Best Weekend of my Life.

Laura- Was only just at the Matterhorn, with the most amazing people, freezing cold, in the cutest little Swiss town, dancing the night away, eating our hearts out, playing in the Alps. Great weekend? I think so!

Zion- Matterhorn; 100 of the worlds best people, freezing, excellent. Train ride home, 2 new British best friends. Best weekend of my life; easily.

Brandon- Epic; Very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale); synomyn; Matterhorn Weekend.

Kelly - And now, my next 30 minutes shall be dedicated to going around and *liking* every one of the 124 Zermatt status's, and perhaps after, I'll make one of my own.

Lauren - Matterhorn weekend = epic!

Matt- Amazing weekend in Zermatt, the town experienced a wave of crazy people set on making the world a very fun place to be!

What is this you ask? This would be 6 of the 100 facebook statuses last night when all the Swiss exchange kids got back from Zermatt.

Only the best weekend. Ever.

It felt like I had ridden the Polar Express and entered Narnia.

Here is the movie I made, which has lots of video clips, as well as most of my pictures, but if you desire explanations, continue on and you can look at the pictures with my explanations. Or BOTH! But basically we went to Zermatt (in the Alps), with Rotary and Rotex (former exchange kids) for a weekend full of fun, laughter, and friendship. And in there somewhere, we visited the MATTERHORN!

Destination: Zermatt

Right when we got of the train! I was PUMPED!

This is the hostel we stayed at.

Once off the train, we walked to the hostel we were staying at. They weren't quite ready, so we decided to take a massive group picture, and while doing so, the Americans broke out in the national anthem. In the Swiss Alps. Does it get better?

When we first got to the hostel. Waiting for the room assignments.

Once we dropped our stuff off at the hotel, we had a scavenger hunt. We were running all over Zermatt! One of the things was a wedding picture, and I had the genuis idea to look in a bridal magazine. I know. So smart. Thank you. Thank you.

After our hunt, we went to the Matterhorn museum in Zermatt, which was kinda boring except there were random things to take pictures with! Like this cane and cart!

And this ax! It was heavier than I thought. Took some muscle. But I was chopping away!

After the museum, we headed out for dinner at a fondue resturaunt. Basically, we took over the place!

My first cheese fondue! Ever! It was actually really gross! Everyone thought so, and the 1 kid who ate it, got sick and had to go home early Sunday morning, so he missed the actual Matterhorn. I feel so bad for him! It tasted like whisky and cheese. Gross!!!!

After the resturaunts, we went to a club (with Rotary's permission, all you Rotarians who just got mad at me). We danced, danced, and danced some more! Can you spot Zion and I? Zion has her arms in the air, and I am like AHHH! I was actually probably singing. So much fun! I love clubs! How am I going to survive next year not being able to go?!?!?!

Picture at the 1st club. It was SO HOT in there, because we were all dancing and sweating! I am in the right corner, behind the guy in the blue plaid. I look afraid. Haha. This was probably taken when the 2 old Rotary ladies starting dancing on the table, and I was like WHOA! Haha. After this club ended at 10, Rotary decided that 2 hours of clubbing wasn't enough, and we should hit up a public club and ditch the midnight walk. So we did! 2 more hours of dancing and sweating here I come!

Sunday: Frenchies + 1 Swiss-German forever! I was taking the pic, but all the other frenchies are here!

I know. We are hilarious.

So, after cleaning up at the hostel, we walked to the GONDALAS THAT TOOK US TO THE MATTERHORN!!! It was SOO FREAKING COOL!!!!!!! Except for the part where it stopped and I started having a panic attack, because it was kinda scary, but yet so amazing!

Becky et moi sur la cabine:)

Zermatt, the town we stayed in. Situated right in the Alps!

This gondala didn't make it. BUT WE DID!! Haha!

There were 5 different stations for the gondalas up. 4 of them we just stayed on the same one (we didn't know this, so the first one we got out, looked like idiots while our friends in the other ones yelled at us to get back in) and then ran in before it took off. The last one was a really big one that took us up to the mountain that is right next to the Matterhorn. Here me, Marie, Yod A (yes, that is his name, pronounces Yoda), Zion and Becky are.

Once we made it to the mountain, we climbed up these stairs to the top! It was SOOO COLD!! Our hair forze instantly and I have never been so numb and in so much pain from hypothermia before! We did a giant hudle to keep warm, but I was pretty much yelling "GET ME THE HECK OFF THIS MOUNTAIN RIGHT NOW!" the whole time. It was cool, but kinda miserable too. Lol.

This is when we first got to the top, and I was still somewhat happy and still had some feeling in my body. Seriously, it felt like someone was chopping me in half, it was SO COLD! It is making me cold thinking about it.

This is how high up we were! I would of gotten a picture with me by it, but you know, I was too cold and wanted off. Immediatly.

After coming down (THANK GOD!), feeling slowly came back, although my fingers and toes hurt soooo bad! Oh my. So bad. Anyway, we went to the glacier that is right outside the mountain. We were literally walking through a glacier! They had some sculptures, for your viewing pleasure.

The Matterhorn ice sculpture! Inside the glacier! So cool!

Inside the Glacier Paradise. From the left, Marie (germany) Zion (vermont) Me, Kelly (colorado), Becky (oklahoma), Wes (america. not sure which state), can't tell who that is, and Shannon (florida)

One of my favorite pictures! Me, Becky, and Zion in front of the Matterhorn!

Only me and my new friend, Matterhorn. No biggie.

This is legit.

Me and my new Canadian, Brandon:) This was right before we headed to the train station to leave :(

Eric (Argentina), Bjorn (Sweden and Frenchie!), and me, right before leaving Zermatt.

It was SO SAD to leave! Everyone was depressed on the train to Visp, where we all got on our perspective trains. It was truly one of the best weekends ever. I had so much fun! if you didn't catch on to that earlier! Even though I now have a cold and my throat is killing me, it was TOTALLY worth it! These are the memories and friends that will last a lifetime. And this is what, a year from now, I will miss, so much. I love this country.

For your viewing pleasure.

Just try it once!

Bonjour! Hola! Jambo! Hello! Goedendag! Hallo! Ciao! Li-ho! Privet! Salut!

It's been an eventful week here in Switzeland. The week started off a little rough, but ended on a high note, which is always a great turnaround!

Now, if you are wondering about the title, it comes from a conversation I was having with someone, and even though the context I am using it in is a little difference, I feel like this applies to my life here, trying everything at least once and living it up:)

So, I went to school, what's new. Oh, but Wednesday, with my school, we went to Lausanne to go to the "cimenateque". So we met outside the train station at 8, and then walked to the theatre. Once in, there were TONS of other students there from different schools, and after everyone took their seats, these two ladies talked for an HOUR about how they used to make movies in the olden days, a.k.a. the 40's and 50's. I understood pretty much everything and was bored out of my mind, as was everyone else I think. So after that, the movie finally started, which was "Citizen Kane", an American movie made in 1941 by Orson Wells. And it was in English! With subtitles in French of course. It's amazing how much I miss hearing my native language, and not being invlolved in a conversation, but still understanding everything, and knowing you understood it correctly. But since I was SOOOO tired, because I had a long weekend and didn't have time to catch up on sleep, I fell asleep to my language, the love of my life. Haha. It was a nice little "siesta" as we say in French. After that film, the lady talked some more! Ugh. But after it ended, at 11:45, I met up with Zion, who goes to school in Lausanne, and we had the cheapest, best lunch yet in Switzerland. Manora. My new love. After English, Swiss bread, mashed potatoes, etc. Okay. Moving on. So after lunch, I headed back to school and that was that.

So. Friday, after I finished school at 12:35, I headed to Bern to meet up with Noemi, who lived with my family last year as an exchange student, and Robert Thompson, from Gardner, who hosted Noemi last year too and chose me to be in the Gardner program. My camera died after the 2nd picture I took, so the rest are Roberts, but here is a run-down:)

Beautiful Bern:)

Noemi and I in front of the National Swiss Governemt Building in Bern

Robert and I in Bern. Recognize the clock tower in the back, I put a picture up of that last time I went to Bern. I think I looke rather good in this picture. haha. If only every picture I took, I looked halfway decent.

This says "Barengraben". Bern is named after the bears. It's some long story I don't know, but basically, that's the outcome. And on the flag of the canton ( our equivelant to states) of Bern, there is the bear. So, in Bern, right along the river, they have 4 live bears that live there year long. And the name in Swiss German, because that's what they speak in Bern, is Barengraben. There you have it my friends:)

A sign that talks about the bear's diet. They had a bunch of these signs all over. I didn't realize that bears, or at least these ones, are omnivores. I thought they liked to eat meat, like people, like me. So I guess that's good news for me!

We actually got to watch the keeper throw the food (apples, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, potatoes) out into their habitat and then let the bears back in to find the food and eat it. Very interessting. Yes, very interessting indeed.

Noemi and I standing on on of the many bridges in Bern, with the city behind us:)
I have been meaning to get a picture of this for some time. In Switzerland, there is basically one vending machine, "Selecta"all over, with the same contents in each one. The usual, candy bars, chips, drinks, pregnancy tests, and condoms. Haha. I know. Amusing. So in this pictue, we have my favorite candy bar ever, Kinder, on the far left for 1.50, a pregnancy test (called "Maybe baby) for 15.00 in the middle, and on the far right, a box of condoms for 5.00. Below these items in the vending machine, are two rows of cannabis tea, a.k.a. tea with marijuana. So strange, these Swiss vending machines.

So after checking Bern out, we headed to Noemi's dad's house, where we were going to eat dinner. We had an AMAZING dinner and afterwards sat and talked with her family. It was so weird because I was in HER house with HER family instead of her in MY house with MY family. You know what I mean? But it was so cool to get to know them all! In this picture, from left to right are Noel, 16, brother and super tall, Johanna, 17, sister, Naja, 14, sister, Noemi's dad's girlfriend (I forgot her name!), me, Noemi, 18, haha, Noemi's dad, and Noemi's grandma. Her family was so sweet! I had a great time!

Now last year, I used to drive Noemi to school and such, but on Wednesday, she JUST passed her test and got her liscense! (Here in Switzerland, it is a LOT of money and a LOT of work to get your liscense) So after visiting with her family for a while, we decided to go drive around and we ended up at the McDonald's she works at (to pay for her liscense) and we got some ice cream:) So here is me, Noemi, and Noel, eating ice cream when it's 0 degrees outside. Lol. But it was totally good!

Then, we went back to her town, and we spent the night at her mom's house. Saturday, we then visited her aunt, and a giant chocolate store, and then I headed home, but it's just till next time!

Once I got back to my village, my conselor picked me up at the train station, with his wife, and son, who I'd never met before, to head to an exposition in Geneva that was about Medicine in the Moyen age, basically a LONG time ago. But first we picked up my conselor's niece, who wants to be a doctor too. The reason we were going is because my conselor is a doctor, I want to be one, Quentin (his son, 17) wants to be one, and Aurelia ( I think, something like that at least:) who is 17 and wants to be a doctor too:) So we headed there, but the exposition turned out to be a just books and was a little much for the "children: a.k.a. the 3 of us, so we just chilled. Then we went into the old part of Geneva, where we got McDonald's (the first time I got something other than a drink, or ice cream at a McDonald's here) and then walked around a found a little bistro to sit at. We had a really nice time and I really enjoyed their company! It's too bad they go to different school then me:( After an hour or two, we made our way back to the car and headed home. I got home at 7 and then had dinner with my family, skyped home, then off to bed. Since I was dead tired.

All in all, it was a great weekend! Now, here I am, procrastinating on studying for my chemistry test in my sweats, while eating amazing swiss bread and chocolate. Life is good.

3 months down.

Hello! Guess what??? I have officially been here now for over 3 months! Its amazing how fast time flies. On one side, I feel like I've been here for a really long time, but the other side feels like I just got off the plane. It's so weird. But I have definetly enjoyed my 3 months! I have learned so many things!

Here is a review of my week....

All the trees here are changing to fall colors! It has been SO COLD AND RAINY this week, its gross (for those of you who know how much I hate rain, this week has been miserable) but Thursday, it was so NICE! Granted, it was still cold, but the sun was shining! This is the road I walk every day to go to and from the train station to my house. It's just so pretty. I love fall colors!

I have been meaning to get a picture of this. This is the communitry garden, just a short walk from my house, where my family also has a spot. So. I don't really know what else I was gonna say about this, so moving on!

There are 3 of these signs in my village, on the 3 different roads that lead in. I have always said I need to get a picture, so Thursday, I did! I would translate it, but I can't tell what it says, but from memory, I think it says something like "Come and relax and stay awhile in Chexbres!" I will get a better picture. Then we will know for sure. lol.

Friday, I only had an hour of school, from 8 to 9, which left me with the rest of the day to do something. So I decided to head to Geneva, and, dork that I am, visit museums. Lol. So I first decided to head to the International Red Cross museum. I asked this lady to take a picture of me, and she was like, thinking I didnt understand French I guess, "typical American tourist. Always wants pictures". Geez. Rude. I ended up spending more time here than I thought I would, so I didnt go to any other museums, but this one was totally worth it! It was a really nice museum! They had this one section of all the soldiers they saved during WWII, and it was so unbelievable to see ALL those little cards. I can't remember the exact number, but it was huge! I really enjoyed it:)

This is something, not sure how to describe it, a big banner I guess hanging over the entrance to the museum.

So, since I still had the rest of the evening ahead of me, we decided to actually go to Bern and go to a youth group, which turned out to be great! We ate crepes and after, to celebrate our great day, we decided to buy bretzels. They were actually really not that great, but nothing could ruin out good moods! Zion just dug right in!

This was my Bretzel. Zion was trying to steal it. Haha. Not really. I was actually trying to just take a picture of me indulging into it, but it turns out my eyes look totally crazed. We were cracking up.

Saturday, Zion, Marie (a german exchange student with Rotary) and I decided to chill out in Lausanne. So we went, and then decided, why not take a boat? So we bought a bunch of food at Migros, and then hopped on a boat, for free, (Have I mentioned before how much I love my GA?), and had a picnic lunch on the boat. The boat was headed to France, and when it docked, we decided, eh, let's just stay on. It's only France, we see it all the time. Haha. So we just chilled on the boat and then headed back. This is Marie. I thought I was making a video, but turns out it was only a picture. She was dancing. I think. Not sure actually. Lol.

After our boat ride, I decided to get a picture of the beautiful day! So, here we have the lake, the mountains, and France:)

Sunday, we had a Rotary meeting. I had to leave my house at 7am so I could get to Olten, which is up kinda by the German boarder, by 10am. So I got up, threw on my sexy blazer, and headed out. Once there, we got a little lost finding the hotel, which turned out to be really easy once we figured the map out (I hate Swiss streets, way to confusing to nagivate!). We had an inteogation for about an hour and a half, asking how is school, families, and questions like who is your conselor? Who is this person? Like a test. BUT! This is exciting, it was all in French, and I understood everything and was able to respond to everything too! It was great! After, some students were invited to represent their countries in the Country Fair. Only a few were invited, and I was one! Yay. Haha. But before we set up, we had to find food, and EVERYTHING closes in this country on Sundays. This is a hard concept for us Americans who have been Wal-Mart-ized. 24/7 rocks. So we walked. And walked. And walked, until we found something in the train station. Then, we set up for the fair, and one of the other Americans brought chocolate chip cookies, so of course, we all went for them. Zion was so funny and was like, "If I try to get another cookie, slap my hand", because they were a little addicting:)

AMERICA! WE LOVE YOU!

For the U.S., someone, not sure who, brought a football:) So, while we were waiting, we decided to toss it around a bit. This turned out to be a bad idea, as turns out not many of us are actually good at football. Lol. Plus, we were inside a hotel. But it was fun while it lasted! This is Zion and Andrew, both from Vermont, and 2/11 of the French kids!

All the exchange students that were invited to present their countries at the Country Fair. This was for the outbounds from Switzerland for 11-12. I am considered an inbound in Switzerland. Overall, it's been a good week:)