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!
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