I'm back in the land of the Swiss!!!!!

I realized how amazing it is to keep a blog to refer back on at a later date, so I'm going to write in this once again because I am lucky enough to come back for another visit to Switzerland!!

It's currently 3 AM here, and I can't sleep... jet lag at its finest!!

Yesterday, I arrived back in Switzerland after being gone for two years. It's so nice to be back, my jitters kept with me the entire plane ride. I was able to get a bit of sleep, but you can never really get a great or deep sleep on an airplane - they're not so comfy!

The beginning of the flight was a bit frustrating, as we all had to sit on the plane for about an hour while they fixed their technical problems with the engine. Delays are normal and it would have been no problem, but in order to fix the part that needed to be fixed, they couldn't have any air conditioning on, so we were all packed on the plane sitting in Toronto for about an hour with no air, it was pretty hot and stinky but at least that happened at the beginning of the flight, when most people are freshly showered hehe. Once we started going, I got SO excited!

It was a night flight, but once we were about 5 hours into the flight we were in sheer daylight due to the time change! We were told to keep our window plastic cover thing down, but I kept peeking out of it so I could watch us fly over the ocean, then Ireland, then all through Germany.

I had finally arrived back in Zurich airport, just like the journey I took three years prior. This time, I had a lot more confidence as I knew what I was doing. Back onto the little train to take us to our baggage claim area, that plays cow music, yodelling, and the Alp horn as your ride in it, it was so neat to be back. It reminded me of the first time I took that, terrified, excited, anxious, all built up into one body.

Once I arrived, I saw my Rotary counsellor Peter and his wife Christine! They had patiently waited despite the delays that happened. I saw them, and all the emotions came back and I broke out in a few tears. We took the train from Zurich back to their village in Moehlin, and it felt surreal being back in this country! I started to speak German again, which felt so neat. I am surprised that I remembered it, it ALL came back to me!!

Once we arrived back in Moehlin, I threw all my stuff into my room ran down and ate lunch, and off we were on our way. Despite being exhausted, the adrenalin was helping me to keep going. We went to the local museum which is an old house and kept preserved in the way that it used to be lived in, and how they lived in it. Then we went to Germany, and rode in a coal train that was made in 1848. It was so neat to ride like they used to, and get a feel of what life was like in older days. We arrived on the train at another little village, toured it then took the bus back to our car that was parked in the original spot. After spending the day touring around, we came home to an AMAZING welcome back dinner..... fondue! It was so nice to eat the real fondue again. It was such a nice day to come back and get back into the Swiss zone.

It's funny how it feels to be back, it feels like I never left. I realize I have two worlds, my Canadian world and my Swiss world. Both are very different, but the same Katie. Once I'm back in Switzerland, I automatically switch into German, different street smart modes, and back into the way the Swiss live. I didn't realize it'd go so smoothly to be right back into it, it feels like yesterday I was here... except when I look back in the same mirrors and see a Katie that is a wee bit older than last time.

I better get back into bed and trying to sleep, it's almost 4 AM and hopefully my body will let me fall back asleep.

Aufwiedersehen!