This year I turned 26 on the 26th. They call that your golden birthday, which I only know because my closest sister also turned 28 on the 28th this year AND my closest brother will be turning 24 on the 24th, also this year. Amazing!!! Right? We think so.
If you know me, you know that I have always wanted to go to Switzerland. I'm not sure when the desire was born, maybe in that Sunday School play that had something to do with all the countries of the world and I got chosen to represent Switzerland with two loopy braids and one of those jumper dresses. Or when I found out that the Rohrer side of our family has lots of swiss roots. Or when I decided that Switzerland must ultimately be the most beautiful place on earth according to what I find most beautiful on earth (grassy meadows, mountain views, quaint towns, lakes, rivers and wildflowers). But the desire to go definitely cumulated in meeting a real live swiss friend, while in YWAM in Puerto Rico of all places. Not that being Swiss had anything to do with us becoming friends. DTS was at first an odd experience of becoming really close to people with whom you have no history or any real knowing of where anyone is coming from. Before that, all of my friends were people I grew up with, they knew my family and were all part of the same or similar culture and had walked through life with me up until graduation. Getting to know people in DTS felt like having to try to explain the last 18 years of my life so they could get some kind of understanding about why I am the way I am. And that's too much explaining for this girl.
But in Sarah I found someone who seemed to understand without all that much telling. That was very precious to me at the time and she is still very dear to me now. She is someone who was truly with me through some of the roughest months of my life, through the hardest search, before I really found what I was looking for. We were roommates and something like soulmates, and it's never very hard to pick up where we left off even when there's years and so very many life changing experiences in between.
So after 7 years of REALLY wanting to go to Switzerland, thanks to my hard working husband, some cheap tickets, and a small sense of urgency, we finally made our way to that beautiful country. And just to bring things around here, we happened to catch a flight on my 26th and golden birthday. Hurrah!
While my swiss dreams may have evolved a bit over the years, from dancing and singing on wildflower covered hills (think Sound of Music, and yes I know that's Austria), to drinking honey beer on the lake catching up with my soul friend, and then to sharing the experience with my best friend and true love, im really grateful for the way our trip turned out and how bits and pieces of all those dreams were included.
Okay too much talk, as always, what I wanted to actually do here is share some of my favorite pictures from the trip and just tell little highlights along the way. So here's to iphone shots, so much sunshine and sweet swiss memories...
Day 1 Kempten Station to Luzerne, to Mt Rigi, all after an overnight flight and very little sleep
 |
| Luzerne and the first of many swans |
 |
| Ferry Ride to Mt Rigi |
 |
| Liza joined us for the first weekend! |
 |
| Heading up the mountain via cog train |
 |
| Rigi Kulm |
 |
| My wildflowers! |
 |
| Here begins our long wanderweg (hike) down down down the mountain through wildflowers and cow pastures |
Day 2: Exploring Zurich and joined by Victoria
 |
| Happy Liza |
 |
| Old Town |
 |
| So glad we got to see you Victoria! |
 |
| We had more sunshine than we knew what to do with and decided to make the most of it out on the lake in a paddle boat |
Heuschanps and Raclette, it's what's for dinner
Day 3: Reunited with Sarah and introduced to Bern and the most beautiful town of Murten
 |
| Bern |
 |
| Experiencing Switzerland feet first in every river and lake |
 |
| The selfie never fails |
 |
| Rossti |
 |
| Outisde of Einsteins house! |
 |
| This would be where Sarah grew up and where we were so so blessed to stay in the village of Bellmund, outside the city of Biel, in the Canton of Bern |
 |
| In the old town of Murten, where Sarah works, there is this super old and very cool wall that we got to go up on and look over the town |
 |
| Squinty and happy |
 |
| Murten and lake |
 |
| I know Steve's face is superr squinty here but I just needed to show you the water, and the boats and the sun and how you can just go right up to the edge and dive right in if you wanted to |
 |
| Fountains everywhere for face refreshing and hand washing and water bottle filling (sometimes) |
 |
| Perfect little gardens |
 |
| The old town street where we ate dinner + clocktower |
 |
| This town really was our muse |
Day 3: Basel & Biel, we also stopped in a beautiful little town called Solothurn and put our feet in the river and had a summery drink on the street, but alas, no pictures.
 |
| Just your everyday town council building and farmers market, Basel |
 |
| Botanical gardens and gigantic lilypads |
 |
| Poppies <3 |
 |
| I believe we are in Old town Biel now, the city where Sarah grew up |
 |
| My Suiza |
 |
| At the bus stop getting off in Bellmund at Sarah's parents house. Golden hour, happy heart. |
Day 4: Honeymoon Round Two: Interlaken
 |
| The water really is that color, everywhere, its incredible. |
 |
| The dining area of our sweet little hotel, The Aarburg, where we had this view out our window (below) |
 |
| Here begins our bike ride around Interlaken and the surrounding towns |
 |
| Lake Brienz |
 |
| I know its super sunny but these chalets and little gardens are everywhere and I was a little in love |
 |
| Kayaking of course, on the other lake, Thun |
 |
| It was supposed to rain all day both days we were here but instead we had gorgeous whether and this cool storm one evening |
 |
| Old town=bell tower |
 |
| Handsome husband |
Day 5: Harder Kulm (The Top of Interlaken), views on the way down and the caves of St. Beatus
 |
| Harder Kulm overlooking Interlaken and the Alps |
 |
| This pic is included for reference because we pretty much biked the perimeter of the picture the day before |
 |
| Baileys Latte at the top |
 |
| Then we decided to hike down, in sandals, because why not? |
 |
| It was gorgeous and long and so worth it |
 |
| Later in the day we decided to see how far our bus passes could take us and happened upon this enchanting little place on the side of the mountain, it turned out to be caves so we took a very cool tour. |
Day 6: Back in Biel, a very long but beautiful walk, another lake, so many poppies and, not pictured, but quality time with Sarah's family having fondue and fresh strawberries
 |
| The strawberry dispenser |
 |
| This is the view from Sarah's parents back yard and in the distance where it's a little lighter under that gray cloud, is the Alps |
Wow you made it all the way to the end. This isn't all we saw or all we did, and actually we don't even have pictures of everything which is a little sad but also kind of nice because I know that we were fully in those moments when they were happening.
My expectations for Switzerland and the beauty I would find there were sky high, which is usually not the safest way to approach a new experience, but this time it seems the real thing was even better than I imagined. I wouldn't say it was a relaxing trip. At times we were tired from jet lag or just from a different pace of life than we're used to when we aren't walking down mountains and through entire towns everyday; at times we were stressed because the most expensive country in the world was even a little more expensive than we had planned; and at times [one of us] was wishing there was just such thing as an ordinary iced coffee in this land of cafe.
But I would say it was a refreshing trip. Which I think is much better than relaxing, and lasts much longer after the vacation is over. Beauty has a way of inspiring, of breathing life into the weary corners and crevices of our beings. We were inspired to reach for what we really long for, and to take new steps away from the things that drag us down (and there are things that drag us down, both of us). And we were amazed, I was AMAZED, at the beauty maker and his pure creative GENIUS. He is so glorious! And I ALWAYS want to be nearer to that glory, so pure and inspiring and refreshing. My heart can't get enough. Even though I kind of want to move to Switzerland now, where everyone has window boxes full of flowers and the mountains are only a train ride away, I know that the crystal clean beauty I constantly long for has it's source in the maker and when any ordinary day has run it's course, He IS the goodness. And truly, he is constantly inspiring courage right here and right now.
"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple...
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"
Psalm 27
