One Month?!?!...Already???

Around the time that I bought my one-way ticket to move to Switzerland and started to realize how hard it was going to be to leave D.C. I had a mini-freak out. A few people received e-mails during work that day. They all responded saying that it would be nothing but a blip in my life.  Meredith said that I might miss a few birthdays or Christmas but it will be worth it for the experience and everyone will be there when I get back.  My month in California reassured me of all of this. Time doesn't stop but why would you want it to?

So one month after moving to Switzerland, I can't help but think about the wonderful support I had from all of my family members and friends in taking this risk! It has been a month! Eleven months from now I will be returning to the U.S. (or so my Mom and Dad are hoping and praying).

It also makes me think to my first month in DC. After a month in D.C., I had finally found my apartment for the year (and two amazing roommates who became great friends), and a part-time job, but that is about it.  I had Craig, but that's about it. I hadn't met most of the people I consider amazing friends now! I didn't have a job. I was sure I was in the right place but was hitting many dead-ends and meeting people was a whole different challenge.

Switzerland has been a million times easier.  First, I haven't been dealing with leaving Chapman and college life, which wasn't easy.  Secondly, I had spent hours upon hours looking for somewhere to live. Thirdly, I was, for the first time, in a place where everyone around me wasn't looking for friends.  There was a lot to adapt to! While I am not saying this has been and will be a cake walk all year long, having people around me who understand it all makes it a million times easier! It is so funny to me because I have met a few aupairs who just got here or got here right after I did, and I am already in the midst of making sure they get to meetings and showing them where to go, etc.  It is really amazing how quickly things change!

I had a job and home when I arrived. I had phone numbers of people to call and a meeting to go to where people were looking for friends! I have a ton of free time so I have time to work out, talk to people from home all of the time, and still work and have a social life.  I have already made some friends who I really enjoy. I was able to go on a day trip to Sierre, in the French section of Switzerland to go wine tasting (pictures to hopefully come soon!).  I am going to meet up with my Auntie Francie in Lake Como, Italy this weekend and next weekend I meeting Maggie (a friend from Chapman) to go to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. So if I had to leave in one month, it would be worth the experience.  Luckily, I have 11 more months to come of new experiences, struggles, travels, and friends!

I apologize for rambling for so long, but since you have made it to the end, here are some videos of P & G dancing with an addition friend involved! This is my job and as much as I hate telling them to brush their teeth 17 times, I do love having dance parties and watching them sing to pop songs.

Note: The song is California Gurls by Katy Perry. It was not chosen by me but P thinks it is the coolest thing ever that I am actually a California Girl! I am not going to lie, I think it is pretty awesome as well!

My friend Emily just moved to Ireland and left this quote as her Facebook Status, I liked it so I will leave you with it! 

Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends. -Maya Angelou