Surprise!

I bet when you arrived at this page you were expecting to find nothing new.  Although there's not much new in my life I thought that I'd post a few pics and provide a brief update.

I committed to staying here for at least another year.  I'm ready to leave my current school, but not ready to leave the Alps.  I've had a lot of fun here in the mountains, but there is so much more to be had, and in order to do so I have to continue working here.  My job/school is un-inspiring, but my surroundings keep me going.  We've had a phenomenal ski season, and just when we thought it was Spring, daily snow showers are here.  Although it's too warm in town (1450 meters) the snow up high ( > 2500 meters) continues to accumulate.  My skis were nearly put away, but they're being put to full use again.

A group of us were hoping to tour up Mont Blanc (Europe's highest peak) next weekend, but with all the new snow that we keep getting, the snow conditions there aren't safe.  Kinda glad the weather is not in our favor because I'm definitely not fit enough to make it up on skis.  Some of us are considering trying to go up in June right after the school year finishes.  The weather and snow conditions will be much more stable then.

My friend (co-worker) and I have been brewing our own beer.  So far we've made four batches (two IPAs, a porter and an English ale).  We've given some to friends and people we know at the local bar and ski shop...positive reviews, so we'll keep the brewing going.  It tastes better than anything we can buy here, plus it's cheaper.

Summer plans are in the works.  Since I haven't traveled much during this school year I'm hoping to get to some new places over the summer.  I'll most likely be traveling to Scotland, Croatia, Greece, and Romania.  There will be some brief trips to France and Italy as well.  Other than seeing new places over the summer, my goals are: ride some of the major climbs featured in the Tour de France, climb the Matterhorn, the Eiger, and Mont Blanc (the classic climbs of the Alps), relax, and have fun.

Here are a few pics...

Monaco (going there again in 3 weeks)

 Leysin during a ski day

 A very tasty restaurant in Munich

 Picture taken during the one ride I've managed to go on

 Skiing through a glacier in Zermatt

 The bottom of a glacial descent in Zermatt

 Several of my ski buddies

More skiing

Ski Season

Ski season is well underway. Prior to returning to Kansas City for Christmas and New Years, Leysin and the surrounding ski resorts got dumped on with about 2.5 feet of snow. Before even leaving for break I got eight days on the slopes. The best thing about my school/job is that we have ski term. For two months (mid-Jan to mid-March) every Tuesday and Thursday school ends at noon and everyone has to go ski. Yes, that's right, I'm required to ski twice a week for two months. Ski term is great! I even purchased another pair of skis for when we get fresh powder.

Here's a quick video from before break. My friend (coworker) Ethan provided the silly commentary.

Second semester flies by here. Before I know it I'll be back in Kansas City for a week (end of March) for my buddy's wedding and in early May I'll again be taking a group of students surfing in Portugal. These are the things that I have to look forward too this semester :)

As mentioned above, I went home for Christmas break. This was my first Christmas home in four years, and I think it had been nearly eight years since my whole family was together for Christmas. Coming home for the holidays was much different than coming home for summer. It made me miss home a lot more! Being back home was refreshing. Spending time with my family and friends was good for my mind and soul.

Wow!

Wow, it's been two months since my last post. If I used to have some readers, they are probably gone by now, but the update will ensue nevertheless.

I can't say that my life has been super exciting over the past two months. First semester here is a gauntlet with no substantial break until the semester ends. But we are rewarded with two months of skiing and two week spring break in March, so it balances out...kind of.

I'm nearly 75% through my two year contract here. Coming into this school year I had every intention of leaving and finding a new job. I love Switzerland and the skiing, cycling, and travel opportunities that come along with living here, but I do not love where I work. I'm still in search of a school and surrounding environment that I love...is that so much to ask...it seems to be. The recruitment process for 2012-2013 school years is underway and I've been full steam ahead in pursuing a new position. Unfortunately, of the 55 counseling positions that have already been posted, only one is in Europe...Frankfurt, Germany. I was invited up to their school for an interview, but at the end of the day it was mutual that neither party was that interested in the other. Most of the positions are located in Asia (mainly China and South Korea) and the Middle East. I have an interest in returning to Asia, but know that it's probably not the healthiest move to make. I received an offer in Lima, Peru. I'd love to do a couple of years in South America, but just not yet. I love the mountains here. I love the cycling and I love the skiing! To leave here after only two years would leave a lot of things incomplete. I'm registered for a job fair in London this coming January...hopefully some more jobs will be posted by then. By default I may end up staying at my current school for one more year.

I don't feel like an adult here. Having an "apartment" in a student dormitory is not ideal, but it's part of the job. There is no separation between my personal and professional life. I want a normal living situation, but I won't get that here. Anyways...

For the first part of October I was still getting out on my bike. But as the days have become shorter and a bit colder, there isn't much of a chance to ride.

I was able to drive up to Stuttgart, Germany to visit an old friend (former colleague from South Korea) who now lives there with her German fiancee. The timing was perfect as it was during Oktoberfest, and Stuttgart's Oktoberfest is the second largest in Germany...second to Munich. I don't have pictures of the giant beers that I drank...I'm still waiting for my friend to send them.

I don't play soccer, but I like to watch. Last year a few of us from school went down to Milan to watch AC Milan play Inter Milan. This year we headed to Manchester, England to watch Manchester United play Manchester City. This is a coveted match to watch and my wallet felt the impact. Manchester United was favored to win, but they ended up getting slaughtered 6 - 1. I didn't care who won...I just wanted to watch an entertaining game...and that's what I got.

Two weeks ago I attended a conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon is a great city...in my opinion. I had previously spent only one day there, so some more time was great. At the conference I was able to reconnect with some folks that I haven't seen for a couple of years as well as meet some new people. After a couple days at the conference I headed out to Sintra, which is just NW of Lisbon about 30 minutes. I have a friend there, so I stayed with him and his family for two nights. My first night out with them I accidently ate shell fish and ended up in an emergency clinic getting a steroid shot so the swelling in my throat would subside. Sintra is home to a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, so I spent the next day touring around the city with my friend's family. If I had the chance to live there, I would move in a heartbeat...friendly people, great food, great cycling, surfing, and inexpensive. No jobs there though.

We've been waiting for snow here in Leysin, but nothing has arrived, which means to go skiing I have to get out of town. This past weekend my friend and I went to Zermatt...where the Matterhorn is. They have snow there, so we did some alpine skiing for one day and then some touring the next day. We toured up the Breithorn at 4,164 meters (13,661 feet). I got my arse kicked since I've been relatively inactive for a few weeks, but it was great to get out there and going again. This year has been the driest since the 1920's. Cross your fingers for some snow.

Up and Running

Students have been back in session for nearly a month now. Thought I'd post just a couple of pictures of the people I'll be spending the next year with. I'm living in/supervising the seniors boys dormitory again. There are 37 students in there with a large number of Saudis and Russians with a number of other nationalities mixed in.

Each year all faculty members are assigned a small group of students that we spend time with throughout the year. I have an American, Saudi, Brazilian, Mexican, and a German in my family, plus a college student from the University of Waterloo who is here for a semester doing an internship. This past weekend was our faculty family weekend where we spend two days with our students. My family is great! All of them get along quite well. Our first day was spent at the Cailler chocolate factory, La Gruyere, and BBQing around a bonfire while looking out over Lake Geneva. The second day we cooked pancakes and eggs for the kids, and then spent the afternoon canyoning at Les Marecottes. After spending two days with the students I was exhausted and slept 11 hours the following night.

The Past Few Weeks

Not a whole lot has been going on over the past few weeks, but here ya go...

You may have noticed in the news how strong the Swiss Franc has become in the last month. To attend my school for one year it now costs $97,000 USD. Ridiculous! It's not worth it, but our school provides the "status" that some people seek. Our school also accepts nearly everyone that can come up with the money. A perfect combination for some people. My next stop will be a "normal" school. But working here for now allows me some great opportunities outside of my job :)

Last weekend my friend (coworker) and I headed down the mountain to eat some Thai food and then explore some other mountains down the valley. While eating at the Thai restaurant we met an older Thai lady that works for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The three of us talked for a while and then we were invited to lunch the following day (Sunday) to eat some more Thai food with the company of her colleagues. We said sure...something different to do. After lunch Sion and I headed up the other mountains to check out a climbing a spot and try to find some mountain water to swim in. We were successful. We hiked around and found the climbing spot (too difficult for me) and then found a nice stream. The water was surprisingly cold, yet amazingly refreshing.

Found some water. Didn't find my swim trunks.

Sooooo cold!!!

Sunday was lunch. We drove about an hour to Morgins (border town between Swiss and France) to the lady's chalet. We arrived a bit early, so helped set up and prepare a bit of the food. I had a great time meeting some new people (although most I will never see again) with a huge variety of experiences. Having worked for the UNHCR they all had quite interesting stories and job placements. Hopefully another invite to enjoy some great food and company will be coming down the road.

The lunch group. The lady in orange was the random lady from lunch the day before. My friend is in green in front of me.

Work started. I guess I'm ready for it. Excited to get to know the new group of students, but a bit stressed about some that I know from last year. Where does a student go with a cumulative GPA of 1.0? Community college or vocational school are not options. We'll see what happens :)

Still riding my bike. Still getting worked over on the climbs. But loving every minute of it.

Summer Fun

Summer has been great! As you know, it started off with a visit from my family (see previous entry), and has since been filled with bike rides, travels and adventures. There are many stories to be told, but they're secret :)

Here's a run down of what I've been up to these past couple of months.

June 5-11: Family visit

My family (minus dad) in Montreux

June 12-13: Went up to northern Switzerland to watch the last two days of the Tour of Suisse. Levi Leipheimer won..it was great!

Levi about to start the Time Trial, which gave him the overall victory!

June 14-21: A lot of bike riding with a couple of friends here.

Climbing up the Col du Pillon

June 21: The Summer Solstice. On this day I went on my longest bike ride ever. Two friends and I set off at dawn in hopes of riding over 200 miles. We finished our ride nearly 16 hours later and covered 202 miles. 12.5 hours were spent pedaling...the other time was spent eating on the side of the road. No pictures from this ride because none of us wanted to carry a camera for the day.

June 22-28: Three nights in Amsterdam. Three nights in Brussels. Lots of sight-seeing, museums, art galleries, etc.

Hanging out in Amsterdam

Drinking a beer at the Grand Palace in Brussels

June 30: My birthday. A bike ride, plus dinner and drinks with friends in Leysin.

July 1-10: Reserved a bed in an apartment in Livorno, Italy (western most part of Tuscany). I ended up getting a 3 bedroom apartment all to myself. I went there with the intention of riding my bike. Tuscany in July is HOT and HUMID. I'm not used to heat and humidity anymore, so my time there turned into a sight-seeing trip with just a little bit of riding. So I spent time in Livorno, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, and Sienna. I would love to return to the Tuscany region, but in the fall or spring when it's not so hot and crowded. My buddy Hayes joined me on July 5.

Hayes, and two new friends from Philly

Vernazza, Italy

Pisa. I took the silly pics too, but this one looked nice.

A replica of "The David." I followed the rules and didn't take any pics of the real "The David."

Sienna

Piazza del Campo, Sienna

July 12-16: I ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain for two days. Went to Bilbao, Spain for a day to check out the Guggenheim Museum, and The Arcade Fire happened to be playing there that night, so I watched them in concert as well. I didn't get a feel for Pamplona, but the running with the bulls was hands down, AMAZING! And I lived :) Northern Spain is beautiful, and Bilbao was a clean, friendly city...there is one international school there...hmmm. Spain was followed by catching the first two mountain stages of the Tour de France. These stages were in SW France in the Pyrenees mountains. I want to go back there. Sammy Sanchez won the first stage watched, and Thor Hushovd won the second.

The Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Hanging out before the bulls.

The bulls in the background. I didn't get any pictures while running because the police told me to put away my camera or I would be removed.

Thor Hushovd winning Stage 13

Sammy Sanchez up the final climb of Stage 12.

July 18-22: Paris, France. I keep going back to Paris because I love that city. I've visited four times and there is always plenty of new places for me to visit each time. This trip was planned in order to meet up with a family that I worked with in South Korea. They are back living in Canada, but were taking a 3 week family vacation through Europe. We were able to time it to meet in Paris.

Hanging out with the Leigh family in Paris.

A storm rolling into Paris.

July 22-29: Long-time friend Matt McClanahan visits. Time was spent in Grenoble and Chamonix, France, Interlaken, Switzerland, and near my place here in Leysin. We watched the Time Trial of the TDF, went rock climbing, climbed the Via Ferrata on the Tour d'Ai, went canyoning in Interlaken, cycling around here, ate some food and drank some beer. A great visit.

After climbing the Via Ferrata on the Tour D'Ai.

Matt and I before we enter the canyon.

Cadel Evans at the start of the Time Trial. He was in the Yellow Jersey after this ride!!

So here I am on August 5 relaxing in my "apartment" watching "The Social Network." The last few days have been spent watching way too many movies and riding my bike since I didn't get to do that much over the last few weeks. Work starts in 2 weeks. Work gets in the way of my life, but it also enables me to do all this fun stuff...a catch 22.

Family Visit (Pictures posted later)

Family Visit

This post is overdue, but better late than never.

Graduation was on Friday, June 3^rd. My mom, brother and sister-in-law arrived on the evening of Sunday, June 5^th and would be staying in Switzerland until Saturday, June 11^th. My dad was unable to join because he doesn’t like to fly…maybe I’ll end up in Mexico or Canada next and he can drive there J

As excited as I was to have family visiting, it honestly felt a bit weird initially to have them there. Back in Kansas City my life involved frequent interactions with my family, but since moving overseas I’ve only seen my family when I visited back home, or on Skype. My overseas life hadn’t really been shared in person, only through pictures and conversations. So it did take some time for me to warm up.

Rather than staying at a hotel, my family was able to stay in some rooms provided by my school. My brother and sister-in-law got a normal room, but my mom wasn’t so lucky L She had a tiny room with a bed and had to share the bathroom with the others. I wasn’t happy about that, but the school said that those were the only rooms available.

I had a pretty good itinerary lined up for everyone along with my family’s request to spend a couple of days in Zermatt. Everything would have been near perfect had the Swiss weather been consistent with what had been going on the previous few weeks. But Switzerland decided to bring in the clouds and the rain for my family’s visit. Despite this, I still think we had a pretty good time.

Day 1 I took them on a hike, which I had never been on going up…only on the way down. I choose the Tour D’ Ai, which is a beautiful hike that leaves one with amazing views of Lake Geneva, Dents Du Midi, and even the Alps on the northern part of Italy. But the hike was more strenuous and longer than I had anticipated. Everyone did awesome…and my mom was a trooper!!

Day 2 we left for Zermatt where we were hoping to see the Matterhorn. It was raining when we got there and was still cloudy when we left the next day. No Matterhorn for us except on the postcards. But it was fun to visit Zermatt.

Day 3 was spent at Zermatt…not doing much. And then driving back to Leysin with a couple site-seeing stops on the way back.

Day 4 we went to Gruyeres, a famous village known for its cheese making. There’s a well-restored castle there which we all toured, then enjoyed some of the ever popular Swiss fondue. After lunch we headed to the Caillier Chocolate Factory. The tour felt like a walk through ride at an amusement park…nevertheless, it was entertaining. At the end of the tour there was a tasting room. I ate too much there and had no desire to purchase any additional chocolate. But my family went on a shopping spree there in order to bring back chocolate for friends, family, and coworkers.

Day 5 the weather improved and we had sunshine, which was perfect because we were going to the Swiss Riviera (Montreux and Vevey). We took the cog down the mountain and then a quick train ride to Montreux. Montreux sits right on Lake Geneva. We then took a nice long walk along the lakeside to the Chateau de Chillon. This castle has a lot of history and was extremely significant back in the day. I’m not a history buff, so you’ll have to read about it. We toured the Chateau for quite a while, then took the walk back to Montreux. We spent our last dinner together at my favorite restaurant back in Leysin called the Lynx, which had been closed every other time we tried to go there earlier in the week.

Day 6 In the morning we went to their favorite breakfast spot – The Creperie. Breakfast was followed by some souvenir shopping, and then packing. They had to catch a train to Milano in the afternoon, so we all drove down to the train station together. Short goodbyes are the best way to go. I learned that after the first time I left the states to go to Korea. My parents along with one of my best friends waited in the security line with me for an hour or so. It was torture for all of us. After that time I’ve just had my parents drop me off outside the airport and go on their way. Here at the train station we said our goodbyes to one another and a train came quicker than expected, which made for a quick goodbye (thankfully).

I was so happy to have family visit and for them to get a taste of Switzerland as well as what my life is like overseas. They got to share in some of the frustrations as well as the joys of being overseas. It meant a great deal to me to have them use their vacation time and resources to come spend some time with me.

So thank you very much to my family for visiting! I hope you enjoyed your trip and felt that it was well worth the time and effort to come over. See you at Christmas!