Goodbye America, Helloooooo Switzerland!

We have finally officially arrived to Lugano, Switzerland, and are here in our new home for the next four months, The Montarina.  It was quite the adventure getting over here and went a little something like this:

• Arrived at Dulles 3:16 pm and realized I forgot my hiking backpack filled with important belongings
• Went through check in, realized both my bags were 7 pounds over weight and had to shuffle items around and take out a few things which I had to leave behind :(
• Went through security and took one of the new trains over to the terminal - all by myself! (first time ever)
• Waited for our flight and sort of lost track of time from then until now... but we all got settled on the plane, took an 8 hour flight over and landed in Zurich, Switzerland!  This had to have been at around 4 am, but it was 10 am Euro time and we had a full day ahead.

When we were still in the airport waiting for the bus to be loaded with all 86 of our bags, a few of us went to order esspresso at a little restaurant in the airport.  It probably had something to do with the fact that I felt like it was 4 in the morning, I had barely gotten any sleep in the past 24 hours, and was delirious, but it was a funny first experience in Europe.  I watched all of the people in line in front of me order in Italian effortlessly what they wanted and thought about what exactly I was going to say when it was my turn.  Ashley and I both grabbed what we assumed to be bottles of water off the shelf, and I ordered in spanglish an espresso.  The lady must have understood the only word that mattered in that sentence, rung me up, I paid in Euro, and drank the cute little thing in 5 sips.

We next took a 3 hour bus ride from Zurich to Lugano - and were here!

We had the best lasagna I've ever had in my life for lunch soon after arriving.  What a great taste of what is to come.  Bringberg decided to give us a tour of the city after lunch, and we made our way to the L'Universita della Svizzera Italiana, our school for the next four months.  We were then instructed to find our way home, which we did pretty easily (walk straight ahead until you see the lake, then turn right and keep going until you're home).

There are no words to describe how beautiful this city is.  The town right by where we live is so "charming" as Ashley described it, with the cutest little restaurants, shops, and stands you have ever seen.  There are white Christmas lights everywhere.  Everything looks so homemade and organic.  Nothing manufactured, or standardized by a machine.  Fresh tomato and mozzarella panini's, bright, colorful fruit stands, meat hanging in stores from ceilings, flower shops, upscale fashion stores, palm trees everywhere - looks like the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast (minus the palm trees).  It is all unique and unlike anything I have ever experienced.  I am so lucky to be here.

The weather today was nice with a raining mist spritzing ever so slightly,  and it is gorgeous - I cannot even imagine what it will be like on a sunny day.  I am in love.

Ashley and I got the best room in the house - lucky #13.  Really though, we are the only ones with our own bathroom and shower - just for the two of us!  Our view is nothing but palm trees and other little pink surrounding Montarina buildings.

We are all settled in and unpacked and looking forward for what tomorrow will bring!

As for now, we will lay in our cozy twin beds, with our twin Macbooks, figuring out how to change everything back to English, until we fall fast asleep.  Listening to "Once In A Lifetime" by Talking Heads.

Night!