After the Cow Festival many of adventures have taken place, as well as many life changes that continue to make me feel as if I am riding this rollercoaster. Through the chaos it has been good to remind myself some truths about God- he is in control, and he loves me very much.
Two verses I have kept close:
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him”
To start with the fun stuff- I went to a town in Switzerland called Zermatt for the weekend with the Au Pair Club. There were 64 other au pairs that went. It was unbelievable in every aspect. It was so great to meet so many friends in one spot, and not to mention you are in one of the most beautiful parts of God’s creation. Zermatt is located right in the middle of the Alps near the Italian border. You have a close view of the Matterhorn, which if anyone has been to Disneyland you have seen Disney’s rendition of it. The weather was perfectly clear for the weekend. The first day we took a small hike up to this small restaurant run out of a log cabin. Very quaint with heads of all kinds of animals inside (not just your average deer) Her specialty was an apple strudel with vanilla sauce. Delightful!
Day 2 was the major hike. We rode the train to the highest point at 3000 meters or a little over 10,000 feet. At the top was breathtaking views of the Alps that just sent chills up your spine. From there we proceeded to hike down the mountain- estimated hike time 3 or 4 hours.
I made friends with 7 other gals who were all staying in the hostel room with me. They are really great, and we plan to do more trips together. We decided we would stick together. At the top was snow and slippery slopes. I wasn’t expecting the danger of small paths that have a steep drop off, and you are sliding down the hill because you can’t get traction with your shoes. Hiking sticks wouldn’t have been a bad investment.
The funny thing is we all would be hiking and than all of a sudden one person would burst out the phrase.. “can you believe we are in the Alps?”
Though the trail was rough 64 au pairs came home from the mountain experience alive and with some great pictures.
Since than I have hit up my first Geneva Museum- it is the museum of the Reformation and Saint Pierre’s Cathedral. My dad would have loved the Cathedral, being an architect/ art history prof, because in the basement they had a museum of the archeological site. So you could see the parts of the original cathedral dating back to the late 4th century, providing evidence of Geneva's pivotal role in the development of Christianity. It may sound like a snooze to some, but I really get off on history stuff like that.
The following weekend I hit up another great swiss town called Montreux. This quaint water city is best know for two things 1.)in the summer it has one of the biggest Jazz festivals in the world and than 2.) the Chateau de Chillion
Sadly I wasn’t there for the Jazz festival but The Chateau de Chillion was awesome. It felt like you were stepping into the Middle Ages. I just envisioned myself in a movie, and I could see the entire scene unfold before my eyes. The castle itself was built near the early 1500’s. It is located at the head of lake Geneva and proves to be a strategic spot before entering the Alps.
I really have enjoyed the Museums and the site seeing new towns. So much history and I have only really touched Switzerland.
On another front, there is a good chance that I may be coming home earlier than the year time period. Believe it or not I am quite relieved and looking forward to it. There were some issues I needed to iron out with my family, and while our meeting was very good, we peacefully decided that we didn’t see eye to eye on some things, and we weren’t a good fit for each other. Due to that, I won’t be coming back to the family after Christmas. Now I could easily find another family if I so choose- however I don’t think I will do that. Au pairing is best I feel for girls out of high school- not so much for someone who has lived on her own for 6 years and doesn’t find playing with kids the passion of her life. Living with another family is quite a humbling experience. There are a lot of freedoms you give up and it is a big adjustment. So for those reasons and others I am happy to move forward.
Prayer request definitely for what direction I head next. I have a hunch what I might do, but nothing is set in stone.
Jesus is good, and has provided me with great support and friendships over here. I continue to realize that he is my real source of Joy.
Peace In Him
