Sweet Home Switzerland

The Swiss are known for many things: from the financial world to mountaineering, being more on the reserved side, chocolate, knives, and something I didn't know until recently, all out. all day wedding celebrations. The catalyst of our Switzerland adventure was the wedding of our two dear friends, Brett and Rachel (he being American, she being Swiss). We knew this would be a celebration to remember for two reasons: They are incredibly fun and loving people, and in a pre-travel/wedding prep e-mail from the wedding coordinator, the only word we could read in the High-German notation was "Wild West". 

Unlike most American weddings, the Swiss tradition is celebrating for the entire day, through the night, and into the wee hours of the a.m. The event was full of wonderful times, beautiful decorations, and fabulous food. Part way through the reception, country music was turned up, and about twenty Swiss family members sauntered down the stairs in full matching Western garb: cowboy boots, white shirts, bandanas, and of course, the classic cowboy hat. They proceeded to preform a line-dance (which i'm told was choreographed by the local mail lady, that was very well versed. I was one: very impressed by their skill, two: wondered if some of the Swiss side audience think America is predominately occupied by country cowboys, three:marveled about how two people can bring two worlds together, and four: enjoyed feeling a like I was witnessing a first-time-in-Swiss-history moment. 

Not only did we enjoy wedding festivities, but the week leading up to it was simply fantastic. After riding the train down the Rhine River to Zurich, we grabbed a car and rolled into the quaint town of Steinmaur. We were met with warm reception- another surreal moment of meeting up with dear friends across the world. There we got a nice taste of Swiss living, staying amongst the Müller family. 

Our time was laden with incredible conversations, hiking mountains, eating a heck of a lot of bread and butter, laughing, and taking the time to reflect and get inspired at what the future holds. It is clear that this trip has been more than just about adventuring, but about discovering what direction life may take. Switzerland is an amazing place. It's engulfed by scenery unmatched, people are active and healthy, and its true that their chocolate is the tops. But ultimately what I loved most about it was being with a community of people that valued beauty and relationship. I am grateful we got the chance to witness the marriage of two phenomenal people, all the while adventuring through the hills of a place that is now known. Pröschtli!

Whimsically Wandering

Walking through a quaint narrow trail of stands, surrounded by fresh produce, cheeses, jewelry hand crafted, leather bags, and fresh boisterous flowers. Then on the wind is the sound of an accordion, accompanied by a clarinet. It is a lovely tune. We sip the last of our freshly squeezed orange-raspberry juice and mount our bicycles. The bounty from the market strapped carefully to the back rack.It's off to a light lunch before exploring more of the city. 

Simply put, we love it here. 

This is a place that we booked our tickets and lodging at without any concrete reason of why, it just truly felt like we just needed to go there. We when told people this was on our travel agenda, there were often a series of remarks about its seedy reputation. The reality of Amsterdam is, there are only about five square blocks filled with tourists smoking and the gawking through the red light district. Beyond that small highly touristic area is a city full of international culture, enticing architecture, cozy cafes, and amazing people. 

We stayed at a wonderfully romantic studio flat on the top floor of an old brick apartment building. Upon or arrival we had tea with our Air B&B host, Marieke, who gave us her local favorites of things to do and places to eat. She lives two floors below the studio and was extremely helpful and a true delight to get to know. For anyone traveling here, I would highly recommend staying at the studio. However take caution when packing, its four flights of stairs up, straight up. But once at the top you are greeted with your own private balcony, a Heineken, fresh fruit, and a comfortable bed.

When you book travel based on "I just feel like we should go here", you always hope it will become clear what that elusive "feeling" was. Not too long after booking our tickets, I found out that one of my dearest friends, Hillary (whom I've known since the beginning of my time on this earth) would be moving there for work. It has worked out that her arrival day is our last full day in the city. So now, here I am, typing this in Hillary's new home in Amsterdam. The three of us just returned from a marvelous lunch overlooking the city at the Library. I love when people's worlds collide in unlikely places, this is no exception. 

It is strange that a place you've never been before, and so far from your roots, can feel like home. We had no trouble adjusting to bicycling everywhere, sipping creamy espresso and wandering down the history-laden canals. We have just enjoyed wandering together-down alleyways, beside canals, through parks-sometimes chatting, other times quietly reflecting, and many times laughing. We have come across many lovely people, each with a fascinating life journey of their own. I have no doubt that we will come back here someday.

A Car in County Cork

The thing about traveling to new destinations is that it truly allows you to live in the present. If you've never been to the place you're traveling to, then you don't know what to expect and all you know is what is right before you in the very moment. It is quite refreshing. 

The Rebel County:County Cork. From Dublin we hit the rails to Cork, our only expectations being: a local true Irish pub experience (not some hoaxy touristy spot which are abundant in Dublin), a graveyard of epic proportion, and castle galavanting.

My handsome Sean O'Brien reached back to his Irish roots and took the wheel of our rental car. From Cork the four of us headed to our next Air B&B destination in Blarney, home of the Blarney Castle. A truly magical place. It also showed how restrictive our sites in the US are. What would have been a mere roped off photo op in the US is, in Europe, a site to potentially break your neck but also to explore the true spirit of a place. We then took a couple days to drive the Southern Coast.
 For this reason alone, I highly recommend renting a car when traveling to Ireland. Despite driving on the left side, with a left shifter, both Sean and my dad took to it quite well (perhaps because they're both left-handed...). We were able to stumble upon many a sight that was untouched by your run of the mill guidebooks. Not to mention driving through the countryside is exactly as you'd imagine, except  better (and slightly more terrifying being on the other side of the road): rolling green hills, stone walls, sheep, and even thatched roofs.

Along the side of the road would be random castles, left in ruins, not regulated or littered with caution signs, just sitting there, awaiting a curious traveler. Certainly my dad and Sean had no problem climbing through a myriad of mysterious ruins along our journey. My mom and I opted out on a few, and instead mused about art journaling and the beauty of land. Indeed a good blend.

One of our discoveries was the Franciscan Abbey in the little town of Timoleague. The Abbey itself dated back to the 1400s but had been long since burned down and left as a tragically beautiful ruin. The surprising part is, that people are now buried amid the castle ruins, graves dating back hundreds of years and on up to current times. It was fascinating! These drives also lead you to true local Irish pubs. We stumbled upon a particular favorite in Skibereen, run by a lovely Irish family. I guarantee you've not had fish and chips of this caliper before, caught straight from the North Atlantic.

It is safe to say our time in Ireland was grand. It was marked by wonderful company (thank you rents for being such great travel buddies), castle climbing, good beer, and excellent conversation. And now off to Amsterdam, where we will see what adventures await as each moment comes.

Dublin: Toast and Track Suits.

In the 36 hours our feet have wandered through Dublin, I have seen more track suits and eaten more toast than any other time in my life. I was informed by a friend at work that the most surprising part of Ireland was the amount of people just walkin' around in track suits (sweat pants and matching sweatshirts with "flare"). Apparently they are an Irish fashion staple because my friend went several years ago and here today, in 2014, they're still strutting around town.
I have also consumed more than a reasonable amount of toast. The wonderful problem is they serve it everywhere, with everything, always with a side of butter and a spot of jam when requested. Since the Sjodin side of the family are known for toast eating, this has been like striking a gold mine. Fortunately we have been walking everywhere, which in vacation terms means, it all evens out...

Our commencement of travel has indeed been a good one. Trinity College is a bustling array of history, and inspiration is easily found when entering the "Long Room", a gorgeous hall filled to the brim with books (some dating back 800 years). We walked into a pub and were greeted with fabulous Irish music: Shamus on the Accordion, William on the Guitar, and Pat on the Whistles. We had no trouble polishing off a few Smithwicks while clapping along. 

It has been most enjoyable traveling with the Rents. The four of us are staying at a flat in the City Center via Air B&B. This makes air dropping photos from one iPhone to the next much easier. It's also been handy making some meals in and then chatting over tea in the living room. Both mom and I have spent a bit of time dabbling in art and commemorating our adventure (stay tuned for her posts on travel journaling upon their return at http://visualblessings.blogspot.com ). I've found that grabbing the flight magazine from the air plane makes for great collage material.

It is always wonderful to get other people's perspective of the same event. Turns out we were all moved on some level (and no, this wasn't a result of too many pints), by the Guinness factory experience. Sure the beer is fabulous, especially when drank overlooking Dublin on a sunny day, but the incredible thing is one man's vision, for one product, changed an entire country and now reaches almost every corner of the world. If you haven't ever read about Arthur Guinness and his family line, go do it now. Seriously an inspriatioal character. And you should probably pour yourself a guinness draft while you're at it for the full effect.

Sean and I just spent the past two hours meandering through the City Center and then venturing to the outskirts. It must be noted that by day, people of Dublin walk very fast. Run you over kind of fast. However by night, due to the crazy high heels women wear to the pubs and nightclubs, the pace slows. Turns out  500 year old cobble stone streets don't fare well with needle point heels. I'm grateful for my comfortable boots (another travel necessity).

Speaking of walking, my feet are telling me its time to be horizontal, so as the Irish say "Sláinte!". 








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Last Sleep Before Take Off

And so our adventure is about to unfold. It has been over a year since we checked out travel books at the library and mused about wandering through parts of Europe. The time is finally here. The first portion of our journey we will meet up with my parents in Ireland for a week, traversing castle grounds, gleaning inspiration from the saints of old and throwing back a few good brews. From there our feet will land in Amsterdam for a week of cycling, World War II sites, and with welcoming my dear Hillary to her new home there (that timing couldn't be more perfect). We then take the train through Germany to Switzerland, for galavanting through the Alps and celebrating the marriage of the fantastic Brett and Rachel.

Proper packing is key to any exploration. I was the child that packed weeks in advance for camp because I couldn't contain my excitement. Turns out Sean and I share that same enthusiasm. Our bags have been packed for quite sometime and are ready to hit European soil. Socks, pants, toothbrushes, shoes and the like are all packing essentials. But there are some other important elements to take with you:

-A fellow adventurer:
And not just another breathing body, but someone with a similar travel style. We have found that as travelers (as in other things), we are an ideal match. We have mutual desire for adventure that includes some sightseeing, but the ultimate goal is to discover the hidden treasures and soak up the real culture of a place. Neither of us care for packing our days full of "seeing it all", but prefer wandering down a random street or hopping on bus to see where the day might take us (then ending that day with a good pint and chatting with the new folks we've met).





-Creativity tools:
It may be a camera for photography, a costume for civil war reenactment, a journal for writing, or paints for painting. Bringing an outlet to process and translate the new experiences is key. I am resurrecting my art kit of old, in order to capture my swirling imagination and the discoveries around me.

-Not a lot of stuff:

The less you bring, the more freedom you have to explore, and the easier the journey. We are firm believers of minimal packing and maximum exploring. Leave the luggage at home so you aren't stuck lugging it around. It's heavy, bulky, makes transportation harder and really, you don't need to greet your new destination with a new outfit everyday. The Netherlands won't know that I wore that same sweater in Ireland the day before.






-Expectation:
We go into this trip expecting whimsical discovery. This comes from truly soaking in the places around you: letting go of the weight of work, the details of home, and allowing yourself to fully experience exactly where you are in that moment. Because once you travel somewhere, you always come back changed in some way. New things are on the horizon, this trip has something to say about what those thing may be.

We are looking forward to the coming weeks and expecting that we will experience discovery doused with whim. Now we just finish up work, make sure out passports are in our bags, and have one more sleep, for tomorrow, We Adventure.