OH, SWITZERLAND

Oh, call home,

Oh, Switzerland,

You've taken way my breath now once again

I think those lyrics from The Last Bison's, "Switzerland" ring so true for me, that I cannot begin to describe it. (Actually I can, and I will.) I have visited the country before and it certainly won't be last time when I will venture there. Though...I have to admit, every time I find myself in Switzerland, I'm continuously mesmerized and I'm falling in love with the country again. The first time I visited Switzerland, in 2008, it was novel. The sensation of novelty was pulsing through my veins, taking in every building, every lake, every car, every street...everything was so new and exciting. The second time in 2010, it was an extended stay, and it was about taking in the Swiss culture, and living like a local for two months. Walking around the tranquil country side, while understanding the day-to-day life in Switzerland. It was a blissful period, where the sunlight would hit the windowpane of the flat we were renting, and while looking out the window every morning, a colossal panorama of the Alps would lay before me, taking in the majesty of the mountains before I start the day. Afterwards, all the following trips to Switzerland felt like coming home, a sense of familiarity would hit me whenever I'm there, with a new sense that is on the verge of my tongue. Yes, I would feel at home and with a familiar sense of peace, but I'm always amazed how I would manage to deepen my affection for the country. 

This particular time, however, it all came about rather spontaneously. My father needed to be in the country the next day and there were no good connections--no good flights, no trains that would arrive at a decent hour. So he would have to take the car. In the span of 90 minutes, the entire family hopped on board with the idea and within a couple of hours, we were departing for Switzerland, a gruelling 13-hour drive ahead of us. We drove through the night and at first, it wasn't that bad since there was not a lot of traffic. However, at one in the morning, somewhere in Germany, we pulled in at a rest station and tried to nap for two hours, before we continued our journey. I don't think I slept a wink, but somehow, time flew past and we were on the road again...only to meet a sudden snow squall. We were near Munich and it began snowing quickly and so heavily that we had to pull in another rest station to wait and nap a bit longer. Eventually, we arrived in Switzerland at seven in the morning, local time. 

After the initial fatigue wore off, my sister and I decided to venture through the small village, ignoring the rather bitter chill in the air and snow lightly falling in the ground. We paid a visit to our favorite supermarket--Coop--and bought a Fanta and a snack while taking in the surroundings. The next day, we visited Luzern, a beautiful city with vibrant cosmopolitan feeling of city life yet the quietness of a smaller town, not quite feeling overwhelmed by a vast mass of people. While walking around to find the town center and Lake Luzern, we passed by a park, and there were large groups of men playing giant chess while a young woman was sitting on a nearby bench reading a book. The sun was beginning to set, so it cascaded a colourful reflection on the buildings. Venturing through the many nooks and crannies, we found a little konditorei that had the best cremeschnitten I've ever tasted in my entire life (and that is not an exaggeration). Standing at the lake's edge with the sun already set and the cotton pink peaks of the mountain reflecting the cold blues of the water, it was everything that I loved about Switzerland: the ability to take quiet moments in the day while still humming with the busyness of life. The Swiss are known about their precision, so idling is not something they tend to do, yet I would imagine that it would be easy to take a couple of moments and enjoy the general splendour, especially when there is such a grand scenery to bask in. I could never stop looking at the mountains in awe, no matter how long I've lived there. The following day, we visited Lugano in the Ticino area, revelling in the Italian side of Switzerland. Expecting it to be warm, it was only 10 C, so it was still relatively cold, despite its temperate climate. Hearing Italian and indulging in authentic gelato and gnocchi was a pleasure, since it made we wonder what it must be like in Italy. (We were only 70 km from Milano.) It was a nice way to spend a sunny Saturday exploring the quaint lakeside town of Lugano, where, I must imagine, summer must be outrageously gorgeous.

But it wasn't the places that I visited or the the scenery (okay, it was, but not entirely). It was just being there, taking it all in again, reminding me why I fell in love with the country in the first place. It was walking around with snow blanketing the mountains, obstructing view from halfway up and drinking my favourite drink and eating my favourite snack while listening to the quietness. It was walking around in a new city and fitting in, not sensing dread when someone would point out that you appear or act foreign, clearly not fitting in. It was the politeness and respective nature of the Swiss that made me at home, like I can relax, like I can unwind without my mind having to focus on several different things at once, all of them including what could happen in the next few moments. It was a refreshing trip because I recalled proponents that I wish to carry with me, regardless of what country I live in or decide to move to, revisited favourite snacks and drinks that I could only find in Switzerland and it brought me back to my 14-year-old self experiencing these things for the first time, and found uninterrupted quiet time to actually hear myself think, ponder, and dream. Going away for a while is always encouraged because exposure helps you see what you're doing right and what you can work on. I could very well live in Switzerland; I really could. But for now, it is a fond friend that I frequently visit and spend time with, catching up on old stories, new adventures, and recent discoveries.