In Switzerland

Last day of June. It seems that a lot of things are coming to end end these days, so I believe this may be the last journal entry I'll write before I find myself on American soil again.
Like WOW my last full week in Switzerland!

The title of this entry says a summer storm and Spain wins, these are both in reference to the Euro Cup 2008, which ended last night. I went with a group from my school and we watched the first half in which Spain scored, then half time rolled around and our shorts and tank tops where surprised by MASS amounts of rain, hail, thunder, and lightening... but being the silly people we are, we just stayed and soaked up the rain until we were completely wet :) then the rain stopped right when half time ended, only to continue without a goal and Spain won. I really wasn't for either team so it didn't matter. Afterwards we danced on the Bundesplatz to Spanish music and then I headed home.

Earlier that day I made my way to Luzern for the second time here and went to the Jodel Fest! Complete with typical swiss things including Jodeling, Alp horns, and silly swiss people everywhere!

The day before (saturday) I had my first track race against 4 girls from Düdingen and one other from Bern. I had so much adrenaline that the 800 meters were finished in 2:23 and a first place! My next race is this saturday the SVM against Bern, Zürich, Lausanne, Aarau, Länggasse, and Langenthal which will be really competitive but a better time would be nice!

This week I'm packing up to get ready for the arrival of my host brother on Friday, Thursday is my class goodbye Barbeque, and Wednesday is my last Rotary Essen :(. The days are filling themselves and I can't believe it's almost over!


See you all on the other side!

Soo i thought i should write a little something about how my week with my class went!!

So right after Eurotour I had two days until i left again! Somewhere in these two days I had a dance at my school and that was so much fun!

the girls at Jana's for dinner and then we got ready for FGB Gymball '08


at the dance with serena and jana



Then the next day we took the train to Mesoco, Switzerland.. located in the south part where they speak italian!! There we were to work until friday on a hiking trail... which meant everyday after my morning run we ate loaves of break, put on disgusting clothing, and went into the woods to hack down at the dirt to make it walkable! Surprisingly I had a fantastic time. Not only is the landscape in Tessin and Graubunden amazingly beautiful, but working and sweating everyday in nature really was fun!

the church right across from where we stayed


I got so used to being in the forest everyday that my first day back it was weird to be inside all the time. We had one day of rain but other than that the weather was good for working, a little to humid, but the sun was always covered up by a nice thick blanket of clouds. When not working we kept ourselves occupied by playing volleyball, taking a city tour of Soazza (where we stayed in the miliary bunkers), a day trip to Locarno, hanging around and listening to music, card games, singing and guitar playing, and just enjoying eacother's company!

the baby town of soazza


the hiking trail or "wanderweg" was so steep, just like these little mountains. But the landscape was tropical and breathtaking, one would think that they no longer in Switzerland were.



in locarno at the beach eating cherries with jäni :)


Sekunda Zwei (equivalent of Junior year) aka my class in Soazza!



Now it's my busy time, I have lunch dates, day plans, and work plans like no other! On saturday the Euro Cup for soccer started and with free night buses I have been sleeping a whole lot :). I'm currently training for a race in July (800 meters), working on monday for the Holland versus Italy football game, going to school somewhere in between, making going away presents, burning all my pictures onto cds, and slowly stragetizing how ill get all my stuff into two suitcase :)))

somehow :)

other news... I've gotten news about scholarships i've recieved (2 from Arhs senior awards night), and apparently I was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" in our yearbook! ha ha, silly considering i'm not there, but cool!

Today i went to a Hornusser match, special swiss sport, and a concert from Cilia (one of my host sisters who plays clarinet. it was so nice and made me want to pick up my sax :)


and hornussen is a little complicated to explain so when you have time.. you are all more than welcome to watch this! and it's in english! ha ha




Tomorrow is my first day of "work" and well then I'll just be around switzerland enjoying life and bern and all the people from holland that are invading it!


the opening game: in Basel Switzerland, Switzerland versus Czech Republik.. we lost :(




swiss fans:


fans from holland, they're color is orange! "Bern wird Orange!" is our slogan now, it means that we're being taken over haha

First and foremost I would like to say a b.i.g "Thank you!" to everyone! I cannot express how much it means to me, that I've recieved so much support (emotional, financial etc.), emails, and simply love coming from the states! And why am I thanking you all? Well because I am finally home and have time to write about my three weeks away!

Eurotour was a whirwind of travelling, loudness, meeting new people from all over the world, seeing new places, old friends (from America!), learning a new language (ha! italian, I had no chance), and just soaking up my last trip before I head home! The "Reise" (german for trip), consisted of meeting up in Baden, Switzerland at a Youth Hostel with all the exchangers so we could on the following morning get on the bus and drive to Wien (Vienna).



We spent 3 nights In Wien and we had a city tour, lots of free time where we soaked up the sun on the "insel" (island along the Donau River), museums, went to a classical concert-ballet-opera at the Schönbrunn palace, visited lots of gardens and basically experienced the Boroqueness of Austria.

the girls before the concert in Wien


Then we headed of the Klagenfurt an Worthersee (Worther Lake) and got to go swimming, see the city, have a dance party, and play extreme spoons


(card game taken to an extreme level :) ).

After Austria, we crossed the board to Italy and our first stop was in Jesolo lido (a beach by Venice), sadly the weather was poor but we took advantage by jumping into the Adriatic (and then being chased out by lifeguards), rain dancing, watching movies, eating Gelato (my goal was to eat gelato everyday in Italy... goal completed ha ha), shopping, walking on the beach, etc.


anddd karokee!!




From Jesolo one of our day trips was to Venegid (Venice), and for my second trip I really wanted to see new things so I took a gondola ride with some of my favorite girls, and saw the Jewish Ghettos during WWII, and got lost in the Labrynth of streets, so nice!




Our next stop was in Verona (home of Romeo and Juliet),so we saw the bridge in Verona, visited the Amphitheater, the house of Juliet, and got some pizza (that was an adventure due to our total lack of Italien.. took about 30 minutes.

the warriors in verona!


Verona was only a stop on the way to Montecatini Terme a little town tucked away in the hills of Tuscany. Tuscany is amazingly gorgeous and was my favorite landscape of ALL! On one of our morning runs (Allison from Pennsylvania and I went running EVERY morning) we got up early and ran up to one of the huge hills and watched the sun rise, amaaaazing. From Montecatini we had a day trip to Florence and there I had a city tour, experienced the "Reniassance-ness", and then got to meet up with Ryan Atkins a good friend from High school!

On the famous Bridge in Florence with Ryan


Our 2nd to last day was spent in Pisa, which I have to say isn't that exciting, its the tower and well yeah the tower, but still cool to see!!! After that we went to the beach and spent 3 hours swimming in the Meditteranen, sun bathing, and frisbee throwing!



Our last day was a drive from Montecatini to Zürich...long drive but I learned some spanish!

So, that is THE "Europaresise" update... and to come maybe later tonight when i'm home from school, will be my Work.week update with my school!!

Love to all and once again a BIG THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!!




and definately more pictures to come!!!

I find myself falling into old reminscing of high school cross country and track as I prep for my race tommorrow.. Spaghetti check, pinning on the number check, and having the usual butterflies finding themselves in my tummy. Sadly my achielles tendonitis has found its way back into my life and I think I'll just be running a 5k tommorrow, but I'm jsut happy to be able to compete!

I've also been packing for Eurotour AND i got my haircut! something very different so I thought I would share by posting a picture ha ha lame, but I just love photobucket's photoediting.. and no my eyes arenn't really this color, just was looking to see what it would be like ha.

and MAMS!! you'll never believe who i got an email from, Delias! and thier swimsuits yes including the dream my favorite color and match your kitchen swimsuit is on sale! who woulda thunk it!

plus all you! mams is sending out grad announcements so keep your eye out.. yes little Nell Nell is graduating! woot

today was brilliant and sunny.
i found a new favorite thing; riding my bike all the way into bern, going over the Kirchenfeld Brücke makes me fall in love with bern everytime.

and it makes me feel hippier especially when i wear my hippy baggy brown capris... and then i have velo hair which is awesome.

pretty much i love warm weather in switzerland.. i was in lack of it for the past 7 months :]]]


random but just thought you should all be informed :]

Thus far has May proved to be an outstanding month and I can only look forward to the rest of it, but am enjoying EVERY second I have.

My windows open on this 22 degree day and spring is oming full force and I love it. Today I went running with GGB in the forest, as I have been training avidly for the Grand Prix, met up with Lukas in Bern to catch up, finally organized my desk and worked on my Heidi Book, and now uploading pictures from the past 2 days!

Thursday, in celebration of Asscention, everyone had the day free and my host parents took us to Ballenberg. Ballenberg is a "museum" by Brienzersee where they have all the house types from the different regions of Switzerland set up like the old days. Placed over a resonably large lot with trees and animals and a lake and precious presciousness. They even bake and make cheese and do everything like the good old swiss days. Absolutely charming AND informational! Afterwards we headed to the Aareschlucht, which is where the Aare River cut through the rocks to make an amazingly beautiful gorge.

Friday I awoke very early in the morning to catch the train with Amarette to Liechtenstein... but first was a very long journey!!! Visp to Andermatt and then to Chur which took about 4 and a half hours but gave us good time to chat with one another, meet a man who is biking to Greece from Normandy, take pictures, absorb the beauty of switzerland, do some shopping, snack, and then we entered Liechtenstein.. only to be terribly disapointed.. Liechtenstein does not live up to my new standards of little countries that start with L, luxembourg still prevails.. nun the less I was in Liechtenstein! Then we headed back after an hour of looking at the capital Vaduz and then took a beautiful sunset train along the Walensee and Zürichsee, unfortunately in Leich BOTH our camera batteries ran out so sad :[.

cowbells from Ballenberg:



an old Zürich style house with a pear tree going up the side:


the cutest goat family that exists


aareschlucht


incredibly eng!


my host sister Astrid in coming out of the gorge... artsy oder?


our train ride to Chur


my friend Amarette ,or "Ace" as I call her, peeking out the train!


well i smell asparagus (Spargeln) and that means dinner time is approaching! I'll be off and just to let u all know I used the word See alot in this entry and now you can all learn a new word!! when you see "See" after a name it means its a lake! and you say it like "Say" not see as in looking.. okay! learning yeh!

love and miss you all!

oi its may...

I am currently enjoying the last hour and a half of the month of April. Also known as the fact that tomorrow is May... a very scary fact. (the title means tomorrow is may). April was a lovely month, a combination of rain and snow and sun, many different countries, new adventures which will make it even harder to return back to the states. Oh and of course a new family! Tomorrow we are tkaing a family adventure, it's so cute, they like taking me places and explaining things and teaching me things, including correcting my german which makes me extremely happy because I am very aware and self concious of all the mistakes I make!

As April says goodbye I am forced to look upon the month ahead: dun, dun, dun!!!!! First is a trip to Liechtenstein on Friday, Pentacost, training training training for the Grand Prix from Bern (aka Nelly subdues herself to 20 km of running with a 5k and a 16k race), the grand prix itself, my half birthday (thatmeans I'll be 18.5!) heading on the Rotary Europe tour of Austria and Italy, going on a work week in the Southwest corner of Switzerland with my class, Gymerball (school dance), and training for the EM (learning what my job is)... and then it's June.

I don't the fact that everything is planned it's scarrrrrryy... but time will fly that I know and I can't help but being excited and sad about only having 2 more months here in my home away from home away from home.. but that's life and I love life so I guess I have to love the fact that time does truly fly when your having fun!


Silly random thought:
Yesterday in our afternoon paper (Heute), in the Pictures from Today section was a sad little bird with a needle through it's head. The caption underneath states that "Der Mensch ist schlecht" (The human is bad) and going into detail about how people in Seattle (place where this incident occured) obviously like to shoot needles through animals' heads and then goes on about how PETA got involved... I don't know if the story reached y'all back home but now the people in Switzerland think i come from a land where we like to torture poor pigeons ha ha, oh silly swiss and the things they pick out to tell :] but SHAME on those Seattlites for injuring the poor pigeon.

Well now for a pair of photos:

My old host parents Juerg and Cornelia with my host sister Carole on Carole's Confirmation (lovely day with lovely people and lovely food!)



here is my new host family: Bettina, Me, Astid, and Cilia (Joerg was on the camera) and yes that is the Matterhorn behind us :)



and here would be a pretty sight from a pond on one of the adventures with family Julen when we toured Canton Jura!


and when we went in a cave in Canton Jura!

but that is a good thing! Two days ago, the 22nd of April, could quite possible be cateogrized as "worst day of my life" sort of epic adventure that never ended, but somehow I wasn't irritated or angry or frustrated the entire day, which is a HUGE accomplishment. Let me begin.

I awoke at 5:45 in the morning to catch my 6:40 train to Burgdorf because I had a book that my friend Amarette needed (long story). So I woke up got dressed grabbed a banana and caught the 6:05 tram into Bern. When I arrived at the Bahnhof I was planning on withdrawing 30 franks I needed to pay for our Sport day the next day, and when reaching into my purse in search for my wallet, I found it was not there... which mean 2 things: I didn't know where it was, and I would be travelling without my GA (General-Abo aka train ticket).. so i rushed to SBB explained my situation and they told me that I can travel for today i just had to bring my GA and show them and pay 5 franks. So caught the train and then came back to go to school, got off the train, caught the 12 bus because it was more convienent at the time than the 11 (both go to the Neufeld area where Freies Gymer is, jsut on the other side of the Quartier). I then proceeded to get off the bus one stop earlier because I wasn't sure how far it goes, and stepped off the bus into the rain. As i reached for my hood on my yellow rainjacket i realized it wasnt there.. i forgot to zip it back on, which then left me walking in the pouring rain w-o an umbrella for 15 minutes. By the time i got to school my hair was plastered onto my head. Then i got to school opened my locker and SAW my WALLLLETT! i was very excited! After watching a movie in Englisch I headed straight to SBB and discovered I still had Euros and should change them! So i went to the Cahngeomat machine and put in the 5 Euro. Then the screen came up and said in CHF 4.90.. but I knew the Euro was more expensive than Franks so it didnt make sense... i clicked frustrated at the machine too many times and relaized that thery charge a 3 frank fee for changing currencies so I lost 3 franks when I could have done it in person. My journey back home was still in the rain as I had to rush back home to get my things for training.. only when i finally go to training i realized there was none, I looked at my phone a realized a text message from my traininer from 4 hours before stating that the weather was too bad to do a track work out.. So i went into the woods and ran and ran and ran in the rain. I finally arrived home at 8:30 to a home cooked meal and friendly faces and I was content. Even though a huindred things went wrogn and i was went and in the rain most of the time I was never in a bad mood!

Yesterday was also an adventure involving Sports! In the morning I played an hour of Squash and an hour of tennis and then after lunch on the number 9 tram (we made 2 rounds because it was still raining outside and we wanted somewhere to sit and eat), I went to the Magnet climbing center in Niederwangen. and I must say climbing so intensly is amazing. I have never pushed myself more physically and mentally in such a long time! It was such an adrenaline rush and having to rely on my arms so much was intense! I completed a 5B level (that would be out of 9 ha ha) but i was proud of myself! Then i came home and went for a small bike ride to look at Muri and was once again caught in the rain!

Today is a n interesting day, we met at the Communication museum and learned how to interpret pictures and be aware that manipulation is out there and we have to be cautious of both what we read and what we see! it was very cool! Now I've been at home since 12:45 and really don't have that much to do.. of course I'll go running later but I need to let my food digest. I think I will go finish reading my book (Veronika beschliesst zu Sterben) and some grammar, clean my room a bit, so my fod can digest enough for me to go running!

I am currently bringing in my last week of Spring break, a three week adventure that has so far taken place in four different countries with three different families! The world is insane! So let me begin!

Week one: Where? Köln, Germany Why? To visit Leonie Fiebig, the past exchange student that was at Riverside last year! On Sunday morning I woke up from two hours of sleep (I blame you day light savings!!) and paraded through Worb awaking it's residence with the noise from my rolly suitcase! I caught the blue tram into Bern, hustled to the Bahnhof and caught my train up to Basel. From Basel I got on the ICE (nicest trains in the world) and awaited my arrival in Köln after 3.5 hours. I enjoyed the German landscape and soon fell asleep due to my lackkkk of sleep. I ate sum, read my book fo German class, and people watched. I arrived in Köln, disembarked my train and looked for Leonie.. only after a half an hour I was unable to find her over the entire premise of the Köln Haubtbahnhof... soo I did what a good person does and tried to call her! only there was still one problem in that I forgot to write down her phone number from her email... sooooo I foudn the tourist center, then the internet cafe, then paid 1 euro for a computer found the number, called Leonie, and in a hlaf an hour we were eating ice cream in the sunny streets of the city! I am sooo a professional, oder?

from the Bahnhof (trainstation) it's called the DOM:



My week with Leonie was spent meeting a hedgehog, going to her Catholic all girls school and falling asleep in class, but in biology and History I participated and in Biogloy I was the only one who knew the answer to one of the teachers questions: Romanesco! (its a vegtable that I just learned this year thanks to Carole!). I also went to her track practice and learned to Hurdle bahahahhahah embarrassing, hung out and met all of her friends, save "The Wave" a REALLY good movie, ate SUBWAY for the first time in forever, slept in on Thursday and Friday and didn't go to school and went running, enjoying chatting with her adorable and kind mother, and just enjoy the VERY DIFFERNT german life style... OH and as well as falling in love: with a new type of bread haha: Full kernel dark dark dark bread its delciious!!! I sadly departed the Fiebig's prescense on Saturday morning (with a present from her mom of white choclate chip macadamien nut cookies, :)))) ) and took the ICE back to Basel....

pictures with Leonie:




she and her best friend Hannah took me on a bike tour of Lohmar and here I am by their little river looking adventurous and so:



Week Two: Where? Numerous European countries With Who? Familie Schwarzenbach: I only took the train to Basel beacuse from there my second host family the Schwarzenbach's picked me up and took me on my next adventure! First I was surprised with two things from Dad and the fam, both a letter and an easter present! and not to my surprise MORE peeps which to both my pleasure and her's I gave them to Carole... btw mams the swords are not used because people in Europe don't really have microwaves SO no peep wars!. But I also recieved MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE CHEWING GUM and lovely comics and card and LOVE which issss the most important! So, we drove to Elsass in France and stopped in adorable cities and then went to our amazinggggllllyyy gorogeous hotel which is an old Chateau on a river with weaping willows my absolite favorite tree, and amazing food, and beautiful everything, and pool, and bathrobes, and pure nirvana :). The next day we went to Strassbourg and saw the sights, Catherdral, river, Petit France, and ate at a really cool restaurant right by the Catherdral, and so on and so on pure glory. The next day we venture off to Luxembourg!!!!! I was most excited for that and as we cross the border we cheered! We stayed in a cure little hotel aslo on a river and the manager was a crazy hilarious luxembrouger who stuttered a lot and then the next day we went to Luxebourg City! WHICH I LOVED!!!! THen back to Germany, we saw an old industrial plant and visited it creeeeppppy, then all the way down to South of Germany in an adorable BAvarian hotel with also amazing food and pool and accomadations for Brändi Dog (our version of Sorry) and then the nextmorning Carole and I were dropped off at Europapark (Europe's version of Disney land) which was also fantastic because instead of the park being focused on disney themes and movies it had a theme park for every country.. my favorite was Scandanavia and Holland but for the rides Frankreich and Russland were the best!! and then we drove home and I had to start packing because....

Spring Time in France:









us in the hotel:


Luxembourg:







In Schengen (never heard of it? Learn something today! it's exciting and makes you want to yel GO LuxemboURg!



Week Three: Where? Muri and Zermatt With? my new host familie Julen.

On Thursday I packed my bazillion things and suitcases and shed tears and moved to my third AND FINALLLLL host family right outside of Bern in Muri. I now have host parents and 2 host sisters who are twins (Astrid and Cilia). On Saturday we packed up the car, us, rabbit, cat, and things and drove to Zermatt (where the Matterhorn is). Here I am now, just after a day filled with Snowboarding in lovely condidionts, and I just got back from a run, and my fingers are getting extremely tired from all of this writing, and I dont have my camera cables with me so I can't upload pictures so WELL I WILL DO IT LATER I PROMISE!!! So now I'm off to help with dinner!!!

here is a picture of the world famous Matterhorn (anyone eat Toblerone.. that's that mountain) and the girls of my new host family!


Whew three weeks stuffed full of traveleing and new adventure but I can't wait to get back to school and friends and normal life :) Love, Prayers, Missing, and happiness to you all

and here is my new address!!

c.o. Jörg und Bettina Julen
Aarwilweg 22
3074 Muri bei Bern
Schweiz



and to make some people laugh here is me and my little host sister Carole being ridiculous in the car:




(and that would be the bunny from Dad, Gina, Rachel, and Hannah! Carole thought it was the most adorable thing ever !)

spring time has officially arrived.

with snow.

crazzzy crazzy world. I've spent my first weekend of springtime in snow (well I was in the alps) and returned to Worb to well MORE snow! My first time I've ever spent Eastertime in snow! Easter is the holiday that I always think of at the Lake Tapps house, it's where I've always spent it and I think that's why this year was a little hard. Christmas, Thanksgiving, every other holiday even my birthday I've been in Portland, at home, Hawaii, or even California, but Easter has always been a family Holiday which I bring in at my first home on Tapps Island, for me that was something different. Not especially sad, but somthing was simply missing, and I'm actually happy because now I see that well it's more than my Easter Basket or yearly swim suit or green bean casserole (which I'm not going to lie, I missed that as well), but it's developed into a holiday of getting to know a new side of my family, finding a place to fit in with another part of my life, as well as finding a place in a new church family, and for the past six years it's been with afternoon dinners with a lovely decorated table, a bunny cake, jello eggs, and a feeling that maybe I can fit in in two differnt families that don't necessarily get along, but somehow I can find a place.

This year was another chance for me to fit in in new traditions and a new family. I had the joy of spending time at my "3rd" swiss home in Wengen, because it really has become like my 3rd home here thus far. Brändi Dog (just like the board game Sorry, but with a partener) tournaments, restuarants, visiting other Wengen residents, a little bit of snowboarding, watching the snow fall, Singstar with Carole, cooking and eating, eating and eating, chocolate bunnies, and to top it all off the definite high light of the long weekend: a helicopter tour of the Berner Oberland Alps... yes HELICOPTER. It's not enough to actually be in the Swiss Alps but to see them from a helicopter in amazing weather, well I don't htink i could be more thankful or "zufrieden" with where I am right now.

Other news is that I was official notified of becoming a volunteer for the European Football Tournament and will work 3 days in Bern at the Stadium at Guest Services! This is exciting because I'll recieve free clothes, free transportation, food, access to the stadium, and to just be a part of a huge event in Bern! Also, I'll be heading up in a week to Köln, Germany to visit Leonie Fiebig, a past exchange student at Riverside (remember her burning up the track?), and then it's my Spring Break!

I hope everyone had a memorable Easter, just like I did. And speding time away from familiarity and tradition really makes you appreciate what you have and I can't wait to continue to have new holiday expereinces. Today is the 24th of March a month in which I learned alot about myself in and I think it's been one of my hardest times, but hard in a good way. It's amazing how fast time goes by.. it's almost APRIL, sheeesh! But, I can only enjoy my last months here in Switzerland and my last weeks with Familie Schwarzenbach...

God Bless

Happy Easter

April Fools Day

and

A wonderful spring season (my last complete season here in Europe!!!) Ooioioi

sadly it is not sunday and I couldn't be witty, in refernce to "Lazy Sunday" the extremely inspriational film done by saturday night live, but never the less today is a lazy day. BUT thats now a good thing because i can finally write something here, my blog, the elektronik way that you all have been able to read about me, that I have been neglecting for the past 5 weeks!

Well! it is already march! and time will only go by fast as I announce that FINALLY, after many change of dates, I finally have a return flight: JULY 9TH! so mark your calenders people! I certainly have mixed feelings about returning to reality, but I think i'll survive ;]

Things I have been up to inlcude: GOING TO SCHOOL! ha ha, um, yesterday was a concert at my school, the Freies Gymnasium Chor sang various "Rock Ledgend" songs and entertained me, Cornelia, and Carole (or i don't know how entertained they were, but i had a good time, especially since i new everyone singin!

March is already pleasing me in being a month where I don't have every week planned out, so I actually will have time for friends and host families and life etc! I've started back up with GGB (the boys are actually at the Championships today! Good LUCK!) and am working on my online American history class for my last credit to GRADUATE! yes people, nelly will be graduating on timmmmmme and attending an undecided college in the fall! that is a relief. well not really because the college is still undecided but HEJ that is besides the point, now isn't it!

here ill do a list of accomplishments like I did a while ago!!
-give a speech in german in my geography class with Jana, like i culd do it alone?
-finish reading the Alchimist in german
-learn to ice skate backwards
-become extremely confortable with my snowboarding abilities
-finally sweep my floor in my bedroom (1st time since uhhhh january ..oh peinlich!
-clean out all my papers.. YEAH SPRING CLEANING!

SIDE NOTE!! so i was all ready to go for spring and everything.. we had 3 really hot days and i even stopped wearing my heavy jacket and then... BAM! march and snow. im not going to lie, it made me semi-angry

okay returning to list!
-halbzeitgespräch (half way meeting) with rotary
-have coffee with my Newbie (Megan from Australia, the new exchanger from my club)
-win a competition at Rotex weekend ( strength, I had to hold two liters of milch at a 90 degree winkel.. i mean angle)
-interview for the EM volunteer people.. MAYBE ill get to work in June!
-surive february


and well i think that is all! not to much exciting things

today was nice and relxing.. Lindsey Vonn and Ted Ligety (US Skiiers) won the ski race in Switzerland today! ja, we do watch ski races here.. ha ha ha!

okay well i'm off to do something more movement-full.... is that a word?

wengen



see i thought it was spring!


from thun

i've taken the opportunity to post some random photos that may or may not tickle your fancy!


visit from brittany!


me and "meine 'grosser' kleiner schwester" !! (its cuz shes taller than me if u didnt catch that)


in the mtns. at the lauberhornrennen! (where i saw BODE!)


our xmas tree, back at the Schifferli's


my last look at Elisabethenstrasse:


in neuchatel with my mexican friend ruben!


i forgot to ever put pictures up from london: so here!!




my friend alice, blew out her 18 candels in 2007 just like me!

host parents on our last outing! we went and saw how cheese was made, and then went to a pretty castle!

bridge in luzern

a look outside the castle window! and what do you see? why switzerland of course!

I don't think i can imagine a better way to spend my time in Switzerland than succumbing to the standarized testing of the american public education system, jolly, eh? Well, yes I am talking about the dread of every high school, the SAT's or even worse, taking the SAT in a specialized subject... I, and my ambition to apply to at least one challenging school, have been forced to take the SAT subject tests in American History and Englisch Literatur. And what better time for me to do this that in Switzerland, after not reading anything in Englisch and having to force myself on to Henretta's (the author of my last year's AP history book) homepage and quizzing myself on the Wonders of the Northwest Ordinance of some year, or the beliefs of Booker T. Washington (which i ofcourse have already forgotten), but anyway all of this turned out to be a much needed weekend away, with none other than myself!

The adventure began on Friday at exactly 15:04... my train to Spiez. I found myself in a lovely train with a bunch of annoying Britisch tourists, most likely heading in the same direction. And yes I am calling the Britisch annoying, not only because of their dreadful accents, but also because of their ability to keep their dreadful accents while attempting to speak quite excrusiating german. I indulged myself in a roll of bread and an Englisch book, Babylon Airlines, about the dirty secrets of what goes on in the Britisch Airline's.. fitting, no? I enjoyed my half an hour train ride to my connection, overlooking the landscapes of the mid-lands of my current residence, and enjoyed my bread as well. My connection at Spiez led to Zweisimmen, and my book, my bread, and I were joined by over-enthusiastic Japanese tourists who proceeded to take photos of everything from inside the train. Now, I have tried this myself, in my youthful tourists days here in Switzerland, and it doesn't work to well... they must have special "from inside train" cameras that make ever peace-sign and awkward smile, simply perfect! The journey continued from Zweisimmen onto a train bound for Saanen via Gstaad. Now, here was the stressful part for me, where I had to be aggressive and push my way infront of all the confused, Englanders burdened with their ski's, fur coats, and matching Louis Vuitton purse and suitcases (Gstaad is well known for it's rich visitors). The stop after Gstaad, when the train became almost empty, I was left in peace to get out at Saanen. A quaint Bahnhof, left me guessing where to go to find my destination for Schalfen... I walked straight. Luck for me that straight, was indeed correct and there stood forth the Hotel Landhaus, hotel and restuarant! I walked in to be greeted my a humbled 60-something. She asked my name, nodded, inquired of my german skills, and then explained how the key system worked, incase I wanted to go out at night when the doors would be locked.. yes the urge to participate in Saanen's wild night life the night before a decisive test was just burning through every pore. I understood and then took the lift up to the 4th floor (dritte stock- they count differnt in europe). My room was easily found and I was introduced to a small, one bed, compelte with bathroom and TV schlafzimmer. I was satisfied and then decided I would probabaly need some dinner. I then left the hotel and discovered the main street, complete with an Intersport, one pub, a backery, bank, and then a grocery store. I went in and first looked over my choices... some half an hour later I finally decided on harmless ham, jogurt, and indulged in dried mangoes!! I returned to my room to participate on TV yoga, last minute studying, and then blanking my mind out by watching the acclaimed dance film "honey" in italian. I fell asleep at about 9:30, only to be waken up by 3 "good luck" text messages sent by caring swiss friends, knowing about my stressful past week.

At 6:30 I arose to get dresed, study some more, and wait until 7:30 breakfast would be available. I descended into the cozy restaurant to be the first guest to test out what they offered. An array of jogurt, bread, jams, cheese, meat, granola, cereal, lit up my eyes, and I opted for bread.. my favorite food! accompanied with the house jam! I sat myself and was greeted by a surprisingly awake lady who offered me a coffee with FOAMED milk, my absolute favorite. She then came around after with freshly made gipferli's and I of course took one smiling. With 2 minutes until i had to be at the test (did I meantion it was in the hotel??) I got up, said my goodbyes, and walked up the stairs into a crowded room of english speakers. This took me off guard for I was not expecting that many kids to be there! Le Rosey is a private boarding school in Switzerland popular with the Americans, so I was with a bunch of hoity toity's, but it was so interesting! I was led to a smaller room becaues I was only taking the subject tests, with about 5 other kids (all with Le Rosey except for one other). A lday with a thick french accent read the directions we had all heard before and then it was off! Me struggling to remember everything from last years history class, and after an hour, i wasn't feeling to torn. A five minute break led me talking to Tess, and American born 19 year old who has lived in Genf for the past 16 years and aspired to getting into Columbia. We went together to the food table Le Rosey offered and took adavantage of the apples, water, and cholocate :].

The last hour was spent with me trying to focus of Engisch poetry.. something that is a whole lot harder than you would think after not reading anything in englisch that takes actaul thought... I think i pretty much screwed up that test! But, after finishing I went out to talk with Tess' mom and totally be inspired. She has lived an amazing life from Dutch kindergarten, englisch grammar school, french high school, and American college... all to end up marrying a romanian refugee who she met in Colorado, and then help founding an airline corporation in Geneva. whew!! we talked alot and it was such a nice completion to my testing experience abroad!

I departed the Landhous at about 11:00 only to arrive at the bahnhof to discover i had missed the last train by 3 minutes. Seeing the next came at 12:09 i saw a sign across the road stating Gstaad, 3k, wanderweg (the walking trails).. so I walked to Gstaad and enjoyed the scenery as I made progress. I arrived in Gstaad with enough time to purchase a Coop quality salad and catch the 12:16 train to Zweisimmin.. the route was the same, and I found myself walking through the door home in Worb at 3:00, pretty much exhausted. I said hallo, chatted a bit, and then fell into my bed for a 2 hour, much needed nap.

And so there... as sarcastically as i wrote, partially spiting mother for reminding me to write here ;], I really enjoyed the silence, quietness, and relaxtion (well mixed with nerves). On my walk from Saaned to Gstaad i really got to see the beauty and soak it all up, not cooped up from inside a train! And i took some pictures that would own any super japanese technology!

Love to all, and all a goodnight, because its 11 pm and I'm dead tired, a little sick, and have an important job of cooking pancakes for the family tomorrow. Dad I'll do you proud with the tradisch sunday pancakes!!!

love, prayers, and oh so much swissness coming ur way!

my email address is NELLYJEVANS@yahoo.com

i forgot the y in the previous post.

thanks and good day!

Being it 2008, i thought it proper to say something.

firstly:





I'm currently sitting in the vacation home of my new family, the Schwarzenbachs. While listening to my favorite band, Radiohead, enjoying the scenery of the Alps around me, and having just completed ALL of my college applications (Western Washington was the last one), I can't but help feeling extremely happy.

Now, it seems probably to all of you.. well I'm not really sure who all actually reads this thing, that I only write here when I'm happy, but I guess haven't really had a bad time here. Well, except with the exception of the long, ranting, email I sent to Mams a couple months ago, or the time the ATM machine at my card for the second time, bu other than that I have been really happy!

2007 was such a crazy year.. LETS REVIEW!! wee nostalgia!! last new years was spent with a good friend Erin Lancaster and Kallie McIntyre and involved a pretty meal at the Sheraton Hotel, kallie geting sick from undercooked seafood, and erin's dog biting me on the face... I think a chaotic way to bring in the New Year says something about what the year will be like. And yes my 2007 was a little chaotic.. namely February, the worst month of my life, I like to call it.. and why do you ask? Well, lets start with the fact that I had 2 speeding tickets within a week, my physics teacher learned to hate me, I thought I would lose my 4.0 and usw.. but better things that 2007 brought was a semi-successful track season, a 4.0 fo 3 years, quitting Papa Murphy's, finding my best friends, enjoying my last high school summer in America, coming to Switzerland, beginning to learn German, going to greece, italy, germany, england, and OH SO MUCH MORE!!!!

Now, I brought in 2008 with my new family here in Wengen (berner oberland. We had dinner with another family and grilled meat on a little grill. Delish! Then I played Singstar with my little host sister Carole and her friends, then we went out to center of Wengen and watched fireworks, counted down, toasted with champagne, and made fun of the drunk Englanders that were making complete fools of themselves. I then met up with my friend Jana at the Blue Monkey cafe where we danced into 2008!

Carole and I:


Other things: I'm now living in Worb, and I hope you all got the address change, email me if you didn't nelljevans@yahoo.com University of San Fransisco, Linfield, University of Portland have all accepted me. I've been snowboarding in the alps... well thats enough said ha ha ha. I already feel at home, even though were not actually at their home, its just they are easy people to talk to and make me feel comfortable. Carole makes me laugh all the time and we recently went sledding in the dark.. somewhat of a deathly activity but never the less it was so much fun. My fingers are now cramping because i've spent the last 4 hours pumping out an essay about my dream job.. whew! so I bid you all goodbye! A happy 2008, the year I come home (weird huh?) Love kisses and prettiness all around :] and since I forgot my camera cord, here are some picture of the local sights that were not taken by me :]

so as i am eating fresh pineapples and ejoying the last few minutes of my runners high i decided to add some details and other such things about what I have been up to for the past few days. This weekend was a little busy, but not soooo. Thursday night after Altenburg training I went with GGB to a spanish restaurant: Cavana... we ate Paella and salad and i tried Mussles for the first time! Wann cooked then werent too bad! really! and then i couldnt help but thinking about my yearly lobster testing and i think when i get back i will have to go eat lobster with mams and enjoy it! yay! Anyway on friday i went to amarettes in burgdorf after school to bake, for it was the birthday from Alice (my cute friend with the bright blonde hair that katy likes so much!)We baked confetti cake (pilsbury imported from america) and pumpkin pie.. and... THEY BOTH TURNED OUT! really they were delicious! After we baked we went to Düdingen, where alice lives, and her mom and dad made us pasta with fish and spinach and then we sang to alice for being 18 and then when to a ridiculous party with an irish band complete with doodlesack (bag pipe) and kilts.. it was really ridiculous... But it was Alices birthday and she enjoys doing ridiculous things. The next day i baked her a frank and ernest pancake stack (yay Dad!) and it was so perfect with Mrs. Butterworths... only guess what...its too sweet for me!! ahh! my sweet tooth is diminshing because here in switzerlnad their cookies arent so sugary and i dont consume my normal amount of ice cream and i just really eat only natural sugar so it was almost sickeningly sweet.. trotzdem it was fantastic! The rest of saturday was completed with napping, eating, prepping for sunday, and making christmas presents for my friends here. Sunday arrived and my nerves already started pumping because I had a race today in zürich... i wasnt looking too forward to it because it was at 6:30 and freeeeezing and I was never in zürich... but once the race started and i saw all the beautiful christmas lights and people telling me to "Hopphopp" and all the lovelness i was so happy that i booked it and was the first girl to finish.. i think 7th or 8th or so overall, given it wasnt extremely competitive because it was the FUN RUN complete with people dresssed up as a WC, bears, and Sammiklaus, just the feeling i got running with christmas carols and lights and just the whole thing! i was just so happy so i liked it and i think i ran fast. we didnt see my time but it was 4,4 kilometers so Ill have to wait till the results go up.. for the eager types the run was the Silvesterlauf Zürich... google it.

So only a couple days till xmas and I've already recieved mams package, card from dadums, mimis and paps cookies and gifts and somethingfrom KELLIE!!! i was so happy eeee! we dont have our xmas tree but when its up Beat informed me i must put them under the tree! which excites me, its always nice to know that some traditions are the same :]., oh and i have a stocking as well.. mams sent it to me ;]]]]]]]] sooo kein angst! well i shoudl go to bed now, its almost 11 and i have school tommorrow, well call it school if u want but really its just me going ice skating for sport. perfekt eh?

love to all and all a good night :]

hallo! once again i am returning to the lovely world of blogging, mainly because its been 3 weeks and ive written nothing! So within the past weeks I was in London celebrating Thanksgiving with my Uncle Don, Aunt Jennifer, and cousins Meagan, Austin, and Brian. I loved london and seeing all the touristy things, running in Hyde park, going to Spamelot (fantastic!, real chinese food, and thnaksgiving dinner, and just the hospitality of them opening up there purple palace to the nomadic exchange student! AFter London I came home and went almost direktly into Onion Market in Bern! At about 6 in themorning i was in town to look at decorative onions and eat onion pie! Classic! then later at about 4 oclock there was a confetti fight.. really fantastic!

Next event! I babysat, had a meeting with my counsellor and YEO, and then zipped off to the Matterhorn with 100 other exchange students to go on my first snowboarding adventure! the snow was better than expected and i got to stay in a youthhostel with 5 other girls! it was so much fun chatting and eating oreos (thank you family!)...

After matterhorn I came back and am getting ready for christmas! I have already mailed some packages home and have already recieved one from Mimi and papa! including CHRISTMAS COOKIES and the coveted CANISTER!!! ahhhhh im so stoked i can not explain.. a christmas without mimis cookies and canister is LUDACRIS! Bern is not decorated as crazily as american towns.. no offence but i think sumners decorations even own.. but its still pretty and no snow :[

Other news? I will go to my second host family on the 26th of December... they are taking me up to Wengen until winter break is over! I am really excited it but it is someone bittersweet.. i mean the end of an era and basically the mark of almost a half a year! and the end of my first family which is sad, not only is it swiss familiarity for me, but the end! which is frighteneing, but yes i guess that is the life of an exchange student.. going into the UNKNOWN dun dun dun, oh just kidding nichts to be scared of! I also have a 3rd host family as well so things are wrapping themselves up!
December 6th was St. Nikolaus day and i got nuts and oranges and chocolate and met santa and his donkey and the dirty man that throws the bad children in the bag... oh thats silly.. dirtyman also had a whip (how scary for children!)anndddd then i think that is all!

oh and a little accomplishment.. i am currently halfways through Harry Potter and the Sorceres Stone (in german) i found that enjoyable!

I hope you all have a lovely christmas! im excited for my unconventional one because irregular things are always sooo memorable! ill remember this one forever.. but i can barely remember last years.. hmmm interesting!

i also wish betsy a happy bday.. sorry ur present will be late but its so cool! at least i think so !

Love love love from here! and hope all is good and well!

london thanksgiving:


confetti and pretty shoes


mountains!


me and the matterhorn

I am officially an adult now, 18, i made it! What I expected to be a somewhat quite and not so special birthday turned into something I never expected. I had planned at school a little something with my friends Flu and Jana just to go out to dinner and then into Bern later. Jana picked me up from the Bahnhof and we stopped at her house real quick to grab something she forgot and once we went down stairs I was surprised with pretty much every young person I know in Switzerland! People from my class (Sekunda 1) all the kids from Sekunda 3, all my favorite exchanger friends rebounds, oldies, neubies.. EVERYONE was there! Jana estimated about 35 to 40 were there!! And they all knew! and I had NO idea!!!!! I was so surprised and happy and gah! it was amazing! I got there about 7 at night and we celebrated until Midnight when we had a champagne, birthday cake, and I had to say something.. aka: "Thank YOU! I'm SO HAPPY!!!!" and that was pretty much it for me talking because i really had no words to describe how thankful and happy I was. I spent the night at Janas and came home in the afternoon to find MORe presents to open from family back home and family here! nad then we had an amazing meal cooked by iréne and then cake and it was all so picturesque and pleasant and smiley (is that a word because i like it!) YEAH!! Honestly was the best birthday I could ask for abroad! Thank you all for your cards and presents and everything!

This week i'm buried with college apps.. the date is looooming! Then next week is London and then its Zweibeln Markt and then I'm going to the Matterhorn! November is going by to quickly! AHHHH!

the group!


birthday burgers!


me and my first cake


my second cake!

So... it has been about two weeks since i have even thought about writing anything... so here i am!

Ill start with today and then go back in time.. how does that soun? DELISH! Well i jsut got home from GGB training with Patrick (the coach), Anita, and two other boys who are about 16 or so.. i only know one of their names and that is Yannik, but im not 100 percent sure. They are pretty quiet and all of them think i dont speak any german which is awkward so the boys dont try, Patrick speaks very good english, and well anita is hilarious and very entertaining. She is this spunky little thing who is loud and fast and always moving! We first ran about 30 mintues streched and then went to the tunrhalle in the sägemehl (sawdust) to run around and do excersises for about 20 mintues. It was fun but ever so difficult!!! Then we ran for about 15 more mintues and were done!

Earlier today i just had school, and math which is incredibly dull and boring and unmöglich!!!! After school, i was in the bahnhof and was stopped by a lost looking 30 something man who spoke english. He was looking for a bus to poland so i showed him where the buses were but explained to him I had no idea how to get to poland. His name was sam, he was from Nigera, and was very pleased for me to help him and loved my name, he also gave me his email and ill probably email him to see if he made it to poland. ha.

Well now we go back in time! This weekend was überrrrinteresting as i spent my first weekend with a Swiss friend in Grosshöchstetten for Flurina's birthday. She is a amazingly sweet girl who spent a year in Costa Rica and has a warm and friendly family! I was there for Brunch, a viewing of the Emporer's New Groove, and just chatting about a lot of things! It was so relaxing and good. But, when i came home I was shocked to find out that the Schifferli's boat: Hobo, was burned in a fire due to hoodlums drinking and lighting lamps in it! I was utterly speechless (not that that is anything new with German and all) but to see them so crushed and sad was so hard for me! I don't know how to sympathize or console in GERMAN! i had no idea was to do and instead slumped into a spacing out mode where i just tried to help with anything i could.. ssad sad sad.

Other than that I had a rotary weekend in Zweisimminen which consisted of trampoline fun, hiking, eating, talking, and getting to know the other exchangers. Halloween is nothing big here so yeah no celebrating! But i did have plenty of goodies from Mimi and Mams, and cards as well from my Holiday Heroes (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!).

I like school, most of the time.. i need to take some photos so everyone can see how pretty it is with all the windows and such.. its very mondern! I took a history test last week and got a 3,5 (out of 6 ha) but at least I scored something! woot! I've also recieved a 4,75 in art, 2,5 and 2,2 in math,and well on my english essay i got a 6 ha ha ha.. im trying but i hope it will only get easier!! gah!

The holiday season is fast approaching and the maronis (chesntuts) and satsuma stands are already out! Fall leaves are coloring things up here in Bern. really pretty, and well my birthday is in approxiamtely 10 days! wee! 18 here i come! oooooofficially an adult geeeee!

This month i also get to look forward to finishing up college apps, going to London for thanksgiving, and this weekend im going to germany! for the first time! finally i might be able to use real german and not sound like a freak!

I hope everyone everywhere is having an amazing fall and prepping for the holidays! I will be sure to send chocolate if postage didnt cost a bajillion dolalrs... i kid you not 6 franks for ONE letter that weighs almost nothing... REDICulous! but never the less (trotzdem) i will suck it up and show my foreign love.

Love to all!

rotary exchangers: (we were signing up for a game or something)


the wald in düdingen:


just the casual swiss mountain landscape

I wanted to share my excitement with you all about how much fun I had last night with a track club I've begun training with. I previously went with another club in Bolligen but it was mainly older people who were not big into competition.. but then I found GGB (don't ask me what it stands for ha ha)and right of the bat I met Anita Weyermann (google her) and i went with the middle distance group, all boys and an olympian, for a 64 minute run covering just over 12 kilometers... that was their so called "cruising" pace. I had such a good work out and then we followed with streches and routines and I met the president and the coach and he asked about all my injuries because we have to prevent them and he wants me to join after a couple times testing it out and they have cross country races filled with muddddd and all sorts of things i can train for and uniforms and fun because on thursday we have a volley ball tounrament for the club and 2 girls my age who are faster than me so that is good and i am just so excited!! yey!