What a beautiful life, especially since we are all just truly little kids running around in these big kid bodies.

Bonjour!

Hello!

How are you all?! I must say, life here is so beautiful. In every aspect. Today is the first day of spring (yay!) but it has been just so so sunny here, with flowers blooming and birds chirping! my host family is just so amazing. I have to change soon to my third family, and I don’t want to. I mean, my 3rd family is really nice, but I just love it here so much with this family! My host mom told me I could stay the whole year here if I wanted. If only I could. . . School is getting better! I don’t know if it is just this new super happy attitude of mine, or if it actually is, but I will totally take it! Lastly, my other family here, the exchange students, are all doing fantastic as well. I don’t know what I will do without them next year. Life is just way to good.  

I still cannot believe how far I have come this year. I mean, thinking back to those first few days, weeks, and months, I don’t know what I was doing! I mean, yeah I was going out and traveling and all, but compared to all I am up to now, I was doing nothing! And now, all us exchangies here are on a crammed schedule, to get it all done, before we leave. But surprisingly, I am rather calm about it. Which is so unlike me. I guess I am living it day by day.  

 

So, before we get to my latest adventure, I have made THREE videos in the past week! Lots of hard work. Haha. But here they are!

 

This first one is just random clips from my trip to the zoo, Valentine’s Day, carnival, Luzern, etc. . .

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This is from my trips to Italy for lunch At the end, there are just random silly clips, so feel free to skip the end. Unless of course, you want to hear me singing down the little Italian streets.  

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And last, but not least, this is from when I went on a helicopter ride through the Alps!!!!!!!!!!! There are also videos in this one, not just the pictures, from the helicopter!

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So, last week I didn’t do that much besides school and hanging out at home. Friday night, I went out with my mom and little sister, Nora, and we saw a movie at the theatre! Which is a big deal here since it is so expensive. And! It was in English! I wasn’t expecting that, but it was, with subtitles in French. So, that was rather exciting Plus, I don’t normally like Western movies, but I actually really liked the movie! So everyone go and see the movie True Grit!

Saturday, I was going to go to Fribourg, and then the Italian part of Switzerland! I was supposed to leave my house at 6am, but I overslept! The first time that has EVER HAPPENED! I slept right through my super long and annoying alarm, everything. At 8:05, Kelly, another exchange student, called me, and that is what woke me up. So, I looked at the time and was like WHAT?!?!?!?! So I shot (literally shot) out of bed and threw some clothes on, grabbed my bag and was out the door. Literally in under 3 minutes. Without brushing my hair OR any makeup. I NEVER leave without doing my hair or makeup. Crazy. So, I ran to the train station and caught the train at 8:17, and then had to find my way to Zurich, since I didn’t have time to meet the others like I planned in Fribourg. (Plus, they weren’t going to be there anymore). So, I finally made it to Zurich after 2.5 hours, and then got on a train to the Italian part! It was like blizzard conditions outside the train! It was crazy, and there I was in a light jacket, getting nervous that I am going to freeze, and then we went through this super duper long tunnel, and when we came out the other side, it was SO BEAUTIFUL! I immediately knew I was in the Italian part, which is funny, since it just looks dirtier yet more colorful! And the sun! Ah. So so nice out! So, I got to Bellinzona and met the others, who were all sweating in their light shirts since it was so hot! Perfect summer dress weather.

A shot of the super cute little town!

 

So, some of us (not necessarily me) wanted to climb up to this castle wall thingy. So, reluctantly, I agreed There is the wall on the hill! Way for hiking up!

So, turns out there was an elevator. Jenna and I found this out AFTER we climbed up ALL THESE STAIRS and saw that everyone else was there! I was like “what?! You were behind us! How did you get here?!” And they responded with, “Uh, there was an elevator!”. Great. Haha. I really need to learn to look around me. But at least we got some exercise! Especially since I was eating a delicious yet probably not to good for you, Doner Box  

We made it to the top! Yes.

Caitlin, a newbie from Down Under, chilling on the castle wall.

While I decided to take in the amazing view, Becky, Nick, and Caitlin decided to basically sprint up some more stairs to another, higher up, wall. I made up there eventually too, but for the time being, I was content with just snapping some pics of them  

Look! I even made it all the way up the tower! And then I took a picture of the smaller tower on the other side Yay! Okay, so remember me saying how warm it was! Look over on the left on that mountain! There is snow! Yet, where we were it was so warm! So bizarre. Haha. And so beautiful.

Bellinzona! Becky, Jenna, me, and Ben in the tower  

The cutie Veronica (New Mexico)up in the tower  

This picture cracks me up! Okay, so you see how Nick is in the corner WAY DOWN THERE?! Well, this is super super zoomed in. In reality, this is all the way down the tower, then down the wall, then down a hill, then down another, smaller hill, to the corner. So, Nick and I were up in the tower and he is going on about how cool it would be to get a picture of him in the corner. So, I agree to take a picture of him in the corner if he runs and hurries down there, just because I am that nice. Haha. So, he takes off down the steps, and I am waiting and talking to the others and, since I have developed a ridiculously small attention span here, I forget what I am doing and decide to head down the stairs with some of the others. So, I get to the bottom of the first section, and then remember NICK! Haha. So, I climb back up the super small, tricky stairs that were not meant for people over 3 feet to climb, back into the tower and look over. I see he is still not there, so I talk to some of the others still up in the tower. After probably a minute or two, I got off track again, and went down the steps again! I realized it about one step from the bottom of the first section again, and then climbed up. For the THIRD time. So, I run to the little opening, and see he is down there, waiting. Haha. I really need to stop being a blonde and focus. 3 times up those dang stairs. and I forgot 2 times what I was doing! Geez. I need to work on that. Anyway, so I snapped his photo and I was finally able to descend the stairs. And this time, I made it all the way down.  

I was up on the wall still making my way down when I snapped this photo. From left to right, Caitlin, Jenna, Becky, Kelly, and Sophie, another newbie (who is also in the French part!).

Once we all made it down, we all just laid down and chilled out in the field, taking it all in. At peace with everything.  

After, Jenna, Veronica, and I broke off from the group and went out in search of a gelato shop. Of course. Haha. My life’s calling = eating gelato.

So, we searched, and searched, and finally found this REALLY REALLY GOOD AND CHEAP PLACE FULL OF SO MANY FLAVORS!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!! I was in heaven. So, we all got a 2 scoop gelato in a cone. SO GOOD. You haven’t lived until you have had true Italian gelato. Oh my. It is just so mouth watering good.

After inhaling out gelatos, we made our way back to the train station, since some people had to leave, and there, the others saw us finishing our gelatos and were basically begging us to show them where we got it. It felt nice to be in power. Haha. So, us 3 ladies took the youngling's and showed them the Gelatoria!

And, after Veronica, Jenna and I contemplated getting another one, we decided, Heck yes! So, we did. I mean, how many times are we going to have to opportunity to eat such amazing gelato. We might as well live it up while we can!

Jenna, Veronica and I took a “Round 1” and “Round 2” photo, but I accidently deleted them. I know, I know. I am rather upset about this. So all I have is this photo, from round 2! With Ben imposing. Haha. Yum. Yum, yum yummy yummmy gelato!

After finishing off that out of this world amazing gelato, we decided to head to Locarno! One of the bigger cities in the Italian part  

So, we hopped on a train and off we went! 27 minutes later, we were there! We decided to just walk around!

 Some of my favorite people in the world 

Hello. Our names are Jenna and Laura and we will be your captains today.

After some wandering, we found this park. Now, this wasn’t just any park, this was the coolest park I have ever seen. Even more so, the coolest swing ever. Legit.

But we encountered a little snag. While the boys were off jumping on a trampoline, us girls were waiting for the swing. But there were these super annoying 12 year old girls, who just would not get off! I seriously think we waited for 20 minutes. So, after the boys waited, got on, jumped, then got off the trampoline, they came over to where we were, and I asked Luis, a newbie from Argentina,  who legit speaks 6 languages fluently, to flirt with them and get them off. Haha. And he agreed! So he goes and starts talking to them, and all the sudden, they got off! It was so great. Haha. But we were all cracking up because Luis was just like “ladies, talk to me" and since they were like 12, it probably made their day. So it was a win win situation for everyone.

We then proceeded to all pile onto the swing! Then off we went!

Loos at the sheer joy in Brandon’s face!

You are never too old to play on the swings at the playground. Never.

Locarno!

Veronica, Jenna and I adoring the giant gelato   It was a good, good day.

After finishing playing at the playground, we headed back to the train station and then headed home. It had a been a good day, and we were all so tired. All pooped out.

Jenna came back all the way (5 hours) to my house with me. The minute we got home, we hit the hay. Haha.

The next day, so Sunday, we got up, had some breakfast, then climbed back into my bed and watched episodes of The Office for hours while eating probably close to 10 apples and drinking lots of chocolate milk. So good.

Then, the weekend came to a close, as they always do, and today found me at school again.

But, this life being as beautiful as it is, it didn’t even phase me that I was there again, sitting in a classroom, listening to my math teacher go on about functions.

Like I said, what a beautiful life. Especially when we are all truly little kids running around in these big kid bodies.  

Have a great week everyone!

Love, Laura