It begins!

Gruetzi from Switzerland!

I landed in Zurich earlier today and already had a pretty productive day. It is becoming more productive right now as I write my first post already since I'm the oddball who is stuck in a different time zone and is wide awake while everyone else is sleeping. What makes no sense whatsoever is that I slept very little on the plane over, missed a whole night's sleep and am STILL AWAKE! Ahh. My eyes have that tired-yellowish tint to them with nice dark circles underneath to complement. Given, I did fall asleep multiple times this afternoon while trying not to, and am now realizing the consequences of that. 

Let's see, the trip over wasn't too bad, actually, just long of course. On the long-haul flight we were served dinner, the lights turned out for about 4 hours, then turned back on again and we were served breakfast. I would just like to point out that I was served a mini dill pickle with my breakfast! Weird, I know, but freaking awesome! I met a nice older gentleman from Austria on the long flight, and was so proud of myself when I was able to ask him where he was from and recognize the city all in German! :) The second flight, the short-haul, I had the whole row to myself! Too bad it was practically the duration of one of those island hopper flights you take in Hawaii. :(

My love greeted me at the airport with a red rose and a sweet kiss! We then headed back to his hometown of Winterthur---about 20 minutes outside of Zurich. His family welcomed me back with arms wide open for hugs, and his animals were cute as always. After a short nap, we all took a walk to enjoy the weather. I hear later in the week it is supposed to get a little chillier, but today, it was absolutely beautiful. Believe it or not--they actually have this green stuff called grass underneath those snowy white layers of winter! We walked the trails in the countryside, basking in the sun and taking in the views of the green fields and flowers that are starting to bloom.  We even passed a farm today that had set out a wheel barrow full of bulbs for anyone to take and plant in their own gardens-for free! The sounds as we took our little stroll were made up of birds chirping, the bells worn around goats necks ringing as they walk, and David's dog, Spike, visiting with other sheepdogs as we passed various farms. The brooks are babbling, kids are grilling sausages by campfires in the forest, and everyone seems to have a little pep in their step now that the temperatures have risen a bit. The flowers are everywhere--tulips, daffodils, honeysuckles, daisies, and more. They are so pretty it is almost like they are smiling at you... comforting for someone who is, yes, already a little homesick.

The church bells outside the window and up the hill just chimed to notify the quiet town that it is now 10:15. So, I am going to try to force myself to fall asleep and get used to this time zone. Thank you all for your sweet well wishes today on Facebook and e-mail! :) More adventures to come soon!

Guet nacht!