Hiking, International Day, Lauderbrunnen, Luzern..

Dear Bloggers..

Life here is still great as usual.. I haven't gotten home sick yet. Knock on wood. There are certain things about home I do miss but not enough to want to come home yet :) ha. Life here is different. I have said that often and I will continue to say it lots. Today Kenzie and I drove to Luzern. Beautiful city about 1.5 hours away. On the way, we talked a lot about the differences between America and Europe.. Switzerland to be precise.

-Next time you get in your car to drive, count how many diesel trucks you see. I have seen one in the month I've been here.. And it was imported from Canada.

-When people stop.. To drop someone off, because there is a train, anything.. They turn off their car. There is no such thing as warming your car up before work or letting your car run. It's not good for the environment to let your car run, so they don't do it.

-Everything here is recycled. You pay 2$ a garbage bag here. 2$. Add up how much that would cost in a year. Not cheap. So therefore, everything you can avoid throwing away, you do. We went to an International Day at a school in Bern and there were signs everywhere saying "Have you recycled everything you can?" With a huge recycling station for aluminum, plastic.. Etc.

-Gas here is 4x as much. It's the same price here for a liter as it is at home for a gallon. They don't drive unless they have to. Your also charged for the amount of CO2 your car puts out.

-People don't liter here.

-No one is obese. There is no fast food. You eat out and you'll be paying $20 or more a plate. For something as small as chicken fingers and fries. Happened today.

-People don't walk around in their PJ's.

-There are not parking lots in front of every store.. There is usually a parking lot that you pay to park at and then you walk to the store, the doctors, the train station, etc.

-The whole world stops for Soccer.. I never knew there was a "world cup" until I got here. Americans don't watch much soccer. Here, there are soccer balls up everywhere, and it's a really big deal. P.S. Switz won Spain today.

-Here if you take your dog on a walk and he does a little business, it's against the law to leave it. They have doggie do do bags and you pick it up and put it in the bag.

.... So when I get home, I'm going to do a little less driving around, a little more walking, and a little more recycling .......

Want to Join?

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So the beginning of my very long update takes place in the Alps on our day with the Steblers, the family Kenzie used to nanny for.. We went on their "Alpine Slide" and then on a very tricky, beautiful hike :) ... Enjoy :)

Playing on the slide

This is Grindelwald's "Alpine Slide" .. It was a blast.

Cute Hayden.

Love this country.

Moooo.. Everywhere :) ha.

This will be me someday soon :)

The Glacier

Better pic of the glacier

I edited this because I was going to use it for my main blog pic.. This is Svenja Stebler, the girl Kenzie used to nanny for, Kenzie and me :)

Grindelwald..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Grindelwald had kind of like a little mini state fair. It was really fun :) There were lots of shops and free stuff ha.

This is their ambulance.. I thought it was interesting. But that's just because I love stuff like that.

Cute Bode as a tiger. He said to me in the bath that night "Remember yesterday (everything is yesterday, 5 minutes ago, 3 weeks ago ha it's darling) when I was a tiger? I can't remember what I'm going to be next, do you remember?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is the Adelboden Market.. I was dumb and didn't take more than 1 picture. But as they say, a picture says 1000 words. I took this from our stand, that is Rudi. Rudi played folk (as in yodeling) music for 18 hours straight that day. The market was very Swiss. Farmers came down from the Alps in their traditional Swiss outfits. I spent a little too much money at that market. The streets were closed down and the lined with different booths. It was really fun. Kenzie and Mandel sell Carhartt clothing and so we sold that there.

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This is International Day at the International School of Bern.. My favorite part about that day is that English was the primary language :) We had a ball and tried foods from all over the world!

American stand.. They had hamburgers, imported Root Beer, and cupcakes... MMM.. I saw a hamburger and was like I'll eat there :) forget authentic foods from around the world, I'm going home!

What did I tell you?

Brazil - They had some yummy cheese and chicken snacks.

The World Cup is in South Africa this year.. This was next to the South Africa stand

My sweet Henna Tattoo.. It's still drying to it looks a little muddy in some spots. The girls from India did it for me.

Greece had a yummy milk cake.

Swiss Stand

South Korea

There is a girl from a fashion school in.. France I want to say, she is a senior in High School and designed all these dresses. The girls had a fashion show and modeled them for us. Fun.

Okay so this guy is the President of eBay.. I was to shy to talk to him so I snuck up behind him and got a pic of his buttox.. Pretty sure he has a wedgee ha.

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Sunday we went and looked at the waterfalls in Lauderbrunnen.

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Our Trip to Luzern.. 06/16

Pretty sure he about attacked me so I had to stand up real quick just to be sure.

Ok.. We're good :)

The famous bridge.. It almost burnt down a while ago.

Swans :)

Cool painting on the building.

Statue and fountain.

Swans are not scared of humans here. Ha.

The Pub we ate at.. Someone apparently wants Holland to win the World Cup.

I thought this was cool.

This is the Lion Monument.. It is kind of like our Statue of Liberty in a sense where the French did this engraving in this rock as a thank you for when the Swiss helped them out in the French Revolution.

From Far Away

Kenzie and I and our unbrellas.. Just like real Europeans :)

I seem to have forgotten what a good hair day is..

This is the history of the lion monument.. I hope you guys can see it!

Ok.. This made me a little homesick. It looks JUST like my family back home :) Jk.. Love you guys :)

People probably think I'm a freak because I just snap pics right and left.

So when I think of Europe, I think of alleys.. It's true, they're here.

So not the best pic, but I love this building, it looks so cool.

Amidst our shopping extravaganza, Kenzie and I managed to find a photo booth.. These pictures are small and a little blurry.. On purpose.

At the Luzern Banhof.. Yes, I speak German now days :) .. Banhof = Train Station..

Hotels on the other side of the lake.

I love love the buildings here.

People really do ride around on boats on the lake in Europe.. Just like the movies.

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For Grandma K:

This is Hayden (18 mo.) dancing :) Ha he is so cute..

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Right now, I am babysitting, the boys are asleep, it's about 10 PM. I just finished eating a home made Oreo and watching Bride Wars. I'm tired and I'm sore ha.

All in all, it doesn't matter where you are in the world or why your there, the simple things in life like eating a cookie and watching a good chick flick are still what counts ;)

I have been really excited to get to share my trip with everyone watching my blog, I have had a lot of support and encouragement and it's been so nice :) I love you all :)

I would love to hear how things are back home, I feel very out of the loop ha. My email is megan_frost@live.com.

-Megs