Weee. Reisen.

Hallo all.

I traveled around Switzerland last week with two exchange students named Sam (comes from Canada) and Analu (she comes from Mexico), both of them go to Kantonsschule Wettingen with me and we had a free week due to our classmates having a project week that we could not participate in. It was very swell and amazing because it was all free with our GA's. On tuesday we went to Lugano, which is the Italian part of Switzerland. It is about a 3 hour train ride from Baden. On wednesday we went to Geneve, which is the french part of Switzerland (3 hours as well). On Thursday we went to Lucern, which is in the German part of Switzerland (about 1 hr away). And Friday was just a Zurich day (25 min). I met up with my other friend Edwardo and his swiss friend Mary, and we went to a American Apparel Sale in Zurich, there was tons of cool stuff on clearance, but it was still pretty expensive. On Friday evening I went out with my next host sister named Vanessa, and spoke a lot of German. People have been telling me I speak well for being here for only 1 month and they are impressed with me. Yayyyyy......! Knowing that made me overly delighted. 

As for the clothes here,lets just say I am happy I brought enough clothes because everything is ridiculously expensive and the quality does not match the price. I am a little disappointed with the shops here, besides H&M. Some stuff can be really tacky in other stores. Haha this is such a lame blog post, sorry. 

Let me show you some pictures ..

Lugano.

Cathedral in Geneve

we went to this random Museum, and it was all old stones and bones, artifacts of old Geneve. Pretty random.

Very foggy Lucern. It was a lovely city. 

alright, for some other news. I have 2 more weeks left of holiday and Sam's family invited me to go with her to Italy on Tuesday for 5 days and then to Engelberg for 5 days for hiking and just to chill in the Alps. I am very much excited. 

And.. 

you

cant 

forget

the

leaves

here are

beautiful. 

i love fall.

Schule

Ahh, the joys of school, and being new. 

My first week of school has been well, besides not understanding hardly anything in classes and the struggle to express myself. But, all in good time, all in good time. 

People are so nice though, my classmates are very welcoming and are always there to help. Yesterday a girl from my class invited me to come to her house to eat lunch with her family, but I couldn't because I had Art. Here there are these crazy long mid day pauses, you have enough time to go home and eat lunch with your family, it is quite nice. I choose to stay at school, and eat here with friends, because my host mother packs me a lunch. Food here is wonderful as well!!! I just cannot explain, yoghurt in Switzerland tastes so much better. Also, the breads. 

My class schedual is a tad bit insane. I have Art, which very nice, and relaxing, but in one of my art classes I have to do a project about an American artist all in German. A tad bit frightening. I also have physics (a just sit there, and practice German, I have no clue what goes on most of the time at all, because I have never taken Physics before). I have Mathematics, which is Alegbra 2, and I can kind of follow.. sense I have already taken it. English class is so fun here, everyone speaking English is so cute to hear. We play fun games together, and I help them with their english and they help me with my German. It is a good lesson. I also take a music class, which is great. The whole class sings together and it is a great bonding moment. Even if people arn't great at singing, people sing out. No one cares here, no one judges you. I am also taking a dance class at school, which is fun. It is a mix between hip hop and jazz. It is a nice break to have during the day just to dance around and laugh with swiss people haha. Other classes I have are, Chemistry, German, and some sort of History about Switzerland and the Kantons and such. pretty interesting.

This weekend I am going to visit my friend Magi in the french part of Switzerland. Magi is a au pair now and she is living there for the year. She is from Seattle, and went to Switzerland for 2007-2008 as an exchange student. 

Today at school I have German and Art, then I am off to the train station and then I will see her and celebrate her birthday with her on Saturday!

But, I forgot to mention I also have a 3 week break after today. So, I will get time to travel around here in Der Schweiz. Tschus!!

Zitrone und Trauben

Tomorrow is my last day of language school.

Time keeps on moving forward and forward. I can't believe all of you guys at Capital started school yesterday! Doesn't it feel like we just finished junior year? Doesn't it feel like yesterday we were sophmores and now we are suddenly seniors? Maybe it doesn't to you, but being away really puts things in another perspective. It feels like yesterday I was in Olympia, it doesn't feel like 4 weeks ago.

Being here for 4 weeks, I feel already a lot stronger as an individual. I let things go more easily. I have also came to the realization how great everyone is back home and things I took for granted. Not saying that people are bad here, people are very geniune and awesome. It is just different, no one knows me here, its hard being so new. I think you know what I am saying so moving on..

Lets talk about language school. I am going to miss it. As hard as it was to understand the teacher (because from the moment we got there he only spoke to us in German), I feel like I have grown so close to the friends I made there. The exchange students are like your brothers and sisters. They know what you are going through. We give eachother hugs, talk with eachother about life and bond with eachother everyday. It is so nice. After school it is like an adventure. Sense we all have GA (free train, bus, tram, and ferry) tickets, we go for small trips to Zurich and lakes to go swimming. It feels good to hop on a train and be able to go anywhere in Switzerland for free.

After tomorrow, we will go our separate ways and go to our different Kantonsschule on Monday. I am full of anticipation, I don't know what to expect. All I know is my school is huge, and my timetable is insane. I have to talk math, physics, chemistry, German, sport, arts, and politics all in German. I think there is more classes I have to take.. but my school looks really rigirous. (sorry for my spelling). Somedays I get out of school at 4:30 or 5 pm. On those days, I usually have long breaks in between classes and eat lunch. There is also time for study hall where I have time to chill and get things done. I really hope I have a wonderful class.

When there are times that I miss you guys, I send you love energy. I picture love radiating from my heart and reaching you at that instant. So if you feel something, or think of me, it is probably me sending you love energy. I love to this while trying to keep warm in the mornings on my way to the bus station. I hope that doesnt sound too, incredibly cheesy :)

So, if you think of me, and you are wondering what is going on and such here, just send a letter in the mail. It would mean the world to me. It doesnt have to be long, here is my address..

Joelle Friend
Sonnenbergstrasse 5
CH- 5507 Mellingen AG
Switzerland

Please, do it. Send me a CD, or draw me a picture. Ill send one back!