Memorable Swiss Moments

It’s hard to believe our second summer in Switzerland is over. We’ve done so many incredible things: Hiking through the terraced vineyards of Lavaux; visiting Château de Chillon – the Little Mermaid castle; learning the truth about cheese in Gruyères; relaxing in Lucerne; horseback riding in Leysin; visiting Zermatt to see the famous Matterhorn Mountain; wine tasting in Sierre & Salgesch; swimming in Zurich; hiking to mountain fromageries in Leysin. You can catch up on those adventures here.

But there were other, smaller things along the way. Things that may not warrant their own blog post, but certainly deserve an honorable mention.

Things like our neighborhood goats. Chandler passed them every day on his way to and from class. I passed them every time I got groceries or went up to Top Pub for a drink with friends. I saw these guys nearly every day. I’m definitely going to miss them.

Other things I’m going to miss: Being mistaken for famous people. At the Montreux Jazz Festival, I was asked to sit in and do a “fake” interview. I think they just needed to adjust the lighting for whatever real famous person was on their way.

While sitting there – and chatting it up with a former co-worker’s brother (small world!) – tons of people walked by and took photographs of me…thinking I must be someone famous. Sorry guys, you’ve just taken a photo of a Minnesotan on vacation.

Chandler also got to be famous for a day when one of his classmates told him that her nieces thought they recognized him as someone from Project Runway. Instead of disabusing them of this notion, their mom decided to encourage them. So they worked up the nerve to come over and ask Chandler for a photo and autograph.

Now, I don’t watch Project Runway, but if anyone wants to tell me which contestant/judge my husband looks like, I’d love to know. (Just look at those smiles!)

And, of course, jumping back to my previous mention of the Montreux Jazz Festival…seeing First Aid Kit live was incredible. My moment of fame made us miss the opening act, and the main act was so snoozy we left early, but First Aid Kit did not disappoint.

The hikes in Leysin are unparalleled. The scenery is absolutely stunning. The mountains, water, floral diversity, and cool temperatures (most of the time!), make these some of the best hikes I’ve ever gone on.

And then, of course, there’s the real reason we spent the last two summers in Leysin: Chandler’s master’s courses at Leysin American School through Endicott College.

After pushing himself through two summers and the school year in-between, my husband now has a Master’s in International Education – and his classmates asked him to speak at graduation!

I can’t express how proud I am of him – and how great it is that he’s going to be able to make us more money : ) It’s been an amazing journey and I can’t wait for him to go on his first “real” vacation in 13 months – Cinque Terre here we come!

P.S. Yes, graduation took place in a church. Long story, don’t ask. We’ve got a Master in the family now : )