Sarah Swings through a Sunny Switzerland

(Author's note: I wrote this before I went to London)
(Author's other note: I've always wanted to write author's note at the beginning of something. Makes me feel more legit than I am)


WOW can't believe it's taken me this long to actually write about my solo trip to Switzerland, which is currently my favorite place to travel in the world because even in the dreary month of February, it managed to completely steal my heart.

I initially flew into Zurich and spent my first two days there. It was sunny, windless and there was a river running right through the town so naturally I fell in love within .2 seconds of getting off the tram from the airport. I honestly don't know don't know how anyone gets anything accomplished there; I would marvel at the beauty of the city every five minutes instead of working. My days there consisted of walking, window-shopping and eating food from stands along the river in the sun. Side note: in Europe, the hot dogs come in the middle of baguettes so there's no chance of ketchup squirting out the bottom and staining your white pants (not speaking from experience I swear......). Probably one of the best inventions in the world and I really think America could learn from this, just sayin. At the hostel, I met two girls studying for the semester in Milan and they invited me out with them to a bar with a live band and no cover charge (thank goodness). That's one of the best things about traveling alone: you're very much inclined to talk to new people and you say yes to things you normally wouldn't because why not? There's nothing to lose/to hold you back so away we went! I accidentally left my phone at the hostels, so unfortunately I have no pictures to show but I swear it was really fun and whatever!

The next day, I took the train to the capital of Switzerland, Bern! I stumbled on a market five minutes into being there, and it was so much fun to wander the stalls, trying to chat with the vendors (I know absolutely no Swiss-German, which is the language of Switzerland and sometimes English was choppy so that was fun). It was sunny again and I went on the most glorious run along the Aare river, which took me to the zoo and through some woods. I was exhausted from the night before, and I had segments of a state swim meet to watch, so I went down to the hostel bar to grab a quick beer before turning in for the night. Well at the bar, I befriended a crazy, bald, enthusiastic about Switzerland

Italian man, a Finnish girl, and the bartender, a woman from Bulgaria who I kid you not, was the spitting image of Ursula from the Little Mermaid when she turns human to steal Eric from Ariel. Kinda creepy, but the three of them were really nice. Turns out that between the four of us, French was everyone's strongest language (weird, I know), so I chatted with them in French for awhile AND THEY TOLD ME MY FRENCH WAS FANTASTIC AND THEY THOUGHT I WAS FRENCH (maybe they were just being nice/maybe a little tipsy, who knows) but it made my LIFE ugh god bless.

My final day in Switzerland was hands down my favorite--I took yet another train through the gorgeous Swiss countryside to end in Lucerne, a town that my friend Julia calls "a fairy land" and she was absolutely correct. I don't even have words to describe it but I'll try: sun, the cleanest water that they actually had to make dirtier because the fish were dying (not real life), and the Alps towering on the opposite shore of the lake, framing the city in mountainy glory. I think I took close to a million pictures of them but I was in awe, okay?? Lucerne is also home to a wonderful friend from high school, Fiona. We survived Mr. Boyland together, and that is a bond that is just never broken because he is the worst. Honestly, it was beyond nice to see an old friend and chat about the stupid things we did at the infamous winter of 2010 raves, cast parties, what's different about Europe, what we miss from Madison, how great life is in general. She was kind enough to invite me over to dinner with her parents and I've learned that there is absolutely nothing better than homecooked meals with friends while traveling. And seeing old, familiar faces is always a plus.

So basically Switzerland stole my heart/breath and I plan on moving there probably one day yaaaayy. I'm going to London today and I'm going to see Beyonce on Sunday so I'm sorry...except no I'm not I'm really beyond excited. Fave city, fave lady, fave EVERYTHING because life is fantastic. YAAAYAYYY so by this time next week, or maybe Sunday, you'll have new things to read about!!! don't be too excited. Love you all.

peace n blessins, as always.