Finally in Switzerland!

The view from our room!!

Hotel La Croisse

Our Room! :)

The waiting is over. I am finally in Switzerland! We landed in Geneva on Friday night, September 11th. Once we arrived, the staff picked us up in a huge bus and we made our way from Geneva to Lausanne, however, it was pitch black outside so I could not see much of the country. Once we arrived at the house, we all got together to receive our room and roommate assignments. The house is amazing! It is a renovated hotel, Hotel La Croisee. On floor 0 (yes, floor 0. One of the many things that is different in Europe) are the classrooms, which are a lot different than regular classrooms, a lounge area, a study room/library, a computer room, and program offices. On -1, there is the Student center which has a pool table, ping pong table, couches, a separate movie room, a separate music room, and a kitchen. On floor -2 there is a bomb shelter (don’t be scared mom, it is just the law in Switzerland) and a small gym. And by gym, I mean a room with a yoga mat, a mirror on the wall, and two sets of weights. Floors 1-4 have all of the student rooms. What is really neat is that each room is different from the next one, but still very similar. We all have this huge closet type things, but some are painted and in different spots. My room is baby blue with teal bedding. We also all have balconies. My room faces the lake. It has the most breathtaking view. There is also a sink and mirror in our rooms which is new and extremely convenient. Each floor also has study rooms at the end of the hall for people to use computers, read, and obviously study. Overall, the house is amazing!
The weather since I have been here has been random. The first couple days it was sunny but chilly. But they have us walking around so much that by the time you get out and get going, it gets hot again. The nights get cold but nothing compared to how cold it will get in the winter.
Our first day here, we went through an orientation, and then went out for our first day in the city. We went on our first of many walking tours. We walked through the streets to one of the biggest cathedrals. It was absolutely beautiful. The streets of Lausanne remind me a lot of the rest of Europe, but are still unique. The cities are very clean and you can tell the Swiss have a lot of pride in their country. That night, we ate at Menora which is a restaurant that we will be eating at a lot. I’m starting to think that Switzerland doesn’t have specific foods that are unique to their country. All of the foods that were served were just like back home, except some are prepared differently. At this restaurant, you could get anything from chicken and rice, to pizza, to pasta. However, I have yet to see a Mexican restaurant! After dinner Ceele and I went with two other girls, Cindy and Taylor, to find an ATM and a place that sold shampoo. Even though this may seem like an easy, everyday task, it is a lot more complicated in a foreign country and a foreign language! It can also be tricky because everything over here closes around 6. But not only did we find an ATM and an open pharmacy, we found our way back to the house!