Ten Years with Type 1 Diabetes

Ten years ago, I returned from my student exchange year in Texas. When I got out of the plane in Vienna, I had lost a lot of weight compared to the time I boarded my US-bound plane a year earlier (this is very unusual for exchange students – especially those in the USA). Immediately after my arrival, my family and I went on a two-week holiday in southern France. There, I drank up to nine liters of water or juice a day and went to the bathroom accordingly often. I ate loads of food but still lost weight. I was tired, quiet and glum. Reading books was hard because my eyesight was strangely distorted.

After our return home, we called my uncle, a doctor. He told us to go to the hospital immediately.

Florian shooting a shotgun.

Clay shooting a few days before my return to Austria. I was really skinny; fortunately the recoil still did not knock me over.

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The Why The What The Who

Why I blog:

There is not enough debate in our world. We have plenty of quarreling, name-calling and talking past the point; however, most public discussions are no more than each participant positing their views as unshakable truth. Little if any convincing is ever attempted. I seriously believe this is a big problem in public discourse. Yes, we should argue, fight and battle with words—because you might be wrong, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk! I want to argue, persuade and convince. I expect others to do the same, which eventually leads to meaningful debate as we start to understand why we want to convince each other. From there, it is a small step to actually understand an opponents’ position and maybe not accept, but at least appreciate it.

What I blog:

Lots of things pass through my head every day, and this blog aims to document those that keep me pondering for more than an hour or so. Specifically, I want to focus on issues of law and economics, debating and public discourse, liberty and individualism, state action and policy as well as daily politics. You should still find plenty of distraction when I blog about photography and food.

Occasionally I might blog in German, especially on topics mostly relevant only to Austria. I apologize in advance.

Who I am:

I was born in 1986, grew up mostly in Austria and have lived in Vienna since 2005. There, I studied law and now work as an associate in the competition law practice of a large regional law firm. I am a passionate debater with Debattierklub Wien and have participated in and organized many tournaments worldwide. I love to shoot photos, cook and climb mountains.