The Grass is Green Everywhere

Greetings, friends!
I just got back from a run with Jasmine through the Swiss countryside, and am currently writing you from the balcony of my 7th floor apartment, as I listen to Beatles Pandora because we all just figured out how to block our IP addresses, basking in sunlight. Staring at mountains and the lake at the same time. My life is suuuuuuper difficult.

Fueling my Coke Zero addiction in London

Last week was finals week for us, as our independent study period began yesterday. So, while that quite a bit of work, I honestly was not stressed out at all. A first for me, as you know. It was a phenomenal week. It has been sunny and 60+ degrees almost every day for the past two weeks, so Jasmine and I have taken to going running every day. Some days, we run down by the lake and are amused by the swans (who CAN fly) and all the ducks, and we've even made friends with the town alcoholic named Papi. He speaks zero English, but he yells AMERICANNES!!!! every time he sees us. Best friends forever!!!! If we don't run by the lake, we run on a path through some woods that leads us to the countryside, and both are absolutely breathtaking. Both literally and figuratively, as running is not exactly my strong suit. But, I'm getting better! And as we so truthfully learned from Legally Blonde, "Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don't kill their husbands." Although I don't have a husband to kill, I do have a life to live, and ever since the sun has been shining and I have been exercising, I've been exploding with happiness. I feel like Dana 2.0. It's marvelous! I also have been eating a lot of strawberries dipped in Nutella. I'd say that probably heavily contributes to my happiness level... it's honestly the most delicious snack I've ever had. And I eat a lot. Go try it.

Now!

Jackie's "suitcase"

This past weekend, after my last final, I jetted off to London to meet Jackie (flying in from Paris) and to meet up with Rachel, who is studying in London. It was an extremely fun weekend, albeit uneventful. Friday night, I met Jackie at the airport, only to see that her suitcase was not a suitcase, but instead a clear trash bag tied in a knot. Classy, Jack! :)  After our happy reunion, we headed to our hostel... which was NOT near the airport. 2 hours away, in fact. Then, we got lost. We ended up not being settled until around 11:30, so we just went to bed. Our hostel room looked like a spaceship. We shared the room with 12 people total, so obviously most of them were strangers to us. Most of the women were German, on a bachelorette weekend, but there was one 60 year old woman who snored like Chewbacca. Honestly, not an exaggeration. She was across the room from me and I could feel my body vibrating it was so loud. So, thanks to coyote ugly and her loud noises, I barely got any sleep. BUT! That was okay.

Fish and Chips! 

Saturday was St. Patrick's Day, and Jackie and I set out to meet up with Rachel. It was raining heavily, so we didn't do much touring, but instead ate plates of fish and chips bigger than our heads and just loved the fact that we could understand what was going on everywhere. Saturday night we went out with Rachel and her friends, and it was an excellent night of celebration! Jackie found herself a short-lived Italian boyfriend, we danced in the corner by ourselves with our new bff Joe, and Jackie got to eat McDonalds. A great time was had by all!
Sunday came too soon, and because no shops were open on Sunday morning, Jackie was forced to opt for a black trash bag for her suitcase home. Again, she makes me so proud!!! But actually, I'm so blessed to have such good friends. Pretty sure Jackie and I are in a long distance relationship now, who needs boyfriends? I am so lucky to have a life filled with so much love!

Rachel, myself and Jackie

So, anyway. I'm not going to lie, until recently, I have been  internally wondering if I chose the right place to study abroad. I loved Spain, I loved Italy... I was set to go to London... what if I made the wrong choice? I miss Spanish, I love Italian food, and I love British accents. Do I love Europe more than America? So many decisions, so many thoughts! But, this weekend, I came to a conclusion.
Nobody has it figured out, completely. The grass is always greener on the other side, but when you get there, does it live up to your expectations? Is it ACTUALLY better than your current situation or situations past?

Jack and I, so in love :)

Since I've arrived, I've been compiling a pretty extensive mental list on things I like better about Europe, pros and cons of Switzerland, things I miss about the U.S. Here are my major findings:
Things I miss about the U.S./Things I won't miss about Europe (aside from my friends and family):
5. My car. I love walking and I love public transportation, but something about having the option of driving is so freeing! Yeah, it ruins the environment, but I hate feeling like I can't do something because I'm not safe walking by myself, etc.
4. Sundays. Because the world doesn't shut down. In Europe, you better hope that you don't need anything on Sunday, because you will definitely not be able to find it. And if you can, you definitely can't get it before noon.
3. The lack of smokers. I seriously don't know how Continental Europe missed the whole memo about smoking, how it kills you, causes serious life problems, can kill other people... includes rat poison... how it's not okay to blow smoke in people's faces... it's gross. I hate it.
2. Communication. I really love interaction with people, and this language barrier sucks. I hate not being able to talk to the lady in the seat next to me, or to understand what the old man on the train says to me. I hate going to the post office and being worried that I'll be sent home, again, and told to come back with someone who can speak French. I miss being able to walk up and down the street without worrying that I'll be a target for violence because I'm not speaking the language!
1. Mexican Cuisine. Seriously, it's the ONE thing that Europe doesn't have. Spanish food is NOT Mexican food. Sometimes, I just want a greasy enchilada with lots of melted cheese and refried beans and a huge margarita. I do have an increased love for Thai food and I love Italian food as much as the next person, but nothing will fill the void that my palette has been experiencing from the lack of food from the super safe place known as Mexico.
Things I will miss about Europe/Don't miss about the U.S.:
5. Public Transportation. I feel so efficient walking everywhere and being able to take a train or bus everywhere I need to go, and love feeling like I'm not singlehandedly contributing to the death of polar bears in the North Pole. I definitely think America needs to step up its public transport game!
4. The lack of bigotry and racism. Reading about American politics over here is embarrassing. People laugh at the current religious conservative trend, and I legitimately am planning on leaving the country if Barack Obama loses the election. Over here, at least in Switzerland, there are small populations of racists and bigots, but overall, the population is too diverse to discriminate based on the color of someone's skin. There is no way to know whether they are Swiss, French, German, African, etc. I wish that was the case in the U.S.
3. The attention to the environment and fair labor standards. My 13 year old host sister knows more than I did, until recently, on child labor and what effects people are having on the environment. If I hear one more person in the U.S. claim that climate change/global warming is a hoax, I'm going to shave his/her head. YOU'RE AN IDIOT. AND A CHILD PROBABLY HARVESTED YOUR DIAMOND RING. HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY
2. The rich history. I love being able to go to a new city and learn about thousands of years of history, and feeling like I'm in a super important place. The United States doesn't have that kind of history yet, and while it will one day, history nerds like myself find Europe much more fascinating.
1. The simplicity of living. People here live in smaller spaces, so they don't have that much stuff.  Things are recycled, reused, and having a surplus of items is unheard of, both because it's expensive but also because there is just nowhere to put it. Night time is a relaxed, family time, and a night where a sit-down dinner is not served is a RARE occasion. People in the U.S. could sit down and take a breather every once in awhile. Take a breather, live your life!
These are large generalizations, obviously. When I went to Italy, I loved the food, loved the culture, but strongly disliked how the men were predators and stared at me for my blonde hair. When I went to Spain, I loved the language, loved the weather, loved the people, but couldn't eat the food every day. In London, I loved the people, the language and loved the atmosphere, but I couldn't live in a place without constant sunlight.
After two months of living in Switzerland, I finally can honestly say that I have made the right decision. I love the weather, I love the people, I love the culture, and I love the beautiful scenery. I hate the French, but I get by. People don't hate me for having blonde hair, don't hate Americans, and are open to all cultures. I'm happy.
And, I've come to the conclusion, that the grass is not greener on the other side, it's green everywhere. You just have to look for it.

Happiness is a state of mind. No excuses!