First Steps

I'm starting a new job on Monday, and I'm feeling very apprehensive.  I guess starting something new is always scary.  This is a video of the cats trying their door for the very first time.  It took Grace a while, but I was able to capture Fay's success.  Now, they're pros.  I hope the same is true for me.   

Puppies

We took on four foster puppies with ringworm, which means you can't touch them without a hazmat suit. I've been really careful... scouring myself and the bathroom with bleach, only wearing certain shoes when I'm in the bathroom, petting them with gloves.  But last night, the shelter people told me that I'm their Mom now, and need to show them affection.  So this morning I got to hold them (behind the protection of long sleeves, long pants, and the ever present gloves).  And it was awesome.    

What would be even more awesome is if they would stop pooping.  If I leave them alone for a few hours, it's everywhere.  Good thing they're cute.

Repats with Cats

I am thoroughly enjoying having our cats back.  They seem happy too, unless we're playing Cat Piano.  Then they get really stressed out, trying to save the animal trapped in the computer.
 

Leaving Switzerland

I'm going backwards a bit... it's sort of a trend this summer.

The last few days in Switzerland were crazy.  Our phone and internet services were cut off (hence, no posts), and we basically exhausted ourselves by making 15,000 trips with boxes and furniture all around Lugano.  That being said, the whole process, while being busy, went smoothly.  Here's the rundown.

Ryan worked his last day as a Swiss employee.  Here are some of his friends from work at a bar right outside his office.  They gave us cards, recipes, and a cool Swatch watch.  

I had been packing all week, and slowly scheduling furniture pick ups.  Ryan stopped working two days before we left.  Having his help was crucial... we got a lot done in 48 hours.

All of our stuff was pretty much in boxes, it just needed to be shipped.  FedEx was conveniently open twice a day for thirty minutes (closed on weekends).  Do I miss the European way of serving customers?  No.  We had to make three different trips with the u-haul, spread out over two days.

We made one final drop off to friends (things we didn't want to throw away), returned the big truck, and headed home one last time.   

It looked like this.  I don't miss Lugano often, but looking at this picture makes me upset.  It's hard to see it so empty when a large part of me still thinks it's our home.   

I wasn't sad when I took that picture, though.  Surprisingly, I wasn't sad at all during those last two days.  I was ready for the moving process to be over, and was excited about life in the US.  

Plus, I had one last thing to look forward to.  We booked a night at a great hotel, and said goodbye to Switzerland in the best possible way... with a pool to ourselves, a fantastic view, and one last good meal on the lake.  I had visions of this hotel while sitting sweaty and dirty in a half empty apartment.  It was everything I imagined, and the whole experience gave Ryan and I a chance to enjoy a relaxing last night in Lugano.     

All that was left to do was fly home.  

The trip took us over the Swiss Alps, which made for a beautiful exit.  

And just like that, our two year adventure was behind us.

We're alive! And well! And stateside!

Sorry about the blog silence.  I've felt overwhelmed lately with the move.  And we didn't really get internet until a few days ago, but enough excuses... you want to see pictures, right?  We don't have many, but I'll work on that too.

This is the house, although we've switched the furniture around.  We're still living out of boxes, so that hasn't changed.

I play post catch up this weekend... more to come!

4 More Days...

We just spent our last weekend in Switzerland, and so far, it's not hitting me.  There's still too much to do... moving quotes are coming in twice as much as were estimated, which sends me into a panic of phone calls, online estimates, emails, and frantic messages to Ryan.  People are coming to get furniture, so the place is pretty empty.  This picture was taken yesterday... now, there's no coffee table (and tomorrow there will be no sofa).   I used to sit comfortably in this apartment, and get very sad about the idea of leaving it.  Now, I'm just ready.

Boxes are being packed, moving vans are being rented (in both continents), and the leftover items in our pantry are being eaten.  Exhibit A: a falafel sandwich on wheat bread with pickles, and a block of cheese.

We also started saying our goodbyes.  Sunday was our last at church, which was difficult.  The people there make us feel at home, and added a familial element to our experience in Lugano.  We've really loved our time at St. Edwards, and leaving it makes leaving Lugano more difficult.   

We got together with our school friends one last time.

We had our last Chinese/Japanese dinner in Italy.  We got fans this time instead of keychains.  

Ryan went on his last bike ride.  

Notice the new gear.  We met a friend recently that engineers apparel for North Face.  He's also a big cyclist, and he and Ryan have been making treks around the lake and up the mountains.  He introduced us to a brand called Assos (it's Swiss), and basically said there was nothing like it on the market.  So, off to Assos we went!  I don't know what we were expecting, but it wasn't this.  The top floor is a show room only... if you want to shop, you are escorted to a lower floor, and waited on hand and foot.  The dressing rooms were behind hidden panels (I had no idea where Ryan went).  I managed to take this picture when our personal salesperson went behind another hidden panel to grab a different size.    

So, that's our last weekend in a nutshell.  We enjoyed it... it was both relaxing and memorable, which was just what I wanted.  The calm before the storm of trying to get out of here.  And so far, I'm not too sad... really ready to be home, actually.  I'll post on exactly what home will be later.  It's kind of a fun story (for those who haven't heard it). 

Here are some extra pictures I couldn't quite fit in... 

My favorite dessert... homemade yogurt with cream topped with berry sauce.  YUM!

Grabbing a slice of pizza in the center. 

Cooking our last good meal, with the best Burrata cheese. 

Ryan's riding buddies took this picture of him at the top of Bre.  

Us at our bus stop in front of the apartment.  

Last trip to my university. 

Walking along the lake, clutching the new bike swag.  

Our train ride home from the restaurant in Italy. 

I Think They Want Us Gone

This is the latest in a string of anti-immigration signs we've seen over the past two years.  Thanks, Switzerland, we get the hint... we'll be out of your hair by Friday.   

Lake Day

Last, last weekend, we were fortunate enough to get invited to a really special birthday party.  It was for a work friend of Ryan's, and was held at her grandmother's house on the lake of Lugano.  It was in a town about 30 minutes away, and gave us views of different mountains and a different part of the lake.

It was an all day thing.  Ryan went skiing...

 
And canoeing...

And swimming...

The party continued through lunch, dinner, and well into the night.  I love that we are invited to be a part of these authentic, local experiences.  We're not the easiest guests... the language is a bit awkward, we don't have a car so we needed a ride, we don't typically do things with this couple, and yet, they extended the invitation.  It's nice, and gives us a window into a world here that we wouldn't be able to see on our own.

This swan kept diving, wiggling it's tail feathers and paddling its feet until it got what it was diving for.    

This was our grill for the night. 

This picture below is part of what makes these experiences so special.  We were obviously the only Americans at the party.  So the grandmother decides we should have something to remember our time by, and gives us this postcard.  The picture is of their house, their view and their old sailboat, and was taken 40 years ago.  They weren't aware of its existence until stumbling upon it in a local shop.  Since then, they've been trying to collect as many possible... the total, at the moment, is ten.  And they gave us one.  We didn't want them to, but they insisted.  I think they thought it was cool knowing it would end up in America.  This is what happens... not only do we get to see these intimate gatherings, ones we could never create for ourselves as tourists, but we get treated like special guests.  And it all amounts to feeling very, very grateful for what people have done for use here.  We're leaving with some amazing memories, this being one.