Begining

I have arrived at my destination into what seems like a dream land. It was very strange having a night of only about 3 hours of darkness as our plane quickly escaped the sun around 9 at night and then it quickly began to rise again at 12 in the morning. I couldn't sleep on the plane because of the excitment brewing inside of me. It felt good to be traveling alone, independent and knowing I will now have the confidence to do more traveling alone.
Two quick landings in Ireland, once in Shannon, the western boarder, and once in Dublin on the east side. The landscape was beautiful, everything very green and rolling for miles, but the weather was rainy as I was informed it has been doing for the last 43 days. It would be very interesting to visit there, since it is so beautiful with so much history but yet they speak ENGLISH! My language of choice.
Landing in Geneva was very beautiful also. The plane was lowered below the cloud level as we flew over Geneva Lake like they were trying to persuade you that Switzerland really was an amazing place. I am guessing that very many wealthy people (i think most people here are wealthy but the wealthiest perhaps) live in Geneva. The houses were very large with a lot of pools scattered along. It looked quite similar to Las Vegas suburbs from the sky with the clay style roofing, although there was much more green farmland scattered throughout.
I took a train from Geneva to Bern, and along the lake I saw beautiful grape vines for miles. It made me think of nonno and his that I always thought was so large, now compared to all the miles of grapes I was truley impressed. The train ride was very beautiful, but by this time I was getting very tired so I didn't see all of the landscape.
Finally Bern, only 12 km from the house I would be living with. I met up with Susanne and was greatful that she was so warm right from the begining, we had lots to talk about and enjoyed the train ride to Mittelhausern (their village of about 800 people) until the train got stuck in Kionisk (sp?) because of the severe weather they have been having lately one of the creeks flooded the train tracks. Marc and the kids came to pick us up and I was greeted with hugs and hand shakes. The children, well are children, innocent and accepting from the begining. They let me sit between them on the ride to their house and showed me everything in the house including all their toys and books. I feel I will be in good hands for the following year with this very kind and accepting family.
The house is really beautiful, a townhouse with another attached at the other side. My room is on the first floor (of four total) with a nice cork floor and a beautiful bed. One wall is almost all windows, or doors actually, facing the front of the house with the little flower garden. The back yard of the house has a vegetable garden and beyond that is a corn field and then just land until the mountains are seen in the very far distance. It is really beautiful, although a little chillier than what I am used to.
This morning the family all went on a bike ride to a creek about a mile away. A very easy ride there for the creek was in a deep valley. The ride back wasn't something I was used to and could only get my bike 3/4 up the hill until I had to start walking it and panting. Very beautiful landscape so close to their house. We also stopped at the dairy, which is within their village and has lots of cheeses, milk, fresh bread made from someone in the lower village of Mittelhausern, and even Ice cream. They also have a little corner store with local fruit and other things, but we didn't stop there.
I think I shall enjoy my time in Switzerland.