WOOOOAHHH <---well that is every day I suppose

Hey everyone =)

Ok, so next week (as in two days eeek) I am going to Paris and to Brussels for some briefings, cheese, some art appreciation, and man, some good old appreciation of Parisian and francophone culture in general.

Mom: You are right, there will be culture shock when I return, but being so far from the ones you love takes you to a new level of understanding what they mean to you. Also, hopefully I will have acquired some of the amazing culture of Switzerland and I can share it...

Gaela...seriously I run along the lake, look at France, run back through the vineyards...all with the shuffle, it is magnificent...thanks again...I bring that gift on every run. And you, congratulations with the start up, hope your knee isn't giving you too much trouble.

Kristine, I poked you on facebook! Oh, and you have not told me anything about your semester mam =(

Denise, I know you are still out there, haha. I realize the texting got quite expensive probably, but I just wanted to say hellllllo =)

Bern =)

So we went to Bern for three days. It was so amazing, and the culture is more of a German influence there, so people spoke Swiss German and were very much different, more relaxed, stay at meals for much longer, seemed kinder ;)

This is a photo of us outside of the youth hostel. There are 21 total but this is some of us. Luckily someone else took this pic and the resolution was small enough that I could load it easily.

Today I am going to go to la poste and send some postcards...I miss you all so much and kept think when I was there...Ohhhhh I wish I could enjoy this beauty with my family and friends...you all deserve to see this place. Ok, I love ya all =)

Hello.

Oy, so...I am a little bit shaken up, I guess confronting the reality of part of who I am, but I realized that I am truly of God...and my mom, haha. Umm, I am free with God, and can seriously call God my father, regardless of everything else...I went for a walk yesterday to clear my head and I took photos with this gorgeous tree. It was seriously a very bonding moment...;)

Pictures =)

Ok, so go here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lookingupmovingforward/

I am sorry, my internet works, but it is like weeeeird so it was such a pain to put just those up, ummm I live in the first green house =) Hmm, yeah it has been a really intense week and I am just overloaded with epiphanies.....

Gaela!!!!!!!!! I have been wondering how you and J are =) I sincerely hope everything is going well with school for both of you...I mean with the classes that were available.

EVERYBODY: I am still staying away from chocolate on its own...but cheese is like, well it is at breakfast, and usually dinner too...and my homestay mom gets it from this farm up the mountain. Like Woah. Ok, I am woking on a paper now that I accomplished some pictures, I dont know if it will be more than a one time thing...it was super funky but now you all know a bit more =)

Hey All =)

So, to keep ya updated...
I still have an aversion to chocolate. Umm, I have really been trying to get in touch with God and why I am really here...and I just know changes are occurring in my heart...and sheesh do I miss my family. =)
Hummmm, well I think I am getting past the initial culture shock, and now am really appreciating so many things. I am at an internet cafe...much cooler than the regular one, the only reason I came is cause the other one was full, but off the beaten path some cool things exist. Ok, I am going out to dinner tonight for a friends birthday, have a lovely day all =)

Denise, I still always smile at your texts =)
Mom, I am so happy to have talked to you yesterday, and even gladder you had a wonderful trip, I love you =)

Cheese and Chocolate hangover

Yes...one can have too much chocolate. Also, having a rich bar of dark c. and then later having fondue is not a good idea. I am slowly feeling better, my cracker and water diet today has been of great aide. I had a dream where I said " Je suis fromaged out" which translates to I am cheesed out, though fromage is cheese and fromage^with the ed is not really a word, whatever it was a dream. Hmmm, anywho, how is everyone doing??

Denise: It is hard to fully appreciate it, let alone understand the intensity ans possibility here, in a sense I keep not trying to because it is too great, ya know??

I Love you all =)

Mardi....Tuesday =)

Hey everyone =)
So tomorrow night we have a dinner with all the other students and their families. We are going to some rockin restaurant in the mountains for...FONDUE =) Hehe. So cheese, cheese cheese. En Francais= fromage.
I told my homestay mother that I feel like I dont have a brain right now, like just swept up in sooooooo much, I feel like I have been here forever just because there is so much that is new. Apparently we are all experiencing a little culture shock.

It is so amazing to me to be able to have this experience, I am so far from my regular life, it is just crazy to see how much we attach ourselves and become planted in our own culture, our families... I am just trying to comprehend all this while finding my way around, communicating with the little french I know, and all the school work....I am not sad, I am a new feeling, it is EVERYTHING sorta tangled as I am becoming the woman I am supposed to become, this is just not something one can prepare herself for, and I know after this program I will be different, I feel different, changing changing, growing growing.

I am really trying to pray about things more lately than simply relying on my own simple understanding, sometimes things are out of our control and that is how it is. I run here, and it is funny, it is the only thing I know for sure, and can do for sure and...well I need to do it tonight, haha.

I trie to log on to post pictures and mine is the only dell in my class that is having problems, so I will try again, but dont fret all, I am saving them and labeling so I can always show you later too.

Umm, I will travel to the German part of Switzerland this month with the group and we should have a really amazing experience. Gosh, European history is gorgeous. Anywho, missing you all as you have become a part of me =)

Denise, thanks for the text, i brightened my morning =)
Mom, I miss ya =)
Amber...hope you get my letter soon, I love you so much =)

I brought my computer to class to put pictures on...

But, I forgot my wireless card at home. I realized this once I got on the train. So, after class I got on a bus and came here, UN library, to at least assure you all that I WILL post some.

Mom, I sent a letter to my niece...there are pictures in there for her and a whole bûnch labeled for you too. At least that way you can see some. Unfortunately it costs nearly a dollar per print, so I probably wont send many more hard copies, haha.

Ok, so we had class this morning, we are...in our last month to come up with a research project, ends up being 30 pages, full of interviews and sources about our topic...anything that interests us on an international level. For example, there was an amazing one from last year about Art as a therepeutic method for childrem who had endured war in their lives. It can be anything that we are interested in...then we go to organizations...interview, read books about it....find info anywhere and everywhere....and write and then present a 30 minute presentation as sort of a final project. I am really excited about it, I just need to make sure that I choose something valuable and importnt to me and possibly a topic that could later be beneficial for me.

Umm, this morning I took a train to Geneva, read a paper before class, went to class, ate some tea biscuits and a peach near a cathedral with some cool pigeons and demanding but cute little birds, printed some photos, had my phone fixed by some very nice people, went to la poste and sent a letter, took a bus to the United Nations, and m now here at la Bibliotheque (Library =) Soon I will take the bus to the train, and thê train to Rolle, eat amazing dinner and recite the words I learned in french....and then maybe go for a run through the village.

I tell you all this not because I am super vain and think so highly of every task, but to paint a picture of my life en La Suisse (switzerland).

Denise, thank you for helping ma mere to text message. Haha, it was super nice of you and I really appreciate the mushy comment. It is nice to know that I have people that are so caring present, it also reminds me that I ought to really focus on tht and invest more love too in them. You are so great Denise, and I hope as you have seen me grow a bit from a moody teenager to ummm a young woman, that my moodiness has not ever led you to believe you are anything but kind, loving and fun. =)

Mama, I hope to talk to you soon, I love you =) Amber...you are so great, expect a letter with pictures soon =)