Winter Wonderland

Ciao! I cannot think of a better way to have spent my last weekend in Europe than in Switzerland. I am definitely able to say that Switzerland is one of my favorite, if not my very favorite, trips that I have been able to take this semester.

Thursday morning four of us headed to the Venice airport to catch our flight to Geneva. We arrived around three in the afternoon, which allowed us time to walk around the beautiful city while there was still sunlight. I could not believe how gorgeous the town of Geneva was, and I was very sad when we had to leave the following morning. However, that night we celebrated with a fondue dinner since it was Thanksgiving. Being away from home on Thanksgiving was very hard and I wished I could have been with my family, but spending the evening in Switzerland with good food and friends helped a lot.

Sunset in Geneva

Saturday morning we stopped in Broc, which is home to the Callier Chocolate Factory. Here we were able to take a tour of the very first chocolate factory in Switzerland. Through the tour I was able to learn the history of chocolate, which was very fascinating, and there was even a tasting room! After the tour we got back on the train and headed towards the town of Burn. Although Burn was not my favorite stop during the weekend it was still a great place to visit. The town of Burn contains a local university, which made it a very busy town. After arriving on Friday we walked around the city, which contains many shops and local restaurants. On an even more exciting note- I ate Mexican food for the first time in three months! I was so excited to find a Mexican restaurant, because in Europe they are almost nonexistent.

Cailler Chocolate Factory

Saturday was by far my favorite day of the entire weekend and it was filled with a busy itinerary. The four of us walked around the local Christmas Markets, which contained ornaments, handmade decorations and crafts, and plenty of food. After getting into the festive Christmas mood we got on the train and ventured to Lauterbrunnen. This was a quaint little town that had a spectacular view of the mountains. From there, we were able to take a large ski lift up to Murren, which was my absolute favorite! Getting to this village took about twenty-five minutes, but it was so worth it.

Christmas Market in Burn

Murren is a ski town located in the Swiss Alps and is surrounded by miraculous mountains, trees, and contains plenty of snow! Being in the Alps was without a doubt the most incredible and breathtaking view I have had this entire semester. I cannot even put into words how utterly picturesque the mountains were. As much as I love Colorado, Switzerland definitely blows the Rockies out of the water. I have never quite seen anything so stunning and magnificent in my entire life. Sunday morning came way too fast and I was so bummed that it was already time to leave the spectacular country of Switzerland. I have already decided that I will be making a trip back to the great country again in my lifetime.

After a full day of traveling on Sunday, we finally arrived back in Paderno. As for this upcoming week, it is going to be very hectic and stressful. Finals week is going to be a challenge to get through considering I still have to pack and get ready to head home. This upcoming Sunday, I will be on a plane headed back to Kansas City. I cannot believe my time in Europe is dwindling down. I am very excited to go home for the holidays, but I am also very sad that it is already time to leave. This semester flew by and it seems so unreal that my study abroad experience is almost over. I could not be happier that I chose to study in Europe for three months, and I am leaving with so much more than just knowledge from my business classes. I truly believe that traveling is the only thing money can buy that makes you richer. To summarize this semester, I have been able to travel to amazing countries, cities, and towns. I had the ability to see incredible monuments and sights, and I was able to see so many new cultures. I could not have asked for a greater three months!