Being that I am away from my family the majority of the time, unfortunately (I wish I could take them everywhere with me), I usually spend around a months time at home during the Christmas Season. Therefore, when someone in my family needed some help, I flew up to small town Meadville, Pennsylvania. Though it was just a three day trip, I knew some natural beauty was to be found there and that I could finall see where my grandfather was born and grew up. So with only really one free day, we went and explored northern nature, frozen lakes and made snow angels. The area was silent, peaceful, and slow; only the howl of the wind and tires on snow could be heard.
Tag: a travelers decisions
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Chamonix, France
It is offically November. Only a little over a month left before the sand of time runs out for me here in Switzerland. I know many people go through this. I mean, if you have the grand opportunity to call Switzerland home, it is most definitely not something you ever want to give up. But, the Swiss, they are smart, and they will kick you a** straight out of dodge when your visa is up. And while there is a big part of my heart that is sad to leave here, I have so much to look forward to. And my trip to Chamonix with Rob was the best reminder of that.
So, at this point, Rob and I have basically been traveling every two weeks to see each other. Me to Amsterdam or him here, to Geneva. And with sun just about to shave off her warmth, we took the opportunity to go camping in Chamonix for the weekend. Since everything in Geneva is outrageously expensive, it was up to Rob to bring us the gear we would need to go camping and hiking for a weekend, and all (small laugh) in his carry on luggage. Easy jet was not happy about the tent steaks. But, we got them through. It probably was his smile that did that. We spent Friday evening packing our bags, enjoying eachothers company in my small closet apartment, and checking train times. We left as early as we could Saturday morning for our adventure. It took us most of day light to get there. I remember this, because we had only about an hour and a half to find and set up camp. Rob was determined not to stay in a normal camp ground, so we headed up the trails. This is definitely not permitted. But, we found home hidden behind a large pine tree and some bush on someone’s private property. Home was green and lovely, with a morning view of the sun hitting Mont Blanc. During the evening, we made a small above ground fire, cooked sausages, drank whiskey and listened to music in the darkness. We kept saying, “how perfect.” Eventually, our tent was calling, so we crawled in for a winters nap, excited about what tomorrow would bring!
Waking up to Mont Blanc will most likely be one of the most memorable experiences of my time here. It was stunning. I love being outside, inhaling fresh cold mountain air, sipping tea and gearing up for a hike. It is quite possibly my favorite thing in the world. And our day’s hike did not disappoint. The above picture is what awaited us after 6 hours of hiking up.
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Wachau Valley, Vienna countryside, Austria
After spending a couple days in the city of Vienna, it was time to see what the outskirts had to offer. And we were definitely not disappointed. I always find that these days capture my soul. Being in nature, amidst the trees and wind; and on this day the Danube River.
We woke up early, around 6:30 am, got dressed and then went searching for the tour spot. After finding the group, we headed on a train to the Wachau valley. Once we had arrived, our group was led to a random building that held our bikes. We all suited up with bikes, helmets, rain gear and big smiles. The day was ours to make. In all, we rode probably about 20 miles on roads like the picture depicts, stopped at 3 small wineries (all family owned), and saw tons of incredible viewpoints of the Danube. Oh, and we hiked to the castle where Richard the LionHeart was held captive. History stories in nature. Such a wonderful day spent with my Mom and good friends.
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My Mom made it to Geneva
I try to only post pictures of the places I go…BUT, this moment, the time I got to spend with my MOM, was unforgetable for me! She is THE most amazing woman I know and I was so proud and happy that she came! And shortly after her arrival, the fun began to unfold. First stop for us was Gstaad, then Paris, then Vienna, Budapesht and finally Prague.
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Time keeps flying
I, at this point, am really struggling to keep this blog up at the pace I would like to. I am so incredibly busy. I have visited a lot of new places in the last couple months. Some old places too, like home (Texas). And where I am at right now, is working 40 hrs. a week as an intern with CARE International (a non-profit humanitarian organization) (an awesome one at that) and finishing up my Masters Program in Geneva. I have to make so many decisions soon. How do I choose between wanting to be with Rob in the Netherlands, wanting to do field work (IE… somewhere in Africa, Asia, or Middle East) or find a niche that can within a year or two help me get my foot in the door into a big non-profit . The right thing to do, for my career, would be to get field work. And if I can get one job, I know eventually that I can find a way to WRITE for an organization and travel. To give people real perspective on what is going on outside of the U.S.. I also still want to apply to the discovery channel and travel channel. So that is definitely not off my list. Hoping to start applying everywhere by this coming OCTOBER. But as I walk around SWITZERLAND, I cannot help but think of how much I am going to miss this country. So much of me wants to stay here. And I can’t say it is for the people or such… but it is for the air. For the water. And for their home, the mountains. It all feels so alive and so vital to my life. My freedom. My clarity. I step outside, breathe, and its like each breath I take or water I sip, it can never last long enough. The air and water are characteristically so crisp, faultless, unprocessed. They are critical to my ecstasy. I could write a full novel about the earth and its life, and its soul- the ALPS.
Anyways, I need to soak up my time here. Winter is on the brink. And my days of full enjoyment are almost up. Sad as it is. I hate that I feel the end of my time here coming. I am forever torn between the breath of life of the Swiss Apls, the peace and truisms I hold dear in Asia, my heart in the Netherlands, and my family heart home in Texas.
I know there is so much life ahead, well I hope anyways. And I know nothing is forever, but to live a full life, I need somehow to incorporate all these pieces in one big picture. Problem is I do live for right now- since as I said, forever is not promised.
Allison A Janssen 