstüberl.

His grandmother was my grandmother’s sister—and he has been an incredible supporter since the start of my run.

When I arrived, Herwig, Evelyn, and René welcomed me warmly. Manfred was playing the accordion and singing a traditional Austrian song about home. I introduced myself to the others, and it all felt… right.

Herwig had prepared asparagus risotto and a bean salad with Styrian pumpkin seed oil. I enjoyed it so much.

Later, Seppi stopped by, and then René and I went to the cemetery together. I really appreciated that moment—remembering people, sharing stories, reflecting on our connections. Herwig had bought candles to take along, and we lit two of them.

Afterward, René drove me to Leibnitz and asked if I wanted ice cream. Yes—of course. We walked through the town, enjoying it, as a storm began to roll in. The wind picked up, dust swirling, the sky turning dark. It felt powerful—but we were safe.

Back in Wagna, I met two older relatives, Franzi and Helga. I’m not even sure exactly how we are related—but that didn’t matter. When I first went to the ocean in Croatia, they were there too.

After more conversation—and another portion of risotto—I’m now in Evelyn’s apartment. I can sleep in her room.

Thank you.

I also met Leoni, Herwig and Evelyn’s daughter.

Somehow, it feels like the family has grown again today.

And that makes me very happy.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea