Chocolate Cow

After an amazing morning with the sun shining down on me, fresh sweet cherries for breakfast, and a moment of solitude on an Italian beach I hopped on the train from Italy towards Switzerland. The train ride was breathtaking as we passed through the lakes and mountains of Northern Italy...yet another place I will have to return to explore. I arrived late at night to the town of Interlaken in the Berner Oberland and followed a group of young American college kids to my hostel. Got up the next day, took a bus to the next town, picked up a train and arrived in a little town nestled in the valley of massive snow capped mountains. I took a gondola up to the top of one of the mountains, hiked across in the most beautiful weather and marveled at the intensity of this majestic landscape. It felt surreal and like I was in a pretty sweet dream. At the end of the hike I took a cable car down the hill to the valley, which I hiked across to get back to the train station. On my hikes I passed myriad barns, fields of wildflowers, waterfalls, and lots of cows. I couldn't stop chuckling at the fact that the cows in Switzerland really do wear bells around their necks. So while they are walking around the pastures munching on grass you can hear their bells dinging like a mini symphony. Too cute and too funny!
Later that night I went out with my hostel roommates and made friends with the local skydive instructors. Danced, laughed, and stayed up waaaaaayyyy too late. The next morning somehow I managed to hike a 4,000 foot mountain with two Kiwi girls. The hike was tiring but rewarding with views of the lakes and the mountains. I came back to the hostel pooped, took a quick power nap, and geared up for the next event...a chocolate workshop. Learned all about chocolate, got to make truffles, sampled everything, talked story with the really nice chocolatier and pastry chef of the restaurant, and went home with a chocolate cow complete with its little cowbell. Funny how the simple things make me so incredibly happy. I absolutely loved my chocolate cow!
Next I took off to the city of Lucerne which is famous for its beautiful lake. This was my last stop in Europe so I splurged on my own hotel room. It had a large window that opened up to reveal beautiful views of the mountains and the cute quintessential European buildings nearby. I explored the town, went up to the top of a really tall mountain to see views of the city, and basically tried to absorb as much as I possibly could of those moments, gearing up for my return to the states. Strangely I came down with an intense cold which I thought was a good thing, because if I wasn't sick then I don't think I would have wanted to go "home". I can't express how thankful I am for those three months in Europe. What an amazing and life changing adventure that was. When I arrived back in the states it seemed so weird, like the last 3 months was just a dream. It made me realize that life truly is lived in the now. Every moment is a gift that I am grateful for and that I plan on never ever taking advantage of again. To all of you I have met along this journey, it's been a pleasure.