There Are Many Things That I Would Like To Say To You, But I Don't Have The Words In My Head

Let’s talk Zurich my friends!

So if you are in my family you may or may not know about my joke with my sister. I always told her I would steal her (not even in existence) children “Franz-Fritz, and Heidi” and take them to Switzerland. You may think that sounds insane but it all started when she decided her children were never going to be allowed to see Santa Clause and well…it spiraled from there!

But never in my dreams did I think I would make it to Zurich as a young adult. I thought maybe when I was retired I would finally get there, but I made it! For winter break I went from Zurich to Cologne to Brussels and finished in Paris. That’s 4 fun posts about my shenanigans! Let’s get started!

An old building turned shop

The old city!

During the day I taught my literature classes and my wonderful students had surprises for me! A few gave me presents for Christmas! Two gave me a dream catcher to help with my nightmares, and two gave me candles with wishes so that I have a great new year! Then all my students lectured me about staying safe while away. They literally said "Anna, you are prone to accidents...so don't take any chances!" I wanted to tell them "I am the adult! I am supposed to look out for you!" But I couldn't weary as I am to admit it, their concern was deeply touching! As hard as I tried, I have to admit I am tremendously attached to my students. Wherever I go I see things that remind me of them, and I am faced with wondering if that will ever stop, I hope it doesn't honestly. I love how some of them have really opened up to me and how comfortable I feel with them. And each time I leave it gets harder.

I really almost cried

However I had planned me trip, no going back! I took a bus to Sofia, then got to the airport to stay up 10 miserable hours overnight in the airport. Yet again my trusty David Tennant kept me awake as I prepared for my flight.

Me waiting...

I ran into some friends at the airport, Victoria and Irma. We had flights around the same time and it was nice to have friendly faces to wait with that last half hour. Not always great to be alone with your thoughts too long. I had even considered just running away from my gate and find a flight home instead. I know how badly my family missed me but I knew if I didn’t take this leap I would never be able to truly be on my own.

Yep...basically

Thus, I boarded the plane and landed in Zurich! Which was the easy part, the hard part was figuring out the trains I needed to take to get to my hostel. Thankfully I met a family that spoke English and they helped me out. Then it was up to stumbling around the old town until I found my hostel. And boy was that old town gorgeous. Once I’d checked in and told my family I was ok I hit the town. Just walking everywhere, until I got lost 12 miles away from where I was supposed to be. I mean seriously you take ONE WRONG TURN. But then again no one should be surprised, I love getting lost. Only in getting lost do you find out who you are.

Told you I made a friend!

A woman told me which tram to take and I was back in business taking in the city, going to the Christmas festival and making friends with seagulls. (Yes, you read that right. Seagulls. I have a fondness for them ever since the Little Mermaid, which came out before I was born so read that “ I have always had a fondness for seagulls ;) )

I followed him for streets and he never knew. Future spy career?

The next day was interesting, I had taken in the Christmas market, followed the marching Christmas band (In John Cleese style) and figured out the super market. Then something completely unexpected happened: I met someone. I met a guy, Luke. Just finishing up his internship in Geneva at the United Nations. And it was fantastic to meet him. We discussed everything from “gay” rights (SERIOUSLY IT IS HUMAN RIGHTS) to feminism, to just travel. Then I showed him around. Bad idea, and seriously Luke if you read this ever, I DID warn you that I always get lost!

We got there, just where the "there" was, didn't matter

I offered to show him the super market and we ended up getting crepes in the train station which was

The park I where I claimed my bench!

gorgeous and so decked out. Then we went to see about that circus that was in town. But since Switzerland is exceptionally expensive we didn’t bother to buy a ticket, we were about to leave when a man gave us a ticket for a free program. I now have a program I can’t read but I will always remember how I got it!

I love bad ideas ;)

Then we stumbled around the park, stole a bench that I wrote my name on and had a marvelous night just talking. The night ended with me showing him the 50^th anniversary episode of Doctor Who (he asked, I swear, I didn’t tie him to a chair or anything) and playing a fun mind game on his ipad. I love intellectual games! We made a deal that if we saw each other in the morning as we were both checking out to grab trains to Germany, me to Cologne, him to Munich- then we weren’t figments of each others imaginations. 

We met in the morning and went to the train station, I saw him off on his platform since his train left 3 hours before mine and it was

Till we meet again

seriously like a scene from a movie. All I could think of was Mama Mia. I just wanted to hop on the train and follow him, and he just wanted to meet me somewhere along the way. But that’s life, we couldn’t. I still desperately wanted to spend Christmas with my friend and her family, and he needed to see his friends. But that doesn’t change what a beautiful memory it gave me. Watch the clip below for the first 12 seconds to really understand this.

Found while lost!

Memories are the best souvenir

A few hours later I was on a train to Cologne, happy I had seen such a beautiful, and historical city. And more so happy that I knew myself even better. For years I told myself I would be horrible at even considering companionship, but it was nice to feel like I wanted to follow someone across the world, even to just pursue a wonderful friendship. Life, my dear readers, will never cease to surprise me. If you are lucky, it will never cease to surprise you.

Tonights song is Rewind because even though I have no regrets I would still like to rewind in my head and remember it all! No regrets ;) 

Anna