The Mediterranean Syndrome

Well I finally made it in der schweiz! However it was not easy.. It began with my 2 hours of sleep the night before my 7 am flight. I woke up extremely sick at 2 am and basically just laid there til 4 am when I had to get up. I was on time though! As my plane was waiting to take off I had the rare opportunity to see another plane take off... Right before mine very eyes and right into the sunrise! It was an incredible sight and made me think about just how amazing planes are. Seriously though, how the heck did those geniuses come up with the pull to flight etc. Etc.? Side note, If ever you find yourself in washington dc avoid the space and aviation museum if you weren't planning on having an immense headache because your brain can't process it.

Moving on, everything went smoothly to my chicago layover and then I waited 6 hours.. And then another 45 minutes. I was flying through iberia airlines, a spanish company.. This was a bumpy and loooong flight to madrid. Once there... I had 20 minutes to get to my next transfer to zurich. I became one of those people you always make fun of who are running through the airport rolling baggage in tow. Hunchback and all I finally made it to my gate in 21 minutes (apparently the Madrid airport is one of the biggest in the world?) Turns out.. I could have been about another 50 minutes later because they were delayed. Really Iberia? Never trust a Spaniard to be on time. About the Spanish... I found out that if you didn't speak Spanish to them, they were MEAN! I was dying of thirst at one point and I was sooo scared to ask for more water. But I finally plucked up the courage to approach an attendant and kindly asked in Spanish if I might have more. I got my water and a smile to boot!

On my flight to Zurich I sat next to an elderly Swiss man named Rollie. He didn't speak ANY English but he did speak Spanish! So for 3 hours I conversed with this Swiss man in mostly spanish with a mix of german and Italian on his part. He was very sweet and gave me his address and told me to come visit! When we said goodbye we did the european kiss thing and he went in for a third! I got so confused and but then he explained that that was the custom in switzerland. "Is it the custom in your country to only kiss twice?" I just lied and said yes.

As soon as we landed (an hour and a half late) I found out that my luggage had been left behind in sunny Spain! Great... This was bad because I really needed a shower. Paige, the current au pair, met me there and showed me the way to Mittelhäusern. Since my time being here I have found out three things. Swiss people dress extremely well, they're extremely clean and have really good smelling soap, and they have amazing and outrageously expensive chocolate. I guess that's more than three but yeah! Also, the hills and trees here have a kind of blackish haze around them. It's surreal. I met the family and they're awesome. Very studious and smart. The boys (benni, 7 and jeremias, 12) only speak german though. I need t learn it fast. For dinner we had raclette which was baked potatoes with melted raclette cheese and fresh pickles. Es war sehr gut! Dessert was fruit and a little rhubarb cake.

Well das ist alles! I'll post pictures and my first experience on the town (bern) tomorrow!