exploring Nyon

Yesterday (Thursday), and today (Friday), the children have gone to their grandparents, so I can get settled and explore. I feel settled in, I suppose, but exploring is not too fun on your own, when you have NO idea about anything at all.

So yesterday, Ivana purchased me a train ticket, and I headed into Nyon. It was a beautiful day. As soon as I arrived, I just set off walking, and walked around the perimeter of the main part of the town. It was just so beautiful. Lots of boats were out on the lake, people were outside eating and enjoying the weather, I was just just walking, taking it all in. To an American from the Midwest, everything looks like a postcard. I was not too hungry, even though it was lunchtime, and I was not too keen about eating at a random restaurant all alone. I have before, but usually with a book, and usually in America.

I found a small drugstore, and bought some necessary things. I only brought travel-sized shampoo, toothpaste, etc to save space. Remember that 3-1 stuff we bought, Sarah? Yeah, did not bring it because I thought my suitcase was over the weight limit. Turns out I had 6 more lbs. to play with than I thought I did. Boo.

I bought shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, q-tips, nail polish remover... nearly everything on my shopping list. I almost splurged on some L'Occitane lotion, but decided to wait.

I found the shopping mall, and found the American Market (yea! expensive but great. I bought a jar of peanut butter.), and I found H&M. I bought a nice dress I can wear for fall/winter. I finally was hungry, and finally screwed up my courage to eat alone, so I headed over to a restaurant recommended in the Living in Nyon blog (link in my blog list to the right, it is a great site!), but they had finished lunch, and dinner was not being served yet. Oh well. I was tired anyway, and I decided to head home.

When I got home, I rested & read for a bit, and then I decided to take a walk around Genolier. I walked pretty far, not realizing I had been traipsing downhill (or down-mountain), so when I turned to come home, it was quite a hike back. I think I walked about a total of 8 miles yesterday, between Nyon & Genolier. I later went with Ivana to the grocery store (all the groceries I have seen so far have been inside malls - it is a little strange). Ivana is great, and I am glad I will be able to get to know her better.

Today, I elected to stay home, instead of taking the train to Geneva, or even back to Nyon. It has been rainy today, so I am glad I stayed in. When Ivana returns from work, we are going shopping in Geneva for a French-English dictionary, and a mobile phone. I will hopefully make it to Geneva soon; Ivana would love to show me around. Ivana & Bertrand lived there before the kids, and they love it. Bertrand's band plays there often, apparently.

I will not be attending church on Sunday; we are going to France! Yea! We are going to take a ferry across the lake and spend the day there.

Here is a picture of my favorite spot in Nyon.

Well, I am off to let the dog out, and wash my dishes from lunch. Au revoir!

I vowed before my arrival that my first blog from Switzerland would not be a little blurb, but I would actually flesh out a lot of details, pictures, etc. Oops...
Seriously, I was so tired upon arrival. I got here at about 8am Swiss time, which meant it was 1am back home. Friday night, before leaving, we had a little goodbye party, and Dan and I stayed up pretty late, drinking champagne with lots of candles under the twinkle lights on my back deck. It was nice - my four favorite things in one spot (Dan, champagne, twinkle lights, candles). The only way it could have been better would be if I found out I was also a Jedi Knight (yep, huge nerd).

We stayed up quite late so I would be tired and able to sleep on the plane. I was exhausted when I got on. But could I sleep a wink?
NO.
I tried all my falling-asleep tricks... but nothing worked. I just gave up after a while and watched a movie. So needless to say, by the time I got my suitcase and met Bertrand & Mathilde, I was dead on my feet.

Driving from the airport was so beautiful. Lots of trees, and mountains on the left, the lake on the right, and the Alps right across the lake.
The house is lovely; it is part of townhome (cannot think of another way to describe it), and it is 3 stories, plus a finished basement. I would have taken pictures of the whole house, but Ivana has apologized profusely because it is a little messy (they just returned from a 2 week holiday on Friday) and I do not want to offend her in anyway. It is cozy, full of art, music, and knick-knacks. I have my own room, bathroom, and a balcony. Here are some pictures!
Sorry, I had to use the crappy flash that is built into my camera. Look how organized I am! It is easy when you have so few clothes (I know, I know. So much black.).

It has been frustrating trying to communicate with the children, but they are fast learners. I think if I had studied more, it still would not have prepared me. But they are so sweet. They love to cuddle, they kiss me and say goodnight before bed, Mathilde has already drawn me two pictures, one of a sheep, and one of a horse, and they take good care of each other. Ivana & Bertrand are wonderful. As soon as I arrived, they showed me my room, let me shower, and take a nap before lunch. Later this week, Ivana's parents are going to take the children for a day so I can explore the city. They have really been sweet trying to make me feel at home, and encouraging me to get into everything. I really could not have asked for a better situation.

This weekend, I am going shopping and walking in the forest with Ivana, and hopefully purchasing some of the many, many things I did not bring (flat iron, nail polish remover, slippers, etc).

I love it here! But, I do miss Dan (and my family, of course). I mean, just look at this picture of Dan.
He is so handsome, and a class-act all the way. And the sweetest, most considerate man in the whole world.

Anyway, I am so tired, and I am ready for bed. Goodnight everyone. I will try to post regularly!

(Family, if you are reading this, please send Cheetos stat!)

Switzerland!

I am here, and it is wonderful. My laptop battery is low, and I am exhausted, but everything here is wonderful. From family to my room to the view, everything is better than I hoped.

I will post more when my computer is charged and so am I.

Au revoir!

I got new glasses

I leave tomorrow.
AHHHH!

Right now, Dan and I are sitting on my couch, with our respective macbooks, and the dog is sleeping under a blanket in between us. Normal, everyday stuff with Dan is so nice. Last night, before we went to see the midnight showing of Star Wars: Clone Wars (nerd alert), we were both sitting, with our laptops, drinking coffee, and playing video games we hacked off the internet. Perfect Dan & Cam time. There are so many moments I just want to freeze and tuck away, so I could pull them out on a sad day and be happy I have such a normal, sweet but as manly as Clint Eastwood, perfect boyfriend.

Want to hear a crazy story?
Yesterday, Dan and I swung by LensCrafters so I could get a new pair of glasses before I left. They had a deal in which you received free lenses with a purchase of frames. So this sweet girl is helping, and I'm being totally honest with her; all I can afford is the free lenses. Only the cheapest lenses were free with a frames purchase, everything else was just on sale. Fine with me. Give me the basics, I do not have too much money to throw around. So she gets this guy to come and help, and he looks at my prescription, and says, "You can't get these basic lenses, your prescription is so bad you need these lenses." Oh, that's right, I remember I am totally blind, and if I do not get the ultra-thin lenses, I will essentially have about an inch of plastic in front of my eyes. I glance at the price of "these lenses", and the lenses alone are $280 (on sale - normally $470!). My frames are $189. I cannot afford that. I do not have vision insurance. I start talking really fast, and Dan's boyfriend radar is going off, and he can tell I am close to tears. The two helping me go to the back to speak with the tech, and I burst into tears. In the middle of LensCrafters.
Yes, I am a crier, but this was a little out of control. Dan is trying to calm me down, all I can eek out is something to the effect of, "I'm so stressed... moving out of the country... can't afford this... come back later"
The two employees come back, and the guy sits down, and says hesitantly, "Is everything ok?" I apologize, trying to mope up rogue streams of mascara, and inform them I am moving to Switzerland on Saturday, and I am stressed, and I cannot afford it, and I need to think about it and I will come back.
They immediately feel bad for me. The guy says, "That's so cool! Oh, you should be happy. Let's see what we can do. What's your price range?"
I just mumble that I will come back after talking to my ever-wise father.
The guy pauses. "You know what? Don't worry about it. We'll just give you the nice lenses for free."
What?
FREE???
ZOMG THANK YOU!
He shrugs. "Don't worry. You should be happy! You two are moving to Switzerland!"
Dan and I look at each other. "Actually, she's leaving me behind." Dan says.
The guy feels even more sorrow for me (If that is possible at this point. Seriously, I was pathetic, and a little embarrassed to return to pick up my glasses). They take my eye measurements and I pay - after the discount, $162.75... Wait, were the frames not $189... whatever. No complaints here! Here is a picture of me in my new glasses (I just woke up).
I love them! It took Dan a little bit to get used to them, and my mom, but my last pair were thick black frames, with rhinestones, so whatever. Can you see the coke-bottle thickness?

Time to finish packing, translate the French on my e-ticket so I can have a clue of what to do tomorrow, and get ready for the party tonight. My next post will be from Switzerland!

so productive

Instead of actually packing, I have found some great packing lists, and I am compiling one of my own - stuff to buy here, what books to bring, what to purchase upon arrival, etc.

Here are two good websites:

http://upl.codeq.info/
This one you plug in the length of your trip, if you are preparing all your food, if you are backpacking or using a suitcase, etc.

http://www.travellerspoint.com/packing-list.cfm
This one had some suggestions that had not crossed my mind.

Of course, both are geared towards shorter term travel, but they are still helpful - I tend to overpack in some areas, and underpack in others... I need all the organizational help I can get.

T-12 days!

home (for now)

I cannot wait til I can post from Switzerland.
I just spent the last week and a half in Minneapolis, spending time with my wonderful boyfriend. It was the nicest trip. I was only supposed to stay for a week, but Dan convinced me to stay a few extra days...and it was worth it. We traveled to Wittenberg, WI to visit his grandparents, and his sister came back to Minneapolis with us. Dan's grandparents live on almost 200 acres (I think), and have gardens, and a Christmas tree farm, and make maple syrup. I ate some amazing food, like homegrown corn & potatoes, steak on the grill, homemade apple sauce from their own apple tree... And I got a pint of maple syrup from the last batch - no sugaring next year. Upon returning to the cities, we showed Laura our Minneapolis; why we love it so much. All we did in the extra time I spent there was move Dan from his campus apartment to a house in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. It was such a nice "vacation" and the more time I spend with Dan, the more I like him. I think that is a good sign.
Anyway.
Only 17 days before I leave... unbelievable. I almost do not believe I am leaving, but I think I am preparing for it (mentally... do not ask to see my bedroom).
Here are some pictures from Minneapolis & Wittenberg.

cider at Brit's

Dan


the river behind Dan's grandparents house


Dan and Laura


by the sugaring sheds

It really was such a nice time. But I feel a little suspended... I am halfway ready to go. It will come soon enough. This weekend: saying goodbye to the grandparents. Next weekend: wedding, saying goodbye to Minneapolis friends. Following weekend: Switzerland!

it really is the little things

I was at the movies tonight, and there was a firefly in the theater.

It was so lovely.

America, America.

39 days left.

Cannot believe it. When I started my little countdown widget in my dashboard, it was over a hundred days away. Eeeep!

My last day of work is on Friday. After that, a month of packing, squeezing time in with friends, a little house-sitting, and enjoying America and all its America-ness.

I have a tendency to forget about the present, because I get so excited about what is going to come. Something I constantly recognize, rarely correct. I suppose it is true of a lot of people. So right now, I am trying to soak up every day, and I have a lot I want to do before I go - baseball game and eat a hot dog and cotton candy (go Cubs!), go to the Warren Dunes (next Tuesday - yippee!), visit my grandparents one last time, and spend every second possible with Dan.

Oh! I got a camera! It is a Canon Rebel XT, and I like it a lot. I wish the LCD screen was a little bigger... but whatever, I got an awesome deal on it. Here are some pictures I have taken so far.

I love my grandparents, and the 4th of July. Well, that is it for now.... I will try to post lots on my mini-adventures before my departure. Oh! And one more thing - I will be running the Paris Marathon, April 5, 2009. I am excited, and nervous. Ok, that really is all for now.

4th of July

I am just trying to write more. Until I get there, I really have nothing else to say but "I'm so excited" or "I'm so nervous" or "I'm going to miss Dan a lot".

SO

I am going to write about other stuff.

Let me tell you about the 4th of July. It really is one of my favorite holidays, and simply because of memories/and what I've missed by spending summers in Minneapolis.

We go to Carlyle, IL, a little town about an hour east of St. Louis, where my grandparents live (and great aunts/uncles/2nd cousins etc). It's an adorable little town. It's right on Carlyle Lake, the biggest man-made lake in the state (fact). When we (my cousins and I) were little, we loved going down there, because Grandpa and Grandma had a pontoon boat, cousin Mark had a speed boat, and Grandpa taught us how to canoe, fish, play golf, washers, horseshoes, and just let us be kids. We did occasionally think it was boring, because there were no video stores, or McDonald's, just a Wal-Mart (all of the above is there now! yea!)

Fast-forward a few years. Grandparents no longer have pontoon, but we do lots of golfing. But it is still the best. Uncle Dave makes awesome margaritas (he is from TX), we eat fried chicken, cousin Lisa's pretzel dip, and sit out on the patio til all hours of the night, with sparklers and lots of laughter.

It is so Americana; it is what you would expect 4th of July to be in small town. Everyone wears red, white, and blue, and decorates with bunting. I love it. I am so excited this year, because my brother's wife will be with us, and Dan will be there too! Not all my cousins can come, which is sad, but it will still be wonderful.

Here are some photos, courtesy of my cuz, Frank.

I love my family.

ALSO
I found something amazing. Space Travel Bags, courtesy of The Container Store. Awesome. Compact everything so much. Yea packing solutions!

Home Alone.

I am alone for the weekend, and I am so happy. I actually really like living with my parents, but it is so nice to be alone.

They left me a little money for food, so I wandered over the the grocery store tonight. I was not in the mood for anything particular, so I grabbed a basket and started to mosey around. While I was wandering the massive, carpeted aisles, it hit me - 2 months from now, I will not have this luxury. From my research and time in Europe, grocery stores are small. And they are not open 24 hours a day. I remember ice cream runs in my college days at 3 in morning, procrastinating in the middle of massive projects and papers. Probably not going to happen next year. Which really, is good. I do need to be better at planning, and remembering the world doesn't revolve around my schedule. Maybe the Swiss groceries will help.

Right now I'm waiting for my lasagna to finish baking (very practical, about 4 meals out of one pan) and munching on my most favorite food in the whole world, sugar snap pea pods.

I have not even thought about packing or buying my camera or anything. I really need to get on the ball. Please, if you see me, or talk to me, please remind me to continue paring down my belongings. Thanks.