Mon Aventure

Two whole weeks have passed since my last post.  Why haven't I written?  So much has happened in the last two weeks.  I've made new friends, I've been on a sight seeing tour, and I've plunged into my art career with zest and energy.  Chris and I have settled into the daily routine of life and we love our new life in Switzerland.  It's every bit as exciting and full of adventure as I hoped.  There's so much to see and do here and I don't want to miss a thing.

I haven't yet been inspired to share with you more of the obvious... living in a new country is exciting.  I'm willing for you to continue this journey with me and see all the excitement, so long as you have a true picture of reality.

We all have our demons, the sorrows that haunt us and the battles we fight in our heart.  I didn't shirk mine when I sailed away to Switzerland.  Mine didn't need a ticket to get here on a plane and they didn't need a stamp to pass through customs. 

I didn't come here to run away from my problems.  That wasn't the goal.  I face problems.  I don't run from them.  But when I got here and everything was so exciting, I did experience the hope that the dark days I experienced in the U.S. wouldn't come and rob my joy here in Switzerland.  It's easy to take your homeland for granted and not fight very hard when gloomy days enter your heart.  I didn't feel I was missing much.  But in a new country, it's obvious that there's so much to do and so much to see and our time here is limited.  I don't want to miss the good stuff while being weighed down by the bad stuff.  The temptation is just as strong in Switzerland as it is in the U.S.  When I get back to the U.S. I won't take it for granted as often as I did before.

What feuls my dark days?  Use your imagination.  What feuls your dark days?  Usually it's silly stuff.  Like my husband is leaving me here in a foreign country to go on a business trip for 4 days and I dread the lonely nights. 

You men might relate to this next one...  on Friday, Chris' computer crashed and it put him in a sour mood all day Saturday.

Most of us have a least one or two big sorrows.  Griefs that we rate as more worthy by the standards we've created.  For me it's 9 years of infertility. 

Yep, when I started this blog, I didn't think I was going to mention this subject, but there it is... an uncomfortable topic for all of us. 

If I didn't name it, you wouldn't believe me if I told you I have sorrows that rate as high as yours.  To borrow a concept from a recent Chris Rice song, life has clearly given me lemonade in almost every way.  So why do we spend a day or two here and there fixating on the one or two lemons?  Is it our inate longing for the past perfection of the Garden of Eden, and our hope and yearning for a future perfection in Eternity with God?  I hope so.  This sure puts us in a better light than to say we're just a bunch of ungrateful people, ungrateful for all the good stuff and never satisfied.

How much grieving is healthy?  This is a question I haven't answered yet. 

There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.  - Ecclesiastes

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. - Matthew

Jesus wept with Mary and Martha.

But I don't like to mourn.  I like to dance.  So when is it time to mourn and when is it time to dance?  When does mourning become unfruitful wallowing?

Half of Isaiah is filled with the delight God takes in turning our mourning into dancing.  Those who are willing can be like a well watered garden in a sun scorched (barren) land.

So when do we mourn and when do we dance?  I don't think there is a simple answer to this question.  It probably goes back to my post in December entitled Immanuel.  Those who are listening for His direction, will know what time it is. 

Shhhhhh.  I'm trying to listen.

It was Wednesday, February 3'd and the sun was out for the first time since Saturday... the last time we took a long walk to the park. Perfect timing! I headed out for the park with Bear and stopped to see the swans along the way. Actually, it was out of our way to see the swans and we spent the majority of the afternoon with the swans instead of at the park.

View across Lake Geneva at the mouth of the river.

Gyser fountain in the middle of the river. Check out the rainbow!

Bear's very first swan sighting.

Bear and I arrive at the "swan spot." Others are there with cameras too.

Yes, you have beautiful wings.








I had an extra piece of bread with me I brought as a snack for myself. It came in handy for feeding the swans on this unplanned visit.

Several of them crowded around me and got right up close to my face. This swan in particular was particularly funny, checking me out after all the bread was gone. He was looking for more. I haven't tried to pet their heads yet. I did briefly pet their wings from behind.






























The swans seem to be relatively comfortable with humans, but they weren't so keen on Bear. They didn't mind him so long as he didn't get too close. I tied Bear up and kept my body between him and them.






















Isn't he cute? He's 8 years old, but everyone thinks he's much younger. He has a healthy coat and is friendly with lots of energy.























Keeping a safe distance after they hissed at him a few times.

























Bear thought it was unfair that I got to play with the swans and he didn't. When I joined him on the stairs to watch the swans he rubbed his nose on my leg, with a few small wimpers and complaints to be let off the leash. Nonetheless, he enjoyed watching the swans from a distance. It was a unique experience for him.





















The water is SO crystal clear. I'm impressed that a city this big has managed to keep such clean river water.




Once again saying goodbye to the "swan spot" til another day.

We made it! We're here in Switzerland and the marathon is over. Life can run at a normal pace for a while.

We're settled into our snug temporary accommodations (a hotel apartment) while we look for a permanent apartment to rent.

It's been one week since we landed in Geneva. The plane ride was difficult as usual, but if I expect it to be bad, it's not quite as bad. One enormous mercy was that the flight was not full. I found 3 seats empty, took a Unisom (sleeping pill) and lay down. Most of the time it wasn't actual sleep. It was a weird zone-like state that made the trip go by faster. Probably two hours of actual sleep. This wouldn't be the best way to go if I was sitting up crammed into one seat the whole way. But it worked for that trip. I'm learning to come prepared for multiple options and be flexible.

We landed, slept and went back to the airport to collect my dog on Wednesday morning. I don't think I told most of you how very stressed I was about my dog arriving safely. I was slightly embarrassed about it. This was my number one concern over any other challenge regarding this entire move. My dog has never been on a plane before and I've never had to entrust him to the baggage handlers, trusting them not to lose him like they lose so much other luggage. Perhaps they are more careful with animals, but whatever. I was worried. Would customs accept him at the border? It was a tangle of potential hazards.

I could not have been more relieved to see him and he was even more relieved to see me. He was shaking like a leaf, and his nose was bloody from where he'd been pressing it up against the grate, probably the whole time. He was let out to pee and eat in London and spend the night. Who knows what he experienced there. I'm guessing it was that last short flight from London to Geneva that did him in, when he had no puppy Prozac and was beside himself in the cargo hold, not knowing where he was or what was happening to him.

At any rate, he arrived in one piece and I'm thanking God. I love that little dog. He has been with me for 8 years, on my good days and on my bad days.

All the way to the airport to pick him up I practiced a beautifully effective technique I've learned. (Thank you, Tymi!) Every time I caught myself being anxious over whether I would get him back, I breathed in deeply to the bottom of my stomach with a prayer and petition that he would arrive safely. I held my breath and then slowly let it out on an exhale, at the same time letting go of my desire, trusting God with it, envisioning that I would be ok if I didn't get my dog back. This works SO well for me, because when I worry, it creates an actual physical tension in my stomach. I'm certain I'm not the only one. Perhaps some of you experience the same thing. Try the breath and prayer combo technique. It's fantastic.

Anyway, Bear is here and we've been having a great time. Life in the city of Geneva is requiring adjustments for both of us. Bear has to wear a special collar so that he doesn't tug at me when I'm walking him and so that he doesn't jump with excitement at every person that walks by. He fussed about it at first, but adjusted to it much faster than most of the young dogs in the video I watched. I was so proud of him. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I say that's not always true. If your dog is smart and you have a good relationship with him, you can teach him something new at any age.

He also has to wear a bark collar so that he doesn't drive the neighbors crazy every time a caterpillar passes by the front door. It took only 3 experimental barks before he figured out that he shouldn't bark if he didn't want to get zapped. Some dogs take days or weeks. Again, I'm so proud of him.

I too, have adjustments to make. I have to walk him at least 3 times a day. These are short walks just to pee and poop. Nonetheless, it was so much easier when I could just let him out the back door and into the large backyard. I also have to take him to the park several miles away twice a week so he finally has a place to be let off the leash and run and get exercise. Actually, I don't have to do this, but I want to. I'd go crazy if I was him and could never run free. Chris and I took Bear to the park for the first time on Saturday. It's a gorgeous park I discovered alone on my first visit to Geneva and I was eager to show the park to Chris as well. It's a rare and special place in the middle of the city. It's enormous! You actually feel like you've stepped out into the country. You can't see buildings or hear city sounds. It's amazing.

I was bummed when I got there and realized I didn't bring my camera. I wanted to take pictures for you. Chris and Bear and I were so happy. The sun was out for the first time all week. It is gray and icy cold almost every day here at this time of year. I'll take pictures next time it's an idyllic morning at the park.

Overall, Chris and I love it here. We love the routine and rituals that this city follows. Businesses and shop keepers close for lunch. If you arrive at this time, you just have to wait. Furthermore, on Friday and Saturday night everything closes early. Retailers are not worked to death so that they can be at everyone else's beck and call 24 hours a day. Restaurants look dead except at the normal lunch hour if it's a "lunch place" and open at 6:30pm if it's a "dinner place." Sunday it's a ghost town almost everywhere, unless you could have laser vision into churches or homes. By Sunday afternoon a few parks do bustle with families walking their children, or people like me, walking their dogs, or young adults playing games. This Sunday I stumbled across a park with an ice skating rink. Families were enjoying hot chocolate and children were laughing in the small skating rink in front of a restaurant. The front of the restaurant was all glass so you could sit inside and watch your children skate.

Even the grocery store isn't open on Sunday. My new ritual is to go grocery shopping on Monday for the week and again on Thursday or Friday for the weekend to be sure we have fresh vegetables on Sunday. Right now I am forced to walk to the grocery store, and will probably continue to do so even when my car arrives, (driving in the city is more bother than it's worth) so my aim is to buy only that which won't be a nightmare to carry home. Food is expensive here. It's not hard to go home with only 2 shopping bags of food for 4-5 days. I LOVE this. It's eliminating waste from my old habits. I can name every single item of food I currently have in the kitchen and exactly what meal it will be used for in the next 4 days. This is such a thrill to me.
I DO admit to having one large bag of rice in case an ice storm hits and I can't go out for a week. =) This is my only "store house." I don't know if the Swiss people do this, but in America we certainly think this way, and it's my little nod to this kind of preparation.

Joseph prepared for the years of famine. Yes, I feel relieved now that I just remembered that.

Anyway, back to the rituals. I LOVE the routines and rituals here. I'll shop on Monday and Friday. I'll do laundry on Tuesday and I'll take Bear to the park on Wednesday. I'm not sure what other day Bear and I will go to the park. That might vary. Sometimes Chris will go with us on Saturday. At other times I might take him on Friday if Chris and I have plans for the weekend, like skiing an hour away in the Alps.

Guess who can go into the stores and on the trains and even into many restaurants with me? My dog! Geneva is the most dog friendly city. I've never heard of such a place. They love dogs here.

Bear is not ready to go into the shops yet. Or rather, I'm not ready to take him. He needs a little more experience with the new lead collar. I need to be sure he's not going to start frantically scratching at it and cause onlookers to worry about him and my "dog training skills." Dogs are welcome everywhere because there is a high expectation for their good behavior. I might take him to the laundry mat with me tomorrow. We'll test that and see how it goes. We don't have a washer/dryer in our hotel apartment and are loath to pay the hotel to do it. Much too expensive. It's been almost 9 years since I've had to do laundry at a laundry mat. I actually think it's going to be kind of nifty to tell you the truth. Again, a new routine.

Rosetta Stone arrived in the mail today. I'm SO excited to start learning French. That will have to find a spot in my weekly schedule. In the past I've never had this sort of schedule before. I've flown by the seat of my pants and did things in a random fashion. I'm sure I'll find ways to be spontaneous and keep my spirit free, so to speak, but I'm enjoying this new routine thoroughly.

Tomorrow I plan to order art supplies so I can begin work on 2 paintings I've been asked to create by people back in the U.S. I love the idea that my life in the U.S. and my life in Switzerland are woven together.

On Friday or Saturday night (I can't remember which it was) I pulled out my scrapbook stuff and did a page of my family at New Year's '08/'09. That was spontaneous. I surprised myself by doing this. I would have expected that I would need more than 4 days to be in Switzerland and settle in before I would have the time or energy to think about my scrapbooking hobby. But it met a need I must have had to bridge this new life with my life in the U.S. Through the years I've taken long breaks from scrapbooking at odd times when I would have expected to have lots of time for it. And I turn to it at odd times too.

Chris and I played the "train" game... a board game we love... and we've been watching re-runs of MASH on my computer in the evening. In the midst of a world that is new and exciting, but potentially uncomfortable for us, we've allowed a few old comforts and familiars in places where it seems to fit.

On Sunday morning we visited our first church in Geneva. We loved it. We felt right at home. It’s amazing that we found this group of people so quickly upon arriving in a new country. The internet is a marvel. I was moved to tears by the realization that I can be this far from home and still feel at home. To be with Jesus is to be at home in a deeper way than any affinity I have for South West Virginia, the land of my birth. (And I have an unsually strong affinity, more than most people to the place they were born.) It’s even deeper than being with blood family... to be with the body of Christ is to truly be at home, in any country, in any place. Represented in that room, were 200 people from all over the globe…. Russia, China, Australia, the UK, Germany, the United States, Africa, Latin America and more. We all came together for the same reason. We love Jesus and we want to worship Him with others who also love Him. It was near the top of the best “church” experiences I’ve ever had. Granted, my experience is small. There are 10 English speaking churches in the city of Geneva. We want to visit most of them before we “settle down” in any one place. We want to use this opportunity to meet lots of people in Geneva and not miss something important. The temptation to return next Sunday to this Evangelical Baptist church was so strong. And they were eager to have us return. It’s everything we are comfortable with… lively, heartfelt music. Agreed with the sermon wholeheartedly. Was stirred by the Spirit to personal growth. And we weren’t the only ones wearing jeans to church!!! SO key. =)And the things that were different were an absolute delight, such as the pastor’s British accent and British humor.I’m sure we’ll make lasting friends here and we might even camp out here for a bit and call it our “home base” for a while, but we don’t want to miss other believers in Geneva and other experiences that might teach us something. We even want to dress up to go to the Presbyterian Church where John Calvin preached a few of his famous sermons. I think it’s called the “church of Scotland.” I haven’t talked to Chris about this yet, but I’m even curious to visit the Episcopalian church and the Catholic Church. I’m told that Geneva is primarily Catholic. I’d like to understand who these people are and what makes them tick. Maybe if we learn French the church options will open up to us. Oh what an exciting thought! To worship God in another language.

At the same time I'm making new friends, I've also talked with some of you over the phone. The 6 hour time difference isn't much of a problem after all. In fact, when I couldn't sleep one night I called my Mom. It was 11:30pm her time and she's usually up at that time, and it was 5:30am my time. Yet another new experience we would never have had otherwise. I've woken up and couldn't sleep at times throughout my whole life, but I've never called my Mom. I didn't want to wake her up. After talking with her for a half hour I fell fast asleep quickly. Once again praise God for the internet and the fact that I can live in Switzerland and have a Virginia phone number!

Once again, I've kept you for long enough. There's so much more to tell you. But it will have to wait for another day.

Bon Voyage!