This morning I woke up a lot earlier than my host family. Even when it was 11 a.m. I was still the only one up. I filled my time by starting this blog post because I didn’t know what to do with myself. It was a beautiful day and I would've really liked to go for a run, but I don’t know the town well. I didn’t want to make breakfast by myself either because I didn’t know what was allowed.  Oh well… Anyway I’ve started a list of things I’ve noticed Swiss people to do:

·         When they greet friends, they kiss three times switching cheeks.

·         All the Swiss people walk really fast. I guess they always have some place to be?

·         Cars ALWAYS stop when you want to cross the street

·         All the people are very different, so no stereotype there.

·         No piece of trash to be seen on the street-VERY clean

·         The trains are always on time; however, to my surprise the bus was a minute late to the stop and the train was once…

Finally, we all had breakfast together, and I didn’t know what was going on, but now I’m used to it. After we had a breakfast of hard boiled eggs, pineapple, and bread with nutella, I went upstairs to shower and get dressed for the day. By the time I was out, Bruno and Claudia were home!! Then I practiced my German and at 1:45 we left for the train. The train for Sankt Gallen, the capital of the region of Sankt Gallen, came at 2:13—GASP!! It was supposed to arrive promptly at 2:08. Can you believe it?!

I told Leandra while we waited for the train about how I didn’t get up til I heard  them and she drilled it into my mind that their house is mine and I can eat whatever, watch whatever and that I’m a part of their family. On the train, we met Leandra’s best friend Leonnie.  Apparently, today there was some huge street parade in Zurich with around one million people in the streets. It’s one big party all over Zurich, but Leonnie didn’t like it the time she went before because it was so crowded.  I had a lot of fun exploring St. Gallen with them. They didn’t think it was that exciting, but for me, it was so pretty and just so much fun. I feel like I’m a child in the candy store ALL THE TIME. I love love love love love love love love love it here. After we did some sufficient sightseeing, we sat in this grassy courtyard/park next to the church. Leonnie went home and then Leandra and I were picked up by Claudia and Bruno to drive up into the mountains for dinner. The dinner was hosted by Leandra’s godmother for her husband’s birthday. They were very nice and had several people over. I had the best time speaking German and explaining I was an exchange student to all of the guests. I really enjoyed socializing in German, and although it was challenging it was so much fun!! And if I messed up it was just funny and people helped me. I’ve also noticed that I was so much more outgoing because I’m an exchange student-I love that phrase, “I’m an exchange student.”  

Everyone was complimenting my Deutsch, and that makes me feel really great because I didn’t expect myself to be doing this well. Today was great and I feel that I am bonding a lot with my family. I’m so glad I decided to do this exchange-I can’t wait for this year!

Der Zug from Henau

The supermarket in Wil

Meine Schule

Meine Schule

Wil

 

Today, I was woken up late and had breakfast with my host siblings. It was very good! I ate fruit salad, nutella and bread with chocolate milk. Then, I unpacked more of my suitcases. Around 1:30 me and my host sister, Leandra, walked around Henau towards the train station. The trains come through Henau every quarter til, at the forty five. We caught the one going in the direction of Wil. It was so clean and quiet on the train. It was very lovely compared to the tube in London. After we got off the train, she showed me all around Wil, where I'll go to school with my siblings. It is a very old town (dating back to the 700s) and to me, exciting and new. I don't think I've seen one piece of trash anywhere! It's SO CLEAN!! Yes these towns are quiet and more rural than Charleston. It was very rainy and cloudy during my visit, but I didn't care because I'm in total honeymoon phase! Then we took the bus home and changed into comfy clothes to watch a movie-in German! My host parents have gone to pick up my host grandmother somewhere so I am with all my siblings tonight which will be fun!

HOUSE TOUR-Wilkommen zu Hause!

Meine neue Hause

My host sister in the living room

Mein Schlafzimmer

Winter Garden (its pretty in the winter apparently)

Mein Schlafzimmer

AMAZING shower

Lehmetstrasse!!!

           Only this morning-this morning for me-I flew all the way to Zurich, Switzerland to meet the family and friends I’d be with for the next year. As I got onto the plane from Atlanta to Zurich, I thought to myself, “What am I getting myself into?!” I felt my chest tighten when the plane took off from American soil as I realized that there was no backing out at this point and I’m really doing this… I heard the German spoken over the loud speaker, by the older couple next to me and by the family sitting in front of me. This was just a taste of what I was going to experience.

            After the long, tiring eight hour flight, I was so excited to land. I’ve never felt so many emotions at once: anxiety, stress, fatigue, excitement, nervousness, fear and joy. I am in Switzerland. For the year. It still really has not hit me yet. Anyway I was so overwhelmed at this point because I am following the masses through the Zurich airport to go to Baggage Claim and Customs surrounded by a new language. Surprisingly, it was easy going through the airport and I was so lucky to meet another Rotary Youth Exchange Student who happened to be on my same flight. It was nice to see that familiar blazer. We accompanied eachother to the exit.

            I was so excited to be greeted by my family, Alex and Fraser (two Aussie exchangers in my same Kanton, Sankt Gallen) with posters!! It was such an exciting moment. After giving hugs all around, I called my parents to let them know I was safely with my family. We then got a coffee and had a nice chat. They spoke English with me, but I would do my best with German. Everyone else would speak German to eachother and then would either translate or speak to me directly in English. Mama Claudia told me she would only speak German with me after today which I appreciate. Papa Bruno knows very little English, so most of our exchanges are through translation, simple German sentences or smiles. He is making a nice effort to communicate with me. Rebecca and Leandra are my sisters. They are very nice and helpful. Manuel is funny and nice too.

           Fraser and Alex-my Aussie oldies-are very cool. They’re also very funny and nice not to mention the best accents ever!! I was so tired, hot and overwhelmed at the airport. I was in shock because it’s actually happening. I felt like a deer in the headlights… We travelled home in their cute German/Swiss Scenic car. I took it all in and it was more silent understandably due to the language barrier. It is such a beautiful country. I am so blessed to be here with the Cozzios. I then got a tour of the house: it’s a small size, but not any bigger than what I’m used to. It is very clean, homie (lots of photos everywhere) and modern. I love my bedroom-my bed is so comfortable, good amount of storage, a nice desk. There is this awesome blind contraption that makes it pitch black in my room (perfect for my nap that I took). They also had put up some cute Swiss things, like a map, lights, a coffee mug full of chocolate yummy!! After I took a shower, I unpacked a little bit. Then I left for the Super Market, Migros, with Leandra and Claudia. It was a lot of fun even though I was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tired. It was excruciating in the car ride home. They kept asking me what I wanted and to pick out all this food even though I don’t know what anything is and I’m interested in trying what they like. It was so sweet!! They kept praising my German, though its basic, it was way more than what their first two exchange students knew. It made me feel good considering the low expectations I had for myself.

            Later that evening Claudia, Leandra and I prepared the meal: Roesti, a typical Swiss meal. It is a potato dish with a sausage. And for dessert we had fruit salad with ice cream. It was delicious- Sehr Gut!! Jürg Jent, a Youth Exchange Officer, and Silvia Brumann, my counselor came over to share the meal with us and so I could meet them. Silvia gave me my GA and cell phone. WOOOOO so exciting!! We originally planned to cover a lot of Rotary stuff, but they thought I was so tired and it was all going to go over my head (and they thought right). At dinner they spoke to me some in German, English and through translation, but mostly I sat and listened to the German dinner talk. I AM EXHAUSTED!!! So after I gave them some pecan pralines, I was allowed to go upstairs and hit the hay. I then thanked my host parents and established I would call them mom and dad. I love them and predict a great year!

Main lesson from today: SO glad I worked on my language before, I knew I would know little about what was going on and that’s okay!