Every now and again, we get the chance to do our favorite thing: be alone with just nature and the two of us. So after a tiny bit of planning, we packed our bags for a weekend camping in the Ardenne in November. Everyone told us not to go, that we were crazy; it’s too cold and too rainy they kept saying. But, with determination and desire, all things are possible. So, we headed out, train to bus to a good number of kilometers by foot, we finally found a trail to set out on. With all of the rain, we had to cross a good number of rivers; pants rolled up, tossing bags across with hope. Unfortunately, there are not many places to just set up camp. So, with night dwindling, we snuck into some large private property, and climbed into a hole in the deep woods. And putting about a half mile between us and the fence, the density of the forest became more sparse and we found our home for the night.
Tag: hiking
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Rewards for Determination
And this was the reward after a full day climb. I don’t know how high or exactly how long the climb was, but if it pushed both mine and Rob’s fear buttons, you can imagine.
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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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Lucerne, Switzerland
When you are at the edge of the world, when you are on the brink, when you feel like you could fall, then I would say that is one of they days you feel most alive. And I needed this day, to feel alive again. After being crammed indoors with school papers, my internship, and busy city life for a whole few weeks, I needed to retreat. And this is what I love about Europe. I just hopped on a train and off I went. I woke up early Saturday morning, took the tram to the station, found the next train to Bern, got on it, switched in Bern, and then traveled to Lucerne. Yay! A day for myself in a city I had yet to explore. I love that. But, I did have a plan. I wanted to go for a long one day hike- IE why I picked Lucerne. So, simple enough, I got a map at the train station and took the tram to the bottom of Pilatus. And I simply started walking, humming out of pure lightness. A day of solitude awaited me, and I was ready to swim in it. It is these moments when I realize and remind myself of my purpose and what really makes my soul fly.
Allison A Janssen 