Pictures of the House!

I have been in Thalwil, Switzerland for 2 days now. I had a very ambitious plan for my first full day yesterday.  I was going to explore the area and unpack. Instead, I woke up at 3:30am and was exhausted for the remainder of the day. I did, however, get unpacked and put up pictures around my room. The rest of my day included Skyping and napping.  When my host father got home from work, we got my public transportation cards and did some grocery shopping. He made us dinner and we had some lovely conversation.

This morning I did take some pictures of the house and will take more of area later this afternoon.  I just took pictures of the kitchen, living room, backyard and my bedroom.  I am hoping to make it to the store to pick up a few things and then wander a little. Unfortunately, it is raining out.  I still have my Southern California mentality that you don't need to do anything when it is raining.  Unfortunately this is not the case since rain is extremely common in most other places around the world.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures! Love and miss you =)

Thalwil

I am sitting in my new bedroom in the canton of Thalwil, which is just a few kilometers outside of Zurich.  I got a driving tour of both areas last night when Bruce (my house dad) picked me up from the airport. The city looks small but very clean as everyone said. Zurich has a big lake that extends out into the villages nearby. There are also 2 rivers that flow out of the lake through the city.

Thalwil is very quaint. There is a big park within walking distance. I hope to explore it later today. There are some cute shops and a Starbucks which I am told is where expats hang out often. I am looking forward to exploring everything in the next couple of days.

The previous aupair left me a few numbers to call so I will call them later today and hopefully meet up with them this week as well. There is a huge street fair on Saturday which I am told I have to go to! The whole family will be out of town this weekend so I have a lot of time to myself, which should be interesting.  I will meet them on Sunday night and then we have Monday and Tuesday to play and get to know each other and they start school on Wednesday!

I will take and post some pictures later today but now I am going to try to go back to sleep!

The Trip to Zurich

Hello Everyone!!!

I have not quite made it to Zurich yet, but I am sitting in Dusseldorf, Germany with a free internet connection so I thought I would give a little update! I am super excited to finally be starting this year. I have been talking about it for months and it is just about time to start!  I think I am still a little overwhelmed and unaware of the fact that I just moved to Switzerland for the year.

I was able to spend a month in California with family and friends which was great! Leaving home is never easy, no matter how many times I do it. I miss everyone already but am so grateful for the opportunity to do something like this.

Bruce, my host-dad, will be picking me up from the airport tonight. The kids are in France with their Mom visiting their grandfather.  I will have a few days to get settled in my room and adjust to the time difference before I meet the kids and start my job!

That is all for now!!!

Leaving Washington DC

I left D.C. one week ago. I took advantage of every minute of my time in DC the last couple months. I was able to spend time with the amazing friends that I made in DC.  A day trip to Philly, visitors from California, museums, "hiking" endeavors (difficult when it is 100 degrees out and there is 80% humidity), rooftop BBQs and pool nights, July 4th on the National Mall with friends from Chapman, and miniature golf at a quirky bar. I loved every minute of it. I had a great last dinner with my new DC friends who will be around for many years to come.  I said good-bye to my co-workers who were absolutely amazing! I was so fortunate to have the experience in DC that I had. It is because of that experience, beginning with lonely nights to making new friends, and strengthening the bonds with old friends, that I now have the confidence to move halfway across the world in less than a month. I am so incredibly grateful for the entire experience. I have grown so much as a person. Everyone that I met in DC taught me more than they will ever know.

Leaving DC was harder than I thought. I have become used to moving around and people leaving. I am a person who will keep in touch with you until it is so obvious that you aren't going to call me back that it hurts. I love meeting new people but I thrive on having good friends. I depend on having friends around me as often as possible and by the end of my experience in DC, I found a way to make that happen. I am one of the luckiest people in the world to  have so many supportive and wonderful friends in my life.

From the moment I stepped off the plane in DC, it was surreal.  I have realized that I am an outgoing person. I can hold a conversation. I was willing to meet anyone! I met several relatives I had never met. I met friends of friends of friends.  I am ready to take on this challenge in Zurich. I am excited for it because I know I can do it.

Washington DC is a beautiful place. I think it represents everything that is wonderful about this country that I was so lucky to be born in. I also think it brings to life the many problems we need to deal with face on. I love DC more than just about any city I have ever visited. I know it is the right place for me in the future but I also know it is time for me to explore more the world.  My transition time in San Diego is extremely busy without beginning to deal with the list of things I need to do to prepare for Switzerland. I have so much to look forward to it is hard to dwell on my time in DC. I have found I need a little time to move past it.

I know looking forward I will have countless transitions to deal with. I will leave people and keep in touch. I know this is the lifestyle I want for the near future, but it doesn't make the good-byes any easier. It is a weird feeling to have so many places to call home there is no where to call home, but that is a compromise I am willing to make for now.

I want to take a sentence to thank everyone of my friends and family members who support my decisions to move around and take the risks I am taking. It is because of that support and your confidence in me that I am confident I am going to take Switzerland by storm.  I love you all so much and really appreciate each one of you in indescribable ways.

“Life is either a great adventure or nothing.” Helen Keller

Helen Keller is completely right! No matter if your adventure is a day at the park or moving across the country or world once a year, you need to make sure that you are always creating new adventures and experiences for yourself. I have decided that right now my adventures include moving across the world for the year! 

I have made my official decision to go to Zurich, Switzerland! I am so excited to have a decision made and know what my next step is! It was a very difficult decision but I know that it was worth the struggle. It said a lot to me that the family was willing to go through nearly a month of back and forth to figure everything out with the visa and all, so I think that we are really a great match.

A little about my upcoming life: I will be an aupair for a French and Canadian family living in Switzerland. They are both lawyers.  There are two kids, and in October there will the a new baby! There is a 9-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl. Their current aupair has been so very helpful with everything. She has given me honest answers about what to expect as an aupair- both the good and the bad! I will be heading over at the beginning of August through August of 2011! 

I will also be taking French lessons while I am there. I will also be looking into volunteering somewhere once a week or something since I will have some free time while the kids are at school. I am going to take full advantage of being in Switzerland and I really want to get to know Zurich and the rest of the country. My goal for my trip is a country a month and a new city/town in Switzerland every month! 

One of my best friends from high school is getting her Masters in Ireland in the fall and I have another friend who is going to be an aupair in Germany. I will have some tastes of home and of course anyone who wishes to visit is welcome!