Solo

I know it's been a while since my last blog post. Well, let me tell you, it's been quite a trip since then!

Where to start... things kind of went downhill after getting back from Wengen. Not all good things can last forever! ;) I got sick with this nasty flu thing... it started out with a sinus infection, then a sore throat, then a cough, then a stomach bug, and all that played out for a week and a half.

So I'll be frank about this. I'm coming home early! Well, I'll be coming home December 23, as planned, but not going back to Switzerland in January. The thing is, the family and I just didn't get along that great. Now, don't get me wrong... it's not like we fight and all that stuff. Our personalities just don't match up and it causes some tension. I was pretty disappointed cause I tried to adapt to the parent's expectations and rules but it still ended up not being good enough.

Even when things didn't work out as planned, I'm pretty excited to come home and finish up school. Plus I'm applying to study abroad in Italy in the summer, so I'll get another chance to come back to Europe. I only have about three more semesters left then I get my Bachelor's degree. So I figure, I start school in the spring, continue in the summer, and then fall semester, I'll finish up and start working on my Master's. I actually feel pretty great about it.

Well let me tell you the last month really hasn't been easy for me. Homesickness finally hit, especially from being alone so much. I've made some pretty good friends here, but they work when I'm not working, or they're here on internships then leave before we get a chance to really become close friends. I go to the LDS Institute when I can and hang out with people every now and then which helps me get by. I kind of miss the closeness of my family and the comfort of being able to just be myself with them. Now, I knew this loneliness would be a price I would have to pay if I was going to travel the world. Friends are only fleeting, here one moment, gone the next. I have to depend on myself and work hard to not get sucked up in loneliness. Some days are good, some not so good. I'm thankful for technology like Skype to help me stay in touch with my family... I'd probably go insane without it!

Is the negative side of traveling the world solo worth it? I'd say it's hard, but it's worth it. In my mind, we all get one life to live. How can we say we lived without experiencing difficult things in order to reach parts of the world we never imagined existed? And by experiencing these things we learn more about ourselves and expand our mental capacities to achieve bigger and better things.

Well, I'm just looking forward to more exciting things. I think while Amélie is in school and on the days I don't have French classes, I'll try to go more around Geneva and maybe just across the border into France. Keep things interesting. Thanks for all of your support! I'll update when something awesome happens!