When I moved to Switzerland last April, people would often ask, do you think your family will travel to visit you? I would often pause, think about the long plane flight, the fact that no one had ever traveled internationally to date, and the hesitancy when I would ask them if they would take the opportunity…so the answer to that question was often, “I don’t think it will be possible”.
For those who know me, I am stubborn, determined and strong-willed. When I get an idea in my mind, I will try everything in my power to make it happen. Sometimes I am successful. Sometimes, not… This trait is not something that I just happened upon, it is something that was instilled in me from my Mama and Granny.
This time, my Mama decided it was time she showed her strong will. Over text message on 28 March, she asked if she and my niece could fly over and visit so we could spend Mother’s Day together. The catch was the dates were set for when my niece had a break in school, 07 May-14 May. My mind begin racing on how this could be achieved. They didn’t have passports yet, my Mama had never flown internationally, and only one trip domestically. My niece was afraid of flying and had not flown yet domestically, could we work with the dates and the tight timeline? My mind was a flutter with obstacles and concerns. After expedited passports were received, and several phone calls were made confirming logistics, it was set. There are no direct flights to Switzerland from NC, which is a pity, so they would travel through Washington Dulles to arrive in Zurich! It was all going to happen, something I never thought was a possibility.
Rosa Parks
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”
As the time drew closer, I thought about how we would maximize the short duration of this visit. The weather forecast was not looking great for most areas of Switzerland. Rain where we live, snow in the mountains, and then I found the one place where the weather looked most promising in the country, the Ticino region, near Lugano.
My husband and I had never taken the opportunity to venture to this area, so why not? A few hours of searching on Airbnb, I found a bit of an oasis that matched our dates. I didn’t know how they would respond to international travel or Jetlag, but decided to plan nothing the day they arrived, and leave for Ticino the next day, spending most of the time there. This would afford me to also have them experience a tiny part of Italy in addition to Switzerland, which was fantastic.
We arrived via “Snow White” my Subaru, to the very top of our Airbnb with panoramic views that were more idyllic than a camera lens can capture. We spent lots of quality time together, enjoying morning espressos on the terraces overlooking the lake, days adventuring to castles, cathedrals, markets and mountain tops, and played games to our hearts content.
We had the most wonderful covered terrace with a stone fireplace, patio table, and enjoyed sharing the Swiss tradition of raclette from the canton of Valais we purchased at the farmers market and drank local wine.
To close out the visit, we took the train back home and a boat ride across Lake Luzern. We finished up their last night with a light dinner and a game of Cards Against Humanity, which is always a hilarious time.
I was able to ensure they were all set at the Zurich airport and gave them a farewell sendoff back to the US! It was indeed a magical time to share the beauty of Switzerland and a small meal in Italy with two of my favorite people in the world! I look forward to doing it again, next time, to show them the beauty of the Vatican and Rome ;).
Adventures in this thing we call Life 