Update? Yup! Update!

...it's funny that I'm writing my last from-Switzerland blog post the night before I leave. We're getting on a plane in the morning and the internet is finally working. I haven't really had a lot of time to blog today though because I've been packing and trying not to put a ton of weight on my legs, which means not moving around from one room to another.

The reason for this hesitance to move? Yesterday we hiked down a mountain.

Literally. A whole mountain.

I didn't think that was seriously the plan when they told me. A twisted ankle, skinned knee, and huge blister later, I realize that it was in fact the plan.

I actually had a good time, despite my sudden fear of heights and falling and all that stuff. I didn't manage to eat anything at the top when everyone else had lunch because I was so busy not looking at anything, but I think the view was gorgeous, from what I did see and what everyone else said.

And I do feel pretty accomplished for getting all the way down with no other mishaps.

Getting up early for the plane tomorrow soooo......I'll write more eventually, probably talk about what happened from home, if I get around to it. Or you can go read Hannah's blog, because I might forget.

All in all it's been a pretty fantastic two weeks, but it's after midnight and I have to get up in six hours to get ready to leave for the airport. So I'm going to sleep.

Night!

Apologies for the lack of posting...

Hello from Zurich! I must apologize for the severe lack of updates on how the trip is going, but since the Stringers are in the middle of a move, the computer hasn't been set up yet, and so we don't really have a way to post from the house. Which is fine for us, but if you're waiting for a post...it might take a bit. We're currently in an internet cafe in Zurich, so we can update and check email and stuff. We spent our morning at the badi, and then came in to the city and walked around, got ice cream, and went to a park where we relaxed for a while, had snacks, and saw baby swans. We also almost had a dangerous run-in with some Swiss teenagers, who I've been told are not too fond of people speaking English.

This morning we got up very early to go to the badi to hang out with Emily, who was going back to England tomorrow. We had a fantastic time and actually met some kids from around town who knew of Matthew and Katheryn, and we played "ball tag" with them - if you get hit with the ball, you're it. Very fun to play in the water.

So since we started this wonderful trip everything has been so busy! We go to the badi just about every day to swim and run around, and it's so much fun. I wish that everyone back at home could experience the "wobbly water slide" at one of them - it's huge, fast, and we race.

On Tuesday (I believe) we took the train into Zurich to climb up the Grossmunster, this amazing and tall church that was built in...I believe sometime in the 1500s, but maybe earlier. We had to pay four francs, but once we made it up the claustrophobia-inducing staircases, the view was absolutely breathtaking. The church itself was gorgeous as well, but I don't have any pictures of the inside because there was a no photography sign (though that doesn't stop everyone.) We had a delicious lunch at a restaurant and Hannah sat and drew a gorgeous scene from across Lake Zurich. Perhaps she will show it to you if you ask nicely.

After we got back, Matthew, Emma, Kathryn, Hannah and I decided it would be FANTASTIC to take all the boxes the movers had left overnight and turn them into the BEST BOX FOR EVER. So we did. It was probably the 2nd most fun I've had since we got here, first most fun being at the badi with Emma and Emily. And then Aunt Kathy suggested we sleep out there overnight, so Hannah the architect redesigned the fort to have long boxes as "beds" in a general bedroom, and we all slept out there, and looked at the stars. (saw a TON of shooting stars.)

The movers woke us up in the morning. They were taking the boxes away. It was a sad, sad moment. But we moved on.

Yesterday we went to Lucerne to visit the Glaci, or glass factory. We went on this tour that showed us the history of the glassmaking process in Switzerland, and we got to watch the men who work at the factory actually making the glass. It was fantastic! I loved to watch them all; it was weird because they cut the hot glass liquid with these giant metal scissors - it's hard to imagine how hot that must be!

We also sat outside the factory and had a lovely picnic; we also fed some of our bread and chips to the ducks. It's crazy how fast they swarm, the minute you start throwing them food. I also got about a foot away from a little bird (maybe a sparrow?) because I threw down chips and he wasn't afraid of me. I took a picture that I'll put up later. (My foot is in it for reference.)

I've been helping out with dinner in the evening - I love to cook, and I've been in charge of the salads! I'm hoping at some point we can have mac & cheese, because that's my comfort food. But all the food here has been fantastic so far.

Going to sign off now because it's getting expensive to sit here any longer... But I have more to write that I'm sure I forgot about, and I want to get you all the updates at some point.

Email me or comment with any questions you have or anything you want elaboration on!

So. Tired.

So I'm writing this from the cute little computer room at my aunt and uncle's [old] house in Switzerland. I say [old] house because they're in the middle of moving! There's hardly a place to sit and everything is all boxed up. Tomorrow we'll all be at the new house, and we'll be staying there because they're officially going to be out of this place.

And this entry isn't going to be as long as I had planned because I am exhausted, it's getting really late (it's 10:26 in the evening here!), and I didn't sleep on the plane. It's not that I didn't want to, I just...couldn't seem to fall asleep. I was too busy playing peek-a-boo with the adorable wide-eyed baby sitting two rows in front of me on the plane.

This morning we arrived in Zurich and Matthew and Emma came to meet us at the airport - I was expecting to go home and go to sleep right away, but Aunt Kathy informed me it would be much better for the jet lag if I stayed up as long as I could before going to bed, so that way it would be closer to a regular night's sleep. I was very confused upon hearing this because I was so tired, but the more I thought about it (and the longer I stayed up) the more sense it made. I actually haven't officially gone to bed yet, just a few brief naps - one on the beach that wasn't really sandy it was actually grass, one on the short flight to Newark, and...well I'm not sure I remember any other naps so that's probably it. Today is actually a bit of a haze which is why I wanted to update on it today before it got to be morning and I forgot everything.

There are so many babies in Switzerland. That may sound ridiculous but it's true - there were small children and infants everywhere we went, starting on the plane and ending at the pool, known as the badi. Crawling and running and sitting and scooting and crying and giggling...it's just too overwhelming for someone who loves kids to not even know how to go up and say "Your child is adorable" because I don't know what language the family speaks!

But sitting to watch babies and laying down to nap are not productive, touristy activities! What have I done that is touristy, you may ask? Taken LOTS of pictures! And bought a delicious croissant, and learned a little Swiss German (that I already forget) at an Italian restaurant. (Figure that one out...)

I met some friends of Matthew and Emma and Kathryn - two adorable kids, Elizabeth and Johnathan, and their cousin Emily. We "switched accents" and imitated each other. She's from England, and it's really funny the way she says "water" with my "accent." (It's so weird to think that there are American accents, and that they're completely foreign to people from other areas. Though it shouldn't be that unusual. It's interesting to think about that sort of thing.)

Everything is so expensive here! I think that once I exchange my money I'm going to make a list of everything I spend money on so that way I won't have to stress about using too much. I'll budget myself!

I feel so completely overwhelmed. There are so many things I want to do and places I want to go. I'm not sure when I'll get back here! I feel bad because I'm just going down naming places and everyone else is like, okay fun! But I've been dreaming of coming overseas for as long as I can remember and I want to make sure I don't miss anything!

This post isn't very connected. I'll write more elaborate details about how amazing Europe is when I wake up or tomorrow night.

One quick Switzerland anecdote I have to tell already is what happened while we were sitting and peacefully eating our ice cream, minding our own business. We sat on the edge of Lake Zurich, right at the base of this walkway path that crossed above the railway tracks, very high in the air. There was a balcony looking out over the water above us. I was telling Aunt Kathy what I want to major in when I start school, and just as I finished saying, "Holocaust and genocide studies," there was this unholy scream and some guy dove off the balcony into the water and swam away.

We got a good laugh over that one.

Going to Europe!

It's really late at night and we're just finishing up packing (totally procrastinating but that's okay!) and it's crazy for me to realize that in less than twelve hours I'll be getting on a plane to go to Zurich, Switzerland for a grand old time. I'm so excited I can hardly believe it.

So I'm taking a page from the New Orleans trip and starting a blog to talk about all the super cool things we get up to whilst traversing the continent; that way you won't have to wait for me to get back to tell you all about it.

(Mostly I'm just excited and I like excuses to blog but that's another story.)

Tomorrow we're getting up relatively early for a summer day, so we can go to Logan Airport and go through security and get on the plane. With the expensive airport food. My nook is all stocked up with books to read, it's charging right now. I have my camera, my phone (even though it's not going to work....it's really bad that I still want to have it with me anyway, isn't it?), my iPod. I have notebooks and pens, more than I will need. Just because I always overpack.

I'm not totally thrilled about having to sit in an airplane for as long as we're going to...but Hannah is bringing magnetic chess so at least I know I'll have something to do if I get bored of books, writing, and sudoku. But I doubt I'll have time for any of that once we get there.

I'm starting a collection of people I need to send post cards to. Hopefully I remember everyone.

Switzerland, here I come!