Zermatt, Switzerland

After spending two weeks with my parents I still had one week of Christmas vacation left (oh, darn... what a rough life!)  One of my dreams has always been to ski in the Swiss Alps and it became a reality when I spent a week in Zermatt, a small resort town on the Italian border of the canton of Valais in the west of Switzerland.  Zermatt is home to the Matterhorn, the most photographed mountain in the world.  Almost one-third of the 4,000-meter mountains in the Alps are grouped around Zermatt, which has attracted mountaineers and thrill-seeking individuals for decades.  Zermatt epitomises every image you'd have of Switzerland- high-alpine, awe-inspiring, clean and environmentally friendly (there are no cars in the town, amazing!)

My friend Dana and I flew into Milan, Italy, took a train into Switzerland and tranfered onto the famous Glacier Express.  The train ride was incredible as we wound around canyons and past lakes and small villages.  So beautiful!  We stayed at a remarkably nice hostel the first night, from which we woke up with the Matterhorn basically crawling through our window.  The following 4 nights we stayed at probably the nicest hotel in town (we somehow had the stars alligned when we booked and found an amazing deal!)  We were served 5-course meals, had plush robes and slippers waiting for us each night, heated boot racks for our ski gear, a sauna and pool to relax by after a long day of skiing, and a facial to top it all off; it was heaven!  The highlight of the trip was beginning our day skiing in Switzerland and ending the day skiing in Italy; the only run that crosses an international border.  Amazing!

I think my perception of top-notch skiing is a bit jaded since I've skiied on some of the best mountains in the world.  Although I wouldn't say the skiing was as good as Vail or Beaver Creek (because the runs weren't as long or wide), the infrastructure was second-to-none and the snow on day three was the most incredible powder I have ever experienced.  You'll see in the pictures how amazing the scenery is.  It's really too hard to explain the overall beauty of the town and the country.  We are already planning a return trip next winter to do it again!

Zermatt

 

Uf widerlüge, Linds

Happy New Year!

As is the case with most of us, I rarely take the time at the beginning of the year to reflect on what has happened in my life in past 12 months. But as we enter a new decade I couldn’t help but think about what an amazing year 2009 was, and more importantly, how much has happened in the 5 years since graduating from college (time for a reunion!). My life has gone in the complete opposite direction that I thought it would in May, 2005 when I left the comforts of Tacoma and embarked on what was a life-changing journey around the world.

Since that time, I’ve traveled to 25 countries, visited 5 continents (and lived on 3!), received my Masters, taught on an island and in a big city, and met countless people from every nationality and background. I went from the dread of running while playing college basketball to embracing and loving the competition that running road races brings. I’ve gone from eating a very narrow diet to loving food from every country (still working on vegetables and fish…) I’ve gone from my hobbies being watching TV and talking on the phone to not wanting or needing either of them. Instead, I enjoy spending my time lying on a beach, reading a book, drinking a glass of wine, and watching the day pass by with few distractions. I think I have evolved into someone who knows how lucky and fortunate I am to live the life that I do and I embrace each adventure that comes my way. Yes, I still get extremely stressed by my job, have an addiction to candy and shoes, and often don't wear sunscreen. But, aren’t we all a work in progress?

It has been quite a ride and I can’t even imagine what is to come in the next 1, 5 or 10 years. I already have a pretty full travel schedule for 2010: Switzerland (to ski the Alps), Rome (to eat more fabulous food), Mexico (for my brother’s wedding), Paris (for my birthday), Ireland (for spring break), Netherlands (for a friends birthday), a month of travel in Eastern Europe in July and back home to Seattle for the month of August. I’m sure many other trips will pop up in between but if you’d like to visit I would be happy to show you around Madrid or Spain (that is… if I’m in town!).

With all of this traveling in the near future, I have thought a lot about a few things I hope to accomplish outside of seeing the world: receive my Masters in Counseling, run a marathon, learn to surf (I seem to only know how to play ball-related sports, this will change!), and take a photography course. The logical side of my brain says my biggest goal should be to settle down a bit, buy a house and car, and begin acting like a normal adult. But then again, the illogical side says I’m having too much fun. So, who knows when I’ll be returning to the States but I’m going to enjoy every minute until then.

I am fortunate that you were able to be a part of a few or all of my journeys of the past few years and hope you will continue to be a part of my future endeavors! All the best in 2010 and beyond.

New Years Eve with my Mom

Feliz Ano Nuevo!