Going to Vienna…During the Reign of trump
After Donald Trump was elected, I purchased tickets to Vienna. I needed need to get out of America to understand how the rest of the world perceived us.
My husband and I flew out of Montreal, which is just an hour from our home. When we crossed the border into Canada, I could feel a cold chill come over me. I was sure it was an anti-American vibe. Why not? Trump threatened to annex Canada and now I would be an “Ugly American.”
Moving through security I whispered under my breath, “I hate Trump – he is an asshole.” They whispered back, “It is not your fault.”
When we got to our gate, I ran over to a souvenir shop and bought two Canadian stickers and stuck them on my leather bag. I assumed Canadians would be treated kinder than Americans.
We boarded Austrian Airlines and nine hours later at dawn we landed in Vienna. I proudly exposed my Canadian stickers on my bag as I moved through customs. When the Immigration lady looked at my passport, I could see her upper lip curl and she glanced at me with an icy stare. I whispered under my breath “He’s not my President – he really sucks.”
The taxi drive into the heart of Vienna was the same. We tried to make amends for the fascist sitting in the White House and ensured everyone that we were revolutionaries out to save our Democracy.
Everywhere we went we puffed out our chests, steadied our stance, and divulged our allegiance to NATO, The Rule of Law, Women’s Rights, Democracy, Ukraine, and Free Trade.
Our first night there the tariffs were announced, and we watched in horror as our 401K tanked. We were sure we would be stoned to death when we stepped out on to the “Stephansplatz.” But my Canadian stickers proved valuable.
We visited museums filled with stuff from Vienna’s monarchies and learned how they survived and finally failed to survive.
What surprised us was the evidence that the Viennese people still love Americans. They hugged us and told us that they understood and that they themselves were facing similar political situations in Europe.
They said things like “Oh, you are American – I can tell because you are so friendly.” By the third day I removed the Canadian stickers off my bag and owned my American heritage.
We made a lot of friends in Vienna. We listened to classical concerts and walked the paths that had been walked by Vienna’s beloved composers: Strauss, Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart.
Each day, as the stock market plummeted further and further, Rick and I talked about moving here and getting out of the States. That sentiment faded in our last few days. We missed our home in the Green Mountains of Vermont.
As we said goodbye to our friendly staff at the Rio Grand Hotel and headed back to the airport, we felt comfort in knowing that Americans were not hated. But make no mistake, Donald Trump is. People in Vienna see him as a Putin puppet and a very ignorant and dangerous man. They also hold fast to the belief that the American people will win in the end.
We carried their hope with us as we crossed the border from Canada into Vermont.
My children were actually fearful that the border guard would arrest us: “Mom, they are going to send you to El Salvador.” Nope, not this time. The young smiling public servant whisked us through and wished us well.
It felt good to be back home—even better to be back where Bernie lives.
Melinda and Adrien Brody
