Category Archives: Switzerland

blog every day in may | day 24: my dream vacation

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DIGITAL CAMERA(Santorini, Greece, 2009)

My junior year of college, I was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad. Our home base was in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, but my peers and I traveled around as much of Europe as our time and budgets would allow.

Exploring Europe truly changed the way I saw the world, and if I could go back, I would in a heartbeat. This time, I’d love to take Michael with me to show him all the amazing things I discovered beforeĀ (and of course, explore some new places, too)! I loved vacationing as a family of three last week, but if we went to Europe, I think I’d rather have it be sans kids (especially since you do a lot of walking to really see everything).

Watching the sunset, indulging in the best food you’ve ever had, and riding four-wheelers all around a Grecian island? Sign me up (maybe in ten years or so…)!

runners tell all: how and why I started running

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Today I’m linking up with Amanda and Beka to talk a little bit about running! Running is a big part of who I am, so I am pretty pumped about this series.

I started running in January 2009, when I left to study abroad for a semester in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland.

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Before I began my adventures abroad, I dedicated a lot of time to going to the gym. I knew that I wouldn’t have gym access in Riva, so I decided I was going to run to stay fit. (Not to mention that our wedding was just two weeks after my return to the States, and I had to be in shape!)

I started out by going a distance that felt “far” to me, which was probably about 2.5 miles at the time. I increased my mileage a little over the semester and started to feel healthier and see a change in my level of fitness. I started to lose weight, and realized that going to the gym all those years really wasn’t helping me the way I thought it was.2052_651510700233_3279_n

(my roommate, Katherine, and I about to go run. Photo credit to our roommate Amanda!)

If I hadn’t studied abroad, I’m not sure I would’ve become such a dedicated runner. It’s just one more reason I’m glad I went to Europe šŸ™‚

two places I’ve traveled

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I’m pretty excited about the subject for Tuesday Topics this week… travel! Four years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad in Europe, so here are a couple of my very favorite places from my experience there. (I do wish my photos were better, but the camera I had back then was probably worse than the one on my current smartphone. Yup.)

1. Riva San Vitale, Switzerland
This is where I lived, had classes, ate meals, and most importantly, made new friends with people I will never forget. This was our villa:

DIGITAL CAMERAAnd here was our backyard!Ā Ā Aren’t the palm trees beautiful? (Not all of Switzerland is snow and mountains like most people think)!DIGITAL CAMERA

Although there really isn’t much to see there from a tourist’s point of view, Riva was our home base during our stay in Europe, and it will definitely always hold a piece of my heart.

2. Santorini, Greece
I didn’t know anything about Santorini before arriving there, but out of all the places I saw in Europe, it quickly became my favorite. We were there in March, which is the off-season, so it wasn’t busy and we were able to enjoy having the island mostly to ourselves!

I love the buildings on the coast.DIGITAL CAMERA DIGITAL CAMERA And the architecture…santorinicollage1As well as the sunsets…DIGITAL CAMERA We ate SO MUCH in Greece, and I am always on the hunt for authentic Greek food in the States now.foodgreeceWe drove four-wheelers all over the island, visited beaches, and even hiked up a volcano! I hope one day to be able to go again and do it all with Michael.DIGITAL CAMERA

Linking up with Lauren and Tiffany!

going back

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It's always right about this time of year that I really miss the experiences I had studying abroad in Switzerland. I made great friends, learned a whole lot about myself, and truly realized what my relationship with God is- sure, we're His sons and daughters, but He is also our Friend. Even when I didn't know any of my classmates, I knew I wasn't alone.

My love for running also developed in that small Swiss town. There wasn't a gym, and I had to fit into my wedding dress when I returned back to the States, so I had to do something! While exercising, I would always smell the chimney smoke in the brisk winter air, and even now that scent drops me right back to those days. In the mornings, I'd often run past two very old men speed-walking. Sometimes on my way to the barn now, I pass two elderly American men, walking down the path to get some exercise. Maybe Americans and Europeans aren't completely different after all?

I miss…

Our big yellow villa.

Our street, the palm trees, the old church, and an elementary school.

Taking the train and admiring Les Alpes out the window.

Italian & Swiss-Italian cuisine.

And real gelato (Nutella flavor, stracciatella, after eight… mmm!)

I guess I'll just have to visit in my dreams, until we can go back again someday!