Time for another "see you later Switzerland"

It's always really hard to leave, I'm not going to pretend it's all rainbows and butterflies right now, because it's really hard to say goodbye to such a beautiful country. However, I am such a lucky person to have two beautiful countries to call my home... I am so lucky for these opportunities that keep falling in my lap, I have been truly blessed.

As I type, one of my friends is driving here to say goodbye, it's so nice to have people like that that will go out of their way for you to spend one more moment together. Tomorrow I leave at 5:50 am on a train to go to the train station, four of my friends are coming with me to say bye! I'm so shocked that they are, it's just so nice of them! The train trip is an hour, and it's also expensive, so it's so thoughtful of them to come.

I have had an amazing trip here, and as always I have learned more things about this country and about myself. This country has so many beautiful things to see, so many beautiful moments to experience, and so many beautiful breaths to spend taking. It truly hurts to leave it again, and it's sad to say goodbye to the people that have been so genuinely kind... people that will drop everything in, take in a stranger as an exchange student in, and two years later take their daughter back in. Everyone I have spent time with on this journey back here has been so incredibly generous, there are no words to show my appreciation for that. Constantly offering to pay for everything, constantly making sure my stay here is special, constantly showing me their love. I am so blessed to have these people in my life, and I don't know how I got so lucky to have the opportunities that I have, but I will take them and learn from everything, and I will bring Switzerland with me everywhere I go (now it's completely refreshened again).

So, now it's time to say goodbye to one of my best friends here in Switzerland, and in about 6 hours I have to wake up to head on my next journey, a summer in Canada.

I am so lucky to be so happy to be here, and also be so excited to be at home as well. Canada and Switzerland are literally the best of both worlds in every single way.

Thanks Switzerland for allowing me to see your beauty once again, and thank you Canada for being such a great country to go home to.

My adventure continues again, and with more knowledge, experience, and memories tucked inside my head and heart as I keep putting one foot in front of the other.

HOPP SCHWIIZ

So much happening, in a such a short time!

I have been so busy here, and enjoying my time that I haven't had anytime to write in my blog about the things that have been happening, but I'll do that now!

Tuesday May 14th, 2013

Today I went to the Creaux du Van, which is in the Canton Neu Chatel. The Creaux du Van is a smal Swiss version of the Grand Canyon in the USA. It is absolutely gorgeous, you can see the mountains around you and the sight is to drool for. Peter and I went together, and we left early and came home relatively late. It took about three hours to hike up the Creaux du Van, and then about two hours to hike back down it. It was a pretty steep hike, which was so neat. It was a little scary at times because you're walking up the mountain, and when you look beside you it's a complete drop down, I just kept telling myself to just keep putting one foot in front of the other! Once we made it to the top, we were on one side of the Creaux du Van and ate our typical Swiss lunch: bread, meat, cheese and chocolate. As we were sitting there, I heard a bell start chiming (the ones that the cows wear here) I assumed it was a dog with a person hiking up too, since a lot of people but that on their dogs when they hike to know where their dogs are. It kept getting louder and louder, but I couldn't hear any people alongside the bell noise. Along came a little goat, came right up to us as we ate and clearly wanted some food! It was so cute. After lunch, we started hiking around the edge of the Creux du Van, and as I walked along the edge of the Creux du Van I looked over and there was a mountain goat staring right at me! I just stopped, looked at him, and watched him in his habitat, he was so cute and so calm. What a beautiful place for a mountain goat to live! I kept walking, and the path was so close to the edge of the Creaux du Van that my heart was beating soooo fast. It was such a neat experience!! Afterwards we hiked back down, which was steep as well but hiking down always goes a lot faster than hiking up. Here are a few pictures to help explain the beauty of this place:

Peter and I

The goat with the bell

The mountain goat

The Craux du Van

The Creaux du Van

Wednesday May 15^th, 2013

Today Peter, his friend Marion and I went on a trip to Canton Graubunden which is on the boarder of Italy. St. Moritz is in Graubunden and it’s a very rich part of Switzerland where a lot of celebrities have their vacation houses there. The train ride was absolutely gorgeous, it took maybe five or so hours to get there, and it was so beautiful. The train goes right through the Swiss Alps and has breathtaking views that I can’t even begin to explain, you really just have to see it for yourself. We stopped and got off the train at a place that was in the moutains and was so high up that it still has snow! The lakes were stunning, and looked as if it was fit for a King (and polar bears). We also stopped at a glacier where the winds were so strong and the water moved so fast, that the stones carved big wholes into the rocks. The stones are still at the bottom of the whole, and you can see where they carved into the rock. We stayed in a hotel in Poschiavo, which was literally on the boarder of Italy. For dinner, we took a train to Italy and WOW the food was delicious. The appetizer was my favourite, and it was different types of Italian salami with deep fried flowers!! 

The next day once we all woke up, it was kind of a rainy day so we spent a lot of time on the train which was also nice just to sit back and enjoy the views. We took the glacier express for part of the trip, and like I said, you just have to see the mountains for yourself and that train ride, there are no words to explain how beautiful it is. The higher we got (altitude), the more the rain turned into snow. Then as we went back down the mountains again it turned back into rain because it was a bit warmer. We stopped at a little village, and walked around to see what things there were to do. Most of the places such as museums are all closed until the summer season starts, for now it's pretty silent and calm while the people wait to come out for summer. A door was open in one of the buildings, so we went in. It was an old building that witches used to have to go to, to get their punishment and sentencing in court. We saw the little court room, and toured around the house a little more. Upstairs there was a place where they used to kill the witches (if they were sentenced to death). Here are some of the pictures from this two day adventure! 

Friday May 17^th, 2013

Friday was a special day, and a day I was really looking forward to. It has been so nice to see my host families again, since I really missed them over the past two years. Friday night I went to my host family Casanova, that I had as my third host family here in Switzerland. It was really sad that I could only spend one night there, but it is how it is! They’re a very special family, and they are so nice to be around and spend time with. Denise (my host mother) organized a get-together with all the people that I became friends with while I was staying at their house (family friends, neighbours, family etc.) She made a bunch of appetizers and our friends dropped in and we all sat at the table. It was so nice to be back there, talking to them, and spending time together. It felt just like it used to, and it felt amazing to be surrounded with such kind people. I can’t wait until I come back again and can spend more time with them than just the one night, they’re fun people to be around. Once our friends left, Silvano, Denise, Elia and I sat down and looked at the old photos of our time together during my exchange (when we went to London, England and when we went to their cottage in the mountains). It felt so nice to look at the photos and remember the times that I spent there with them, so many memories came flooding back to me and it was so comforting.

The next morning we all ate a big breakfast together, and I was on my way out the door to go on another exciting adventure!! Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos with the Casanova's, but I will make sure I do next time. 

Saturday May 18th, 2013. 

While I was on my exchange in Switzerland, I met an extremely friendly and welcoming family, the Sollberger family. They took me to their house in the mountains, along with an FC Basel soccer match while I was on my exchange. So I am so happy I got the chance to spend some time with them this time, since they are so fun to be around. On Saturday, I went to their house and had the opportunity to spend time with them again! Once I got there, we spent the afternoon relaxing and spending time together, catching up on the past two years that we missed! 

On Saturday evening I went to my Rotary Officer's house for dinner, and it was nice to see him and his wife again, we had really nice conversations and we had the opportunity to catch up as well.

Once I got back to the Sollberger's house, I went to bed and anxiously awaited the morning because I got to go back to their cottage in the Alps! AHH! So amazing and I could remember how much I enjoyed it last time, so I was so excited to go back. Once we were all up, we packed up the car and went to their cottage in Soerenberg. Ah, the beautiful mountains that sit so calmly in their backyard are just gorgeous. We went into a gondela to the top of one of the mountains, and I got the eat weiner schnitzel which is DELICIOUS here in Switzerland so I was really excited. Then we went back down, sat together for a bit, I spent a lot of time out on the balcony, all curled up in a blanket sitting in a really comfortable chair that fold back, and just staring at the mountains. I can't get over how beautiful mountains are, ah I hope everyone gets a change in their lifetime to see a view like that. After that, we went out for dinner! I had cordon bleu which is also amazing here, ah I love the food here. I wish I could take it all home. In the evening, we watched the World Hockey Finals, Swizterland was in it against Sweden!!! Unfortunately Switzerland lost, but it's amazing that such a small country got silver and beat all the other countries... that was definitely a very proud Swiss moment! Then we went to bed, it was so nice falling asleep knowing I'm surrounded by such a beautiful landscape, and such a kind family. 

The weather was so interesting to watch as I was in this house, they called for rain the whole time and we were so lucky that it was basically sunny and beautiful the entire time!!! The weather changes SO quickly in the mountains, the clouds will roll in and out quicker than the blink of an eye. It rained only once for a very short time, but at some points it looked like there was a big storm coming, then you look out the window again and the sun was back! It was so funny, it changed so quickly. 

Today we drove back to their house and are watching the FC Basel match on TV, playing for the cup. I only have three more days left here which is so weird! It's going to be really sad to leave this beautiful country, but I am very lucky because I have a beautiful country to go home to. I will be back in Buus for my final days, and then heading onto the plane on Thursday!!

It feels so weird and nostalgic to be leaving Switzerland again, but if this trip has proven anything, it had proven that I will be back, and it has proven that I'm still so blessed to have such amazing people in my life that are so willing to invite me into their life for as long as I can stay, it's such an amazing feeling to be surrounded by people that are just so genuinely kind. I love it here so much.  

Buus, always in my heart.

It has been such an amazing time here, and I have a strong sense of nostalgia coming over me as I leave this amazing village once again. I am trying to be optimistic because I am SO lucky to have received this opportunity, but it's always sad leaving a place that is so near and dear to your heart. However, just like before, I will be back.

The Leuenberger family has such a special place in my heart, they are such an amazing family. They are full of energy, so nice, so welcoming, and also make amazing food hehe. As soon as you walk into this apartment, you feel right at home. They obviously made a huge impact, and made me feel so at home before, if I could walk in and 5 minutes later say I'm hungry and grab something from the fridge. It's home, this is home.

Yesterday we went to Rheinfallen and Schaffhausen. It was SO neat! We went to Schaffhausen first, and it has a place where Napoleon used to go to. A big concrete thing, kind of a castle I guess? It was so neat with an amazing view. Then we went to Rheinfallen which is the Niagra Falls of Canada hehe, much smaller but just as beautiful and special. We walked along the falls, and enjoyed our time together again. My host family went with two boyfriends of my host sisters, and we all get along so well. I feel like I am apart of the family, like I am a daughter and it feels so nice.

I'll let the pictures explain how beautiful the day was:

After we got back from the two beautiful places, I was invited to go to the Rohner’s for dinner. The Rohner’s are a family from Buus as well, that are very near and dear to my heart. Once I came to Switzerland, as you have seen in so many of my blogs earlier, I became instantly best friends with a very special person from Mexico, Ana. Ana and I did everything together, where she went I went, and where I went she went. Literally, everything. So when my family made trips to go places, Ana came and same with her family. I spent a lot of time with the Rohners because they hosted Ana at their house for around 8 months in total! They are an amazing family, so loving and welcoming as well. We did a lot of trips together, like to Toggenburg to their cottage in the mountains, and much much more. So it was so nice to see them again, and be with them. It was so nice to be back in that house, it felt so comforting. However, a big piece of it was missing, it made me miss Ana even more so. Her and I were inseparable for the year, and it has been quite an adjustment to be back here without her. To Ana, I miss you so much, I love you, and I can’t wait until we meet again. As I walked around where Ana and I used to go, it made me remember all the times her and I had together. As hard as that was, I am so lucky to be back and able to remember those things again and bring them back in my head and my heart. 

The Rohners and I went to a restaurant just across the bridge in Germany, it was a beautiful restaurant. Being the pasta love I am, as soon as I saw on the menu pasta-triologie I had to get it. It was three different types of pasta with three different types of sauces- WOW. It was so epical to catch up with Monika, Martin, Remo and Tim again. They are so welcoming and friendly, and it was so nice to hear everything they have been up to, and tell them everything I have been up to. AH it was so nice to be back with them, and they speak perfect English so it was great to have an English night and just talk away and catch up. Oh it felt so nice to be back, more memories to add to the memory bank in my head and in my heart. 

As I walked from the Rohners house back to my house in Buus, it was so special. I must have walked that same walk 100000 times when I lived here, always running back and forth from my house to Ana’s, and it was so nice to look at the way and have it feel just like it used to. I miss you so much Ana! Thanks Rohner family, for allowing me to have such a nice time with you again. Monika showed me her pictures from New Zealand, and WOW that’s on my bucket list now haha. Looking at her pictures made me thirst to just keep travelling, I don’t want to stop, I just want to keep exploring new countries… One day!