Friday 7/1 - I got up at 5 AM, had my last breakfast in my Swiss home, took a shower, and then promptly departed for Zurich Unique Airport. My emotions were mixed - happy to be returning to the Bay Area I love, sad to be leaving my host family and others from Switzerland. The saddness for some people stems from the fact that we know we're probably not going to see some of those people for years, if ever.
My attempt for an exit row seat at the airport failed so I was crammed into coach for 11 hours. The flights were uneventful. On the plane I read, listened to an audio book, caught up on some emails, and spent some time just thinking about the trip. When you are immersed in something so foreign and new, the transition of stepping outside of that and leaving is pretty intense.
Saturday 7/2 - Up at 3:45 AM, still on Zurich time, so I will post my concluding thoughts and reactions from the trip:
All the cliches about travel are true. It does open your eyes. It does force you to consider things in a new light. It does make you understand the benefits of a foreign langauge.
It made me grateful that I am an American living and working in San Francisco. People condone the American work ethic as nuts, but compared to the alternative I love it. Here at home, people dream big, work hard at school and at their jobs, and go on and change the world. In Switzerland, they work hard and change the world too....but my impresson of the European culture versus the American culture is that the students aren't as ambitious. Maybe because there's not a whole lot going on right around them (Switzerland is, after all, a pretty small country). Maybe it was a wrong first impression. But I love the fact that at my high school and the people I'm surrounded by all dream big things and then work their ass off to accomplish their gradiose ideas.
The trip affirmed how important it is for me to take one year off, at least, after high school to travel the world. I'm vulnerable in my lack of understanding of global cultures. I've read a lot about globalization, but until you see and smell it firsthand, it means nothing.
I will never forget this trip - a first time out of one's home country is always memorable. I am immensely grateful that this trip had so many positive memories. Thank you to everyone who made it possible. And thank you for following me on these adventures - this blog will now be more or less dormant.
http://sachalang.blogdiario.com/#6054198>beats pas cher oStHhPoUhttp://beatsbydresolos.weebly.com/#2012192>beats by dre pas cher wNcNoIjS lCfQxUkJhttp://casquebeatsbydre.webstarts.com/#8587159>beats by dre detox fCyFqFfQ uDiPaBhNhttp://beatsbydrepasch.ucoz.com/#3909569>beats pas cher oLvEoSrU eByJpSvMhttp://bydremonster.designblog.fr/#5953518>beats by dre soldes hGpUtJlB nHjRwGtV http://beatsbydreblanc.blinkweb.com/#8265510>beats by dre pas cher pYeVuEtD fIaYlBgJ http://www.beatsbydreen.ewebsite.com/#2728781>beats by dre soldes cFiTgHeX eYvXdMoA http://beatsbydresolohd.dinstudio.com/#4512470>beats by dre pas cher dKkAnSnQ fVvIeZvE http://bydresolonoir.yolasite.com/#1629387>beats by dre soldes pVlVsQdW fMuJzUqI http://beatsbydrealafnac.hpage.com/#6366921>beats by dre soldes iOeFsRrH nFyZyWwC http://beatsbydrdre.dmusic.net/#3166459>beats by dr dre dKaJeYpD eZtOaYpL http://audiobeatsbydre.webgarden.com/#3241172>beats by dre solde gMgKuWbT rUsKoIzG http://beatsbydreapple.webnode.fr/#9006616>beats by dre fnac kReDeUoT eGcTgLeE http://beatsbydreavec.eklablog.com/#5707746>beats pas cher pUlQmOyZ lQgUyJmY http://beatsbydreacheter.blog.fc2.com/#3085745>beats by dre solde fTiQjSeJ aZfQuUiW http://beatsbydreavis.webs.com/#2632391>beats by dre pas cher rLdOqPkP nTbPeIpM http://dreaprixdiscount.webnode.nl/#7203516>beats by dre dJqUmIyP wRxZwGqA http://beatsbydrearnaque.webnode.cn/#5972873>beats by dre aCoBcLoR mZdYeCwN http://casqueaudiomonster.webnode.es/#3817722>beats by dre rUgNbLfU aVrAjEsX http://beatssolobydrdre.webnode.com/#0934400>beats by dre pas cher iAdThEwF kFhLqZlV beats by dre rApGhZgLbeats by dre pas cher qIeHiAqX eDqLiRpPbeats pas cher mDkKmKfL mStOvGsWbeats by dr dre tDzJuVbR yEtBpPxJbeats by dre fnac fDpNaRvA lJtNnVyPbeats by dre lil wayne wVbFnRoH qOdRrMiQbeats by dre solde aLpOrDcD aGtQjRgEbeats by dre stuido iOiUdTtQ mTxPeUaQbeats pas cher tNxVpJrN jRqZgGfNbeats by dr dre dXuZcLwH bCxOlYdJbeats by dre detox eMfJuOpY gTzDsNbPbeats by dre prix yFqEnKiY vWxMmMzDbeats by dre pas cher cCrPrTpN xUsMyBxYbeats by dr dre qOtXxKwD bNcWsYoCbeats by dre solde cYeVcRmN rCbYgZbEbeats by dre kTyIdSuS uPjQsEqVbeats by dre stuido hLtRcYgT zFhJhFkRbeats pas cher gLeUcWnK iVlKfFhVbeats by dre detox cTtXqDrG eUoHmMtDbeats by dre france aGdNpZqI jEkDuHzG
http://sachalang.blogdiario.com/
http://beatsbydresolos.weebly.com/
http://casquebeatsbydre.webstarts.com/
http://beatsbydrepasch.ucoz.com/
http://bydremonster.designblog.fr/
http://beatsbydreblanc.blinkweb.com/
http://www.beatsbydreen.ewebsite.com/
http://beatsbydresolohd.dinstudio.com/
http://bydresolonoir.yolasite.com/
http://beatsbydrealafnac.hpage.com/
http://beatsbydrdre.dmusic.net/
http://audiobeatsbydre.webgarden.com/
http://beatsbydreapple.webnode.fr/
http://beatsbydreavec.eklablog.com/
http://beatsbydreacheter.blog.fc2.com/
http://beatsbydreavis.webs.com/
http://dreaprixdiscount.webnode.nl/
http://beatsbydrearnaque.webnode.cn/
http://casqueaudiomonster.webnode.es/
http://beatssolobydrdre.webnode.com/
Posted by: wywetfwgd | September 11, 2012 at 04:49 PM
Deshirhymes iz a totally kewl site . it haz soo many thgins to offer us lyk * we're promoting tracks nd gettin fame all fo free [Conditions applied- Might also get sum h8rs... bt don worry... dats also free!!]* Who needs TV when u hav all these Drama goin on here?? and u don hav to PAY a single penny to watch this* Hard laugh at sum retarded post/track by sum whack rapper'*itz connecting people (doin it waayy better than Nokia) across da globe nd helpin Hiphop to take a good place in bd*And now its givin away a Dr. Dre Headphone fo FREE [ain't payin fo any transportation cost if i win it ]*and if u’re totally worthless nd workless (i don’t count) u can spend sum of ur brain cells thinkin wat u can write fo dis contests
Posted by: Jenetta | September 24, 2012 at 03:02 AM
ztvqvcjhcfo, Levitra, ESQrods, [url=http://levitraforudseende.com/]Vidrgne levitra[/url], ocdQzcz, http://levitraforudseende.com/ Levitra, TqaNQqF.
Posted by: Buy levitra | October 25, 2012 at 12:35 AM
euqeucjhcfo/cmpht/dpn, Buy viagra on the internet, niaoNAK, [url=http://tbdalliance.org/]Visual effects of viagra[/url], hMBYvOc, http://tbdalliance.org/ Discount viagra, RxbuZqu.
Posted by: Viagra online without prescription | April 29, 2013 at 07:58 AM
oopswcjhcfo/cmpht/dpn, Klonopin in pregnancy, CPENjBB, [url=http://klonopinexplained.com/]Klonopin deaths[/url], qVetFxC, http://klonopinexplained.com/ Withrawal from klonopin, nMDrHnY, Pills com prosolution, RZYLUml, [url=http://socialsynergyweb.org/]Prosolution Pills[/url], KeLKyIT, http://socialsynergyweb.org/ Prosolution pills review, ZokwCLB, Should you wash green coffee beans, zrsXDtZ, [url=http://greencoffeeincanada.ca/]Green coffee bean extract powered by pmachine notify me when someone replies to this post[/url], qUmdFKb, http://greencoffeeincanada.ca/ Green coffee extract for weight loss, MApXjkW, Non prescription viagra, StqgDVk, [url=http://www.falseconfessions.org/]Viagra samples[/url], BzkvLUr, http://www.falseconfessions.org/ Get discount viagra online, KaxDuPp, Vigrx suit, kUARIWL, [url=http://vigrxa.com/]Vigrx plus is in pharmacys[/url], Zkhkztb, http://vigrxa.com/ Vigrx reviews by people, EtEpuwe, Cialis, BpUdswP, [url=http://www.georgiascience.org/]Cialis prescription[/url], KMunUTt, http://www.georgiascience.org/ Cialis uk, WTsHCih.
Posted by: Buy cialis viagra | May 02, 2013 at 01:30 PM
oopswcjhcfo/cmpht/dpn, Klonopin in pregnancy, CPENjBB, [url=http://klonopinexplained.com/]Klonopin deaths[/url], qVetFxC, http://klonopinexplained.com/ Withrawal from klonopin, nMDrHnY, Pills com prosolution, RZYLUml, [url=http://socialsynergyweb.org/]Prosolution Pills[/url], KeLKyIT, http://socialsynergyweb.org/ Prosolution pills review, ZokwCLB, Should you wash green coffee beans, zrsXDtZ, [url=http://greencoffeeincanada.ca/]Green coffee bean extract powered by pmachine notify me when someone replies to this post[/url], qUmdFKb, http://greencoffeeincanada.ca/ Green coffee extract for weight loss, MApXjkW, Non prescription viagra, StqgDVk, [url=http://www.falseconfessions.org/]Viagra samples[/url], BzkvLUr, http://www.falseconfessions.org/ Get discount viagra online, KaxDuPp, Vigrx suit, kUARIWL, [url=http://vigrxa.com/]Vigrx plus is in pharmacys[/url], Zkhkztb, http://vigrxa.com/ Vigrx reviews by people, EtEpuwe, Cialis, BpUdswP, [url=http://www.georgiascience.org/]Cialis prescription[/url], KMunUTt, http://www.georgiascience.org/ Cialis uk, WTsHCih.
Posted by: Buy cialis viagra | May 02, 2013 at 01:30 PM
jodbccjhcfo/cmpht/dpn, Electronic Cigarettes, RSRUnoJ, [url=http://nbexpo2010.com/]Refill liquid for electronic cigarettes[/url], MChLpJR, http://nbexpo2010.com/ Sedansa electronic cigarettes, UhxjLDf.
Posted by: Electronic Cigarettes | May 02, 2013 at 01:51 PM