Balancing Sundays

It's that time again. Sunday night. In less than an hour it will technically be Monday morning and a start to another work week. Another fresh start. Another stressful week.


This week was another new start for me. On Monday I started my new job with College Champittet. I am teaching preschool, third, fourth and fifth grade. It is all very exciting, this new job. It is my first REAL teaching position and I am so happy. I am also more busy than I have ever been. Last year, I tutored 6-9 hours a week, worked online 20-30 hours a week, and spent 15-20 hours a week earning my masters. This year, I work 28 hours a week in school as well. Sometimes I worry, where will that time come from? I can't work 90 hours a week, I would be exhausted and burned-out. Something has to give. It can't continue that way. 

I read the blog of a teacher of mine from 9 years ago when I attended boarding school. She is raising her first child and her blog is elegant and well written (she was my English teacher after all). Something she said really struck me -

Find the balance between the effort and the ease…


This is something I feel I may have a problem with. Like my teacher, Kerry, I have no problem with the effort part of that saying. I like to work hard and do things well. I like to have a good finished product. I like a job well done. I like to have a finger in every pot, say yes to every opportunity, try everything. The problem is if I put all this effort into a million things then I am out of time and exhausted and good at none of them. I know this, and still I seem unable to make the hard choices that would make my life easier. I need to find the balance between the effort and the ease.


Ease is a very hard concept for me. I do not do well when I am not busy. Last year I was busy working and doing school work. This year, I am busy with much of the same, just even more on my plate than before. Every now and then I have a free hour and I am at a complete loss. What should I do with this relaxing, free time? Then I think I should have planned in a run or a guitar session. Things never seem to come or happen easily. 


Actually that last statement is a bit false. One of the most stable and wonderful things I have at this moment is my relationship with my husband. That comes with ease and it is something we must both strive not to take for granted. It feels so normal and right to be with Paul I rarely even think about the fact that we are married. We just ARE. I have to embrace this and be thankful for the time we get together (the very little bits between my work and his).

So where is my balance? On this Sunday night I am taking some time for myself. I am writing, and then going to do a bit of reading before calling it a night. I got to chat to my parents. I wrote thank you notes. I went for a long run (16K) and finished without stopping. I cooked me and Paul a healthy, delicious dinner. The house has been cleaned top to bottom. It is difficult, but balance is such a necessary factor in our daily lives. I just have to keep making the effort to find that balance. 

The Best Day

View from our hostel

Yesterday I took a day off of work. I start teaching on Monday (and I am VERY excited!) but I thought since the summer was almost over I might as well. I had a friend who I traveled with on Birthright Israel who was passing through Switzerland for 2 days. I figured I might as well go and meet him to explore for a day. So I woke up at 6 (!) and took a 2 hour train to Interlaken where I met up with Jake. He hopped on the train and we continued on. Another hour later and we were on a Gondola on our way up to Gimmelwald. We checked into a hostel with the most beautiful view I have ever seen. And at this point it was only 10am. We dropped our things, made a new friend, and started on a trail towards the ice caves.

I need to stop here and talk a little bit about the person who came with us. His name is Trent and he is Australian. He is also the quietest Australian and one of the quietest people I have ever met. We also nicknamed him the Mountain Goat. He is the fastest hiker I have ever met. I mean I think I am in shape, but I felt like I had never been on a hike before, let alone take a walk. I was huffing and puffing and picking up the back. Luckily Jake wasn't doing much better so I didn't feel completely useless.

Meadow near ice caves

So we hiked and hiked. We hiked in a beautiful canyon along a ranging river for about an hour. Mostly up hill but some downhill also. Finally, the canyon just opening up into a beautiful meadow surrounded by sheer cliffs with waterfalls spurting from the walls. It was just breathtaking and I stood there with my mouth open, looking all around. Scenes like that no picture can ever capture (which is good because I forgot my camera). We continued through the meadow and up to the ice caves. 

Entry to the large ice cave

The ice caves turned out to be natural openings under the glacier that was into the valley. They were like nothing I have ever seen before - so wide and tall a car could have driven through! We went inside and the temperature dropped immediately. It is such a strange feeling to be completely surrounded by ice. After some wandering and playing on ice, and soaking wet from the water dripping from the ceiling, we came out. There were three large waterfalls nearby another opening, so we headed toward those.

The three waterfalls

The journey up to the waterfalls was easy - slippery loose rocks but at least it wasn't too wet. A few minutes later we were standing against a wall with waterfalls on either side of us. I went to a rock to get my friend to take a picture and slipped - you forget how slippery they can be! Luckily I just landed on the rock and ended up with a slightly bruised hand. I returned to the wall to just enjoy the beauty. The wind started picking up and one of the waterfalls was spraying all of its water on us. In a few minutes we were soaked! We picked our way one by one down the hill of rocks to the sunshine. We found some rocks and laid out to dry (on the glacier!).

The rock of death!

It was getting later in the afternoon and we were hungry. After a short walk back on the same trail we had arrived in, we spotted a cave a short ways up another hill. After a 5 minute hike we were in a shallow cave. The walls framed the cliffs and the meadow, and the cave was full of butterflies. They landed on our heads and feet and fluttered near our food. It was almost unbelievable having such a beautiful lunch (of bread, turkey and cheese!).

Once again we were on the move, this time to a waterfall. Now the "path" to this waterfall is more like a shallow cliff scramble. The rock was smooth and weathered, with cracks here and there to put your feet in. There were also some trees and plants that had broken through the bedrock and were always in the place we needed to go. After 15 minutes of a 60 degree incline, we made it to our first waterfall. After changing into bathing suits, our Mountain Goat climbed down into the water. This waterfall/river area is hard to describe. There is no dirt or soil because the small river runs right in the bedrock. There are smaller rocks in the bed of the stream, but you can think of it more like a slide, made out of one big bedrock, that the water runs through. The first waterfall we went under had a small cave behind it. When I say small I mean that I could just curl up my body into the little alcove. I don't think the boys fit so the just stuck their heads in. The next waterfall we scrambled another 5 minutes up another 60 degree incline. That waterfall was much taller, falling from 30 feet above, and gave a great massage. We spent another hour or so scrambling on these rocks, into shallow pools and slide like streams, then napped/chilled in the sunshine to dry. It felt like paradise.

The last few hours of the day, Jake and I hiked up to the nearby "town" of Murren. It had a little grocery store where we bought some fruit and found a bench to eat and chat. Within 10 minutes a thunderstorm had moved in and we were getting drenched. We ran to the gondola station and got down quickly and dry.


The rest of the night passed like all the others in hostels. We had dinner, beer, and made friends with all the travelers. As the storm thundered on, a full rainbow appeared in the sky and we all stopped to admire it and take pictures. It's not often you get a full rainbow and a view like the one we had.

Rainbow!

It was funny with people asking me, "How long is your trip?" and I had to respond that I live in Switzerland and I was just taking a day off. I certainly don't sound Swiss, so that always confuses people. Either way, it was a great, relaxing night.


I forgot how amazing Switzerland can be, if you don't spend your time dealing with Swiss people. There are so many beautiful places to visit and travel to and with the trains it is all very easy. 

A Melange of Thoughts

So, it's been a while. I keep meaning to write but there is no focus to my writing. So I put it off and put it off. And I have a million other things to do. What have I been doing, you ask?

• Writing the kindergarten curriculum for Forest Trail Academy
• Prepping for my classes (Year 3 history, science, art, English, Year 4 & 5 Advanced English, Preschool English immersion)
• Writing graduate papers
• Running
• Cleaning
• Wash 
• Rinse
• Repeat

Let's be fair here and mention I took mucho vacation this summer. But that is why I am a teacher! I GET the vacation. But not with multiple jobs- I am always working.

So looking ahead. Tomorrow should be a great day. I am taking advantage of the fact that I live in Switzerland and that a friend is passing through to go for a day-long hike. It should be a good day. I am staying the night on a mountain hostel then coming back Friday for new teacher orientation. Phew. I am tired. Are you tired?

I have been thinking lots of things lately. Most of it is a melange (is that an English word?). First, I think about the role technology plays in our life. Sometimes I curse it - my computer seems to control me - and other times I love it - like when I get to skype my friends and family. 

I have also been thinking that maybe I have taken on too much. Is anyone in this crowd of 3 who reads this blog surprised? I am not. I KNOW I take on too much and I continue to do it. I am a consistent over-achiever and I can't stop myself. Plus I love all of my opportunities right now. Which one would I say no to? It would be too difficult to say.

Next, I am thinking about planning. Not a single plan, but planning in general. As much as I try to plan my life, we really have no idea. Will I be here for 1 year? For 4? Will I go to America? England? Scotland? Netherlands? Canada? I have to be honest and say I have no idea. We will go where jobs take us. So why plan, and then end up disappointed when the plans don't turn out? Better to go where the wind blows and take each opportunity as it comes.

Finally, I went to see the fireworks in Geneva last weekend. They were absolutely amazing, better than most American 4th of July celebrations. But between these amazing beautiful displays of light, I could hear the ducks and swans (and babies!) squacking and quacking for dear life. They were frightened out of their minds. What were these incredibly loud sounds? Was their world falling to pieces? I know they are just animals, but I felt terrible for them anyways. Then I started thinking about all the things in life that we do - they might be pretty and flashy - that cause a frightening or disrupting bang in someone else's life. The worst part is we never even know it so we can't fix it. Just something to think about.

Now it's late (as always) and I've got an early train to Grimmelwald. Until next time...

Conclusion of Birthright, NY, Homr

I am sitting backwards on a train traveling from Basel to Bern. From there, I will get to pick up all 5 of my bags and change to a train that ends in Lausanne. It is a long end to a long few months of travel. I feel like I have been on the go and living out of my suitcase from the end of May when I headed to America for the wedding. Now I have had the adventure of going to Israel and it was amazing. I will not give a very detailed account of our last four days because for one,  am exhausted, and for two I couldn’t describe all of it – we just saw and did too much. I will point out some of my highlights and thoughts along the way.

It has been a long time since I have done a group trip somewhere, especially with people my own age. Sure it was a wide range (18-26) and I was on the upper edge of that range, but it was sure an experience. There are definitely people that went on that trip that I want to see again. So with that in mind, after Jerusalem we headed to the desert with our Israel soldiers. We stopped first at an overlook of the Dead Sea and miles of sand dunes. Beautiful.  Next we arrived at the Bedouin tents to learn a bit about their culture and old ways. Finally they let us ride camels out into the desert. It was a bit scary getting on, and a bumpy ride, but definitely something I will remember. We were only on the camels for about 20 minutes but that was enough time for me. We later had a bonfire, learned some pop songs (in Hebrew!) from our soldiers, performed our songs then finally slept. The next morning was the hike to Massada!

We woke up at 4:15 to head out for Massada. A stomach bug had been going around and I had it. I didn’t feel great, but I did the best I could. We made it up to the top of Massada for sunrise and my camera battery died. This is the problem with camping – no outlets! We then got a tour of Massada from our amazing guide Negev. If you don’t know about Massada you should look into it, it is a very interesting place. We finally hiked back down and headed out towards our next mini hike which took us to a waterfall. It was the first time I had been cool in a week, and it felt great. As usual we were hurried along to our next destination, the DEAD SEA!

This is something that is on my bucket list. I have always wanted to visit the Dead Sea and I was actually going! The Dead Sea is shrinking every year. The water that feeds into the Dead Sea is decreasing every year as people upstream use more and more. When the resort was first built, it was right next to the water. When we visited you had to ten minute shuttle to get to the water (or walk for 15-20 minutes in scorching heat). Once you get to the shore the sand is burning hot, and under the water there is no sand, only salt deposits that are sharp and cutting. You have to be careful because you don’t want to get a cut. Salty water stings, but the Dead Sea water kills. The water is full of minerals and, well, salt of course. It almost felt like baby oil and made my skin feel so soft. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. It wasn’t just salty, it was… I don’t even know the taste: terrible, gross, disgusting. This was just another reason to not end up with the water in your mouth. It made the Pacific taste like fresh water! My friend Marisa and I floated for half an hour or so, but the water was not refreshing and cool. It was like a hot salty, smelly bath. But it was still amazing to float. I am not a floater. I ALWAYS sink and for the first time I couldn’t stop floating. I tried to put my feet on the ground and I just flipped over to my stomach. It was ridiculous but a lot of fun. Out time eventually ran out so we headed to the mudbaths, rinsed with sulfur water, salt water and finally freshwater then showered and headed out. We said goodbye to our soliders and our bus started driving even deeper into the Desert. We were in the heart of the Negev. Unlike the touristy Bedouin tents, there was only one other group near us at these campsites. We were given permission to wander away and find a quiet place to sleep under the stars. We were exhausted and after a quick campfire I headed to bed. The sky was incredible. The stars filled the sky and in each one I saw planets, galaxies, a whole universe. It took me a while to sleep, and even when I did I kept waking up to stare at the sky. I eventually woke up right before sunrise, grabbed a few photos and got ready for that morning’s hike. It was another beautiful little trek up a medium rocky ridge with a few good rock climbing areas. It was nice just to be in nature without a ton of people. Next thing we knew we were back on the bus heading to Tel Aviv. It was a long drive, and we were all thankful that Israel is a small country.

Tel Aviv was so much different than the other cities. It is not pretty, there is not beautiful architecture or history. But the people in Tel Aviv are interesting, secular, and mostly young. The night life is crazy even on a Wednesday. We got to see Tel Aviv’s independence hall, learn about the night Israel declared its independence, and walk a bit through the downtown protest regarding rent-control. It is interesting, although I suppose not surprising, that Israel is so much more than it is portrayed on the news. There are so many things happening in Israel, and I am sure in many other countries as well, that we never hear about it because it is not shocking, terrible, news. People in Israel  are just living their lives like everyone else. So when we went out for our first night on the town we were all excited to see the real Tel Aviv. Our soldiers brought us to their favorite bar on the beach, then to a nearby club with great music and dancing. On Wednesday, it was absolutely packed and difficult to push in. But we all got in there and brought our own 45 person party. I had a blast! There was lots of dancing to both American and Israeli music. Before we knew it our time was up and our last night in Israel was over.

Our final day in Israel was long but very interesting. We saw a few more market places, and eventually headed to Jaffa, the old port near Tel Aviv. Jaffa is significant because it used to be the place that Jews first arrived when they headed to Jerusalem. Jews were not welcome in Jaffa as it was an Arab city. Because of this, Tel Aviv was founded in the sand dunes nearby as the Jewish port town. Jaffa is still certainly charming with nice hills and a town filled with winding alleyways, archways, paths and cubbyholes. I wish we could have spent hours there, but we were running out of time in Israel. We had our goodbye dinner and the airport. That was the end of our adventure,  and after arriving at New York we hugged and parted ways.

I am still in awe that the trip was free. Yes, we paid one meal a day, and we had to be in NY, but 10 days of food, accommodation, activities and a roundtrip, nonstop ticket to Tel Aviv from NY is pretty amazing. They didn’t skimp – we did many adventurous things, many interesting experiences. I hope all my Jewish friends are also able to take advantage of this trip, it is so incredible and FREE!

So after all this excitement I got to see my parents in NY. They flew in from Chicago so we could spend a few days together. I was pretty jet-lagged and had some work to do, but it was great just to hang out with them and have them around. Sometimes even if you aren’t doing anything particular it is nice just to be with someone. I like spending time with my parents so although we didn’t do anything particularly exciting, it was so relaxing to just be with them. Again our time together ended too quickly, and now I am almost home.

I am excited that after a taxi, 2 planes, 2 busses, and 2 trains I will finally be home. I have decided not to start work until tomorrow when I am refreshed. Traveling is exhausting! I am thankful that we are not going anywhere big for a while. I need some time to just get back into routine.

I will say that I am definitely excited to get back to Israel someday as from Geneva it is only a 3 hour flight and will cost $160 roundtrip. I will say one thing about Switzerland, it really is in the middle of many interesting places. I would like to go to Egypt too, but at the moment it is not the best idea. That government and system looks ready to collapse any day now.

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Well I’ve got to get my 500 bags together to change trains. Is it nap time yet?