Greetings from Switzerland!
I have been living here since the end of January in the mountains. Life has been a hectic whirlwind of many classes, assignments, adjustment, stress management, tests, and I am looking forward to a little bit of a break.
Before coming to the Alps, I was traveling in Finland a bit. I wanted to see the Northern Lights and Santa Village.
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| Museum of Silence in Helsinki |
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| Museum of Silence in Helsinki |
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| Santa Village |
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| Breathtaking Sunset |
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| Freezing in -20C |
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| A little skiing :-) |
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| Igloo in Santa Village |
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Sunrise from the train traveling to Northern Finland
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These images of Finland in Winter is really incredible. I have never been in -20c weather in my life so it was quite a shock to my physical body! I had a great time for a week before starting school.
Sometimes we just need a little break now and then.
Winter has been a welcome experience again for me in Switzerland, I arrived and it was really snowy for the first few weeks. It was really beautiful to wake up to soft fluffy snow falling. Getting ready in a suit plus winter gear on top of the suit to walk to school is another story (hah!)
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| On the train up to town |
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| Skiing in the Alps is breathtaking |
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Eating breakfast in the dining hall
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I go to an International Hotel school and there are so many different cultures and nationalities here. I have met tons of TCKs as well. Its nice to not always have to explain my mixed up cultural background to everyone (still have to do it on occasion but its not too unusual).
A lot of adjustment to being back in school though. I am having a hard time concentrating due to my ADHD tendencies especially when it comes to doing homework or studying on my own. After being in the working world for a decade. I am a bit challenged when it comes to sitting in a classroom and taking notes. It is also really difficult to study for tests as I can no longer survive long hours of study.
I am still dancing and have been asked to choreograph and dance for a few projects in school. I am also feeling a bit creative these days and working on some material that may materialise as a solo or a duet. Will see what happens.
Definitely helps when I am stressed to go outside and take a walk or go to the gym or dance outside (I have done this on many occasions). It is really beautiful.
Adjustment isn't easy but I don't really have any expectations so its been easier to adjust to mountain village living than to living in Singapore. I find it rather funny. Perhaps when we have lived in a place before we have these preconceived notions of what its like and how life should be. When it doesn't work out in your favor then we get frustrated. When everything is new, we just learn everything instead of having an idea of what it should be like. This is probably why repatriation is so hard. I was a bit homesick for a familiar place for a short bit in February while in the middle of studying for some tests but it seems the feeling has passed.
