I Have Confidence in Sunshine!

Can't you just hear Julie Andrews' Maria singing this song on her trip from the Abbey to Captain Von Trapp's 'house of seven children'?!? My friend, Kate, and I used to sing it to each other when we were feeling low in high school and sure enough it would help us buck up and face whatever teenage challenges we had.

What will this day be like? I wonder.

What will my future be? I wonder. It could be so exciting to be out in the world, to be free
My heart should be wildly rejoicing
Oh, what's the matter with me? I've always longed for adventure To do the things I've never dared
And here I'm facing adventure Then why am I so scared
A captain with seven children
What's so fearsome about that?
Oh, I must stop these doubts, all these worries If I don't I just know I'll turn back I must dream of the things I am seeking I am seeking the courage I lack The courage to serve them with reliance Face my mistakes without defiance Show them I'm worthy And while I show them I'll show me

So, let them bring on all their problems
I'll do better than my best I have confidence they'll put me to the test But I'll make them see I have confidence in me
Somehow I will impress them I will be firm but kind
And all those children (Heaven bless them!) They will look up to me And mind me with each step I am more certain Everything will turn out fine I have confidence the world can all be mine
They'll have to agree I have confidence in me I have confidence in sunshine I have confidence in rain
I have confidence that spring will come again Besides which you see I have confidence in me Strength doesn't lie in numbers
Strength doesn't lie in wealth Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers
When you wake up -- Wake Up! It tells me all I trust I lead my heart to
All I trust becomes my own I have confidence in confidence alone (Oh help!)
I have confidence in confidence alone Besides which you see I have confidence in me!


I remember several years ago hearing on the news that the original Von Trapp family home in Salzburg was converting from a monastery to a conference center and then again to a hotel guest house. I thought then I just had to find a way to stay there one day. Now mind you, this isn't the one Julie flits around in the Hollywood movie, but the authentic house where the real widowed Captain with seven children welcomed the real nun-in-training, Maria. I emailed the hotel manager as soon as our trip was taking shape and begged for a discounted rate. He must have felt the excitement in my email because he obliged by knocking off 20% and I was beside myself in anticipation. What is it about the Von Trapp family story that is so captivating?

As we drove into Salzburg and I was belting out the soundtrack lyrics it began to hail. Huge chunks of hail. To the point it made us glad the car didn't belong to us as we feared the windshield might cave in with the hard hits. We had to pull over and wait it out. Connor seemed
to take it in stride.

Finally we inched our way to the Villa Trapp. The weather cleared up just in time for us (well me) to bound out of the car and into the mansion. The dashing owner opened the door and he was dressed in emerald green velvet and silk from head to toe. It was perfectly fitting. He held up a special key upon greeting us and smiling told us we had been upgraded from our bare bones standard room to "Maria's Suite!!!!" What?!?! My heart was indeed "wildly rejoicing" at this point!

Maria's Suite was enormous. There was a full living room the size of our entire Brussels apartment overlooking the backyard - in addition to the bedroom. And plenty of room for Connor to run and play. Plus with 2 separate rooms we were able to let her sleep in one while we kept lights on and relished the private sitting area.

There were Von Trapp family photos - the real ones - decorating the suite. I couldn't help but to snap pictures of them. What a story! Did you know that after their marriage Maria and the Captain then had 2 more children together...for a total of nine kids?

And there was even a book on the making of the Hollywood movie production on our coffee table. I skimmed every single page to know which scenes were filmed in Austria that we might be able to see and which on a Hollywood set. It was a fascinating lesson.

I loved the Villa Trapp. And I think they loved having a house with children again, hence our free and generous upgrade. At breakfast they had the famous soundtrack playing and all the guests sat together discussing their Sound of Music idiosyncrasies. It was right up my alley. Kirk even fell for some of the musical magic by the time we left.

It was hard to leave, but after a night we had to check out on our way to "Climb Every Mountain!"