Sunday, July 31, 2011 Our room, Chalet 10:14 PM
Should stop kidding myself about doing consistent prose. Also, need to go QUICKLY. Side note: staffers LOVE tie-dye stuff.
Anyway, summary.
- wake up
- shower
- lunch
- breakfast
- stuff
- commence hike of Elsigen (ANOTHER mountain)
- I was map person
- it didn't work
- I was proud because I thought I found where we were
- time-wise, it worked
- the forks in the road = same as were on the map
- rivers = same
- I was wrong
- it sucked.
- continued hiking
- played Harry Potter 20 q's with Leila, Page, Emily, and Asia (staffer)
- wound up ditching the question cap as stuff got more obscure
- i.e. Nagini, Merlin's Beard, Ernie MacMillan's Patronus, diadem, Room of Requirement, Marauder's Map, Quaffle, etc.
- stopped for lunch at mad-made lake
- COLD water
- fully submerged myself for 5 seconds
- FROZEN
- hiked to other lake
- saw a baptism
- hiked back
- still playing HPQ's
- gondola back down
- bus back
- chore = sweeping
- dinner = awesome
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY POTTER!
- Also, Chalet
- birthday campfire
- Montreal stole our song
- "Princess Pat"
- going crazy
- after cool stuff, delivered tie-dye socks/ bandannas/ glow sticks/ cookies to staff
- awesomeness
- now, listening to "tangled"
- awesome music!
- Alan Menken = AMAZING
- Beauty and the Beast
- Aladdin
- Enchanted
- most Disney classics
- I have an awkward sunburn on my legs now
- it's weird
- Leila won't stop singing
- not a bad thing but it's kind of annoying because I'm trying to listen to the actual music
- whatever
- goodnight
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Entry # 19, Europe Journal
Sat, 30 July, 2011 T-bar 9:46 PM
Today is a notes day. I will do details and such at another time.
- wake up
- shower
- lunch pack
- b-fast
- Bethany (staff) was singing 'Newsies' this morning during cleanup. It made me very happy.
- bus ride
- met Molly from Ipswich (bus buddy mix up thing)
- she's going into high school
- she asked if everyone had pools in the back garden.
- I mentioned public pools
- went up Neisan (mountain) on a super-slow/ steep/ rickety train
- lots of clouds
- got licked by a cow and got a shot of video down its nose. Item off the bucket list.
- went back down in the train
- ate lunch
- boat to castle
- fairy tale castle + history = WIN!
- dining room was closed, and that's the most direct and legal route to the dungeon (which I wanted to see)
- no dungeon for me
- SAD FACE!
- went back to the Chalet on bus
- chore = bathrooms
- dinner = good
- dessert = AMAZING
- (also, pistachio ice cream is amazing)
- evening thing - live version of the board game 'clue'
- victim = Skippy the Cat
- committed by Reuben the Rafting Guide, using poisoned lemon cake, on the Kitchen Veranda
- now in T-bar working on Chalet Challenge
- should be writing letters
- going to do that now
- goodnight
Today is a notes day. I will do details and such at another time.
- wake up
- shower
- lunch pack
- b-fast
- Bethany (staff) was singing 'Newsies' this morning during cleanup. It made me very happy.
- bus ride
- met Molly from Ipswich (bus buddy mix up thing)
- she's going into high school
- she asked if everyone had pools in the back garden.
- I mentioned public pools
- went up Neisan (mountain) on a super-slow/ steep/ rickety train
- lots of clouds
- got licked by a cow and got a shot of video down its nose. Item off the bucket list.
- went back down in the train
- ate lunch
- boat to castle
- fairy tale castle + history = WIN!
- dining room was closed, and that's the most direct and legal route to the dungeon (which I wanted to see)
- no dungeon for me
- SAD FACE!
- went back to the Chalet on bus
- chore = bathrooms
- dinner = good
- dessert = AMAZING
- (also, pistachio ice cream is amazing)
- evening thing - live version of the board game 'clue'
- victim = Skippy the Cat
- committed by Reuben the Rafting Guide, using poisoned lemon cake, on the Kitchen Veranda
- now in T-bar working on Chalet Challenge
- should be writing letters
- going to do that now
- goodnight
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Entry # 18, Europe Journal
29 July, 2011 Centennial Room 7:46 PM
I KNOW I didn't write yesterday, and I'm too tired from Bunderspitz *the peak we climbed* to do a proper prose entry, so... MORE NOTES!
yesterday:
- after chocolate - waterfalls
- super cool
- super powerful
- still I wish I could have done the rafting. Really. The falls were cool and all, and we CAN do rafting at home, but rafting is just that much cooler than watching water fall.
- then lunch
- went to Interlaken again
- did a scavenger hunt in the non touristy part of town
- went back to the Chalet
- I freaked out packing for Bunderspitz
- chores = I missed them (too late - didn't learn what the chore was until it was nearly done)
- dinner
- I was wait staff
- lots of freak out about Bunderspitz
- left a little early from dinner to finish packing
- arrived late and hassled to Meeting Point
- YOU try packing for an overnight hike with a messy corner in less than two hours
- began hike with rain and such
- all of our troop went; a total of 16 counting the staffers
- arrived at cheese maker's around 9:45?
- muddy + tired
- had the BEST HOT CHOCOLATE EVER!
- fresh milk FTW
- slept above barn
- one of my warmest cold nights ever (in a good way. Two wool blankets over sleeping bag liner = best. Bed. Ever.)
- two-ish hours of sleep
- bed at ten, sleep at 12:30
- woke up at 2:30 AM
- layered clothing, met outside
- COLD
- hiked very steeply
- glad that it was dark - if I had been able to see more than a meter ahead (headlamp), I would have chickened out
- I was at back... like usual
- before breakfast = hard
- breakfast = 4:30-ish AM
- didn't finish
- COLD
- after breakfast = REALLY hard
- steep but not as muddy
- really rocky
- by the time it got light, I had begun mentally swearing on every step
- muscles + uphill + 3 hour hike + 2 hours sleep = painful
- for some reason I didn't think to get ear worms
- last 1.5 miles (especially last half mile) = TORTURE
- would have had needed to sanitize my mouth if I had the breath to utter what was in my head
- tears of exhaustion = I had them
- not proud of them
- DO NOT TELL ME I DID WELL. I DIDN'T. IF YOU SAY I DID WELL I'LL FEEL WORSE.
- Allison did SO much better.
- I was THE WORST.
- Don't say otherwise. It's a LIE.
- summit = awesome
- made less awesome because I was tired and wanted to punch everyone in the face for Tired Rage
- More Lies of My Awesomeness
- only on the summit for half an hour
- mad that I couldn't sit longer
- hike down = HARD
- entire lower half = still hurting
- now 8:22 PM; finished 11:00 AM *I don't entirely understand this note*
- LONG hike home
- Mom got all nagging through the rest of the day because she's like that when she's tired
- it doesn't make it any more fun
- lunch 11:30
- sleep 12:30 - 3:30
- Mom still nagging about EVERYTHING
- trouser-washing
- shower
- tooth-brushing
- sleeping
- finding Allison's rain trousers
- mom insisting that I not being on FB when aforementioned things had to be done
- also, nagging for the sake of nagging
- NOT FUN AT ALL
- dinner
- chill
- write
- sardines with Suffolk (this didn't actually happen)
- now = leaving
I KNOW I didn't write yesterday, and I'm too tired from Bunderspitz *the peak we climbed* to do a proper prose entry, so... MORE NOTES!
yesterday:
- after chocolate - waterfalls
- super cool
- super powerful
- still I wish I could have done the rafting. Really. The falls were cool and all, and we CAN do rafting at home, but rafting is just that much cooler than watching water fall.
- then lunch
- went to Interlaken again
- did a scavenger hunt in the non touristy part of town
- went back to the Chalet
- I freaked out packing for Bunderspitz
- chores = I missed them (too late - didn't learn what the chore was until it was nearly done)
- dinner
- I was wait staff
- lots of freak out about Bunderspitz
- left a little early from dinner to finish packing
- arrived late and hassled to Meeting Point
- YOU try packing for an overnight hike with a messy corner in less than two hours
- began hike with rain and such
- all of our troop went; a total of 16 counting the staffers
- arrived at cheese maker's around 9:45?
- muddy + tired
- had the BEST HOT CHOCOLATE EVER!
- fresh milk FTW
- slept above barn
- one of my warmest cold nights ever (in a good way. Two wool blankets over sleeping bag liner = best. Bed. Ever.)
- two-ish hours of sleep
- bed at ten, sleep at 12:30
- woke up at 2:30 AM
- layered clothing, met outside
- COLD
- hiked very steeply
- glad that it was dark - if I had been able to see more than a meter ahead (headlamp), I would have chickened out
- I was at back... like usual
- before breakfast = hard
- breakfast = 4:30-ish AM
- didn't finish
- COLD
- after breakfast = REALLY hard
- steep but not as muddy
- really rocky
- by the time it got light, I had begun mentally swearing on every step
- muscles + uphill + 3 hour hike + 2 hours sleep = painful
- for some reason I didn't think to get ear worms
- last 1.5 miles (especially last half mile) = TORTURE
- would have had needed to sanitize my mouth if I had the breath to utter what was in my head
- tears of exhaustion = I had them
- not proud of them
- DO NOT TELL ME I DID WELL. I DIDN'T. IF YOU SAY I DID WELL I'LL FEEL WORSE.
- Allison did SO much better.
- I was THE WORST.
- Don't say otherwise. It's a LIE.
- summit = awesome
- made less awesome because I was tired and wanted to punch everyone in the face for Tired Rage
- More Lies of My Awesomeness
- only on the summit for half an hour
- mad that I couldn't sit longer
- hike down = HARD
- entire lower half = still hurting
- now 8:22 PM; finished 11:00 AM *I don't entirely understand this note*
- LONG hike home
- Mom got all nagging through the rest of the day because she's like that when she's tired
- it doesn't make it any more fun
- lunch 11:30
- sleep 12:30 - 3:30
- Mom still nagging about EVERYTHING
- trouser-washing
- shower
- tooth-brushing
- sleeping
- finding Allison's rain trousers
- mom insisting that I not being on FB when aforementioned things had to be done
- also, nagging for the sake of nagging
- NOT FUN AT ALL
- dinner
- chill
- write
- sardines with Suffolk (this didn't actually happen)
- now = leaving
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Entry # 17, Europe Journal
11:48 AM The Bus, Interlaken 28 July 2011
We just got back on the bus on our first town day. We went to this chocolatier in Interlaken, and he showed us yow they make hollow chocolate cows and how the chocolate goes from the pod/ bean/ plant to the chocolate place:
yeah, that's basically it.
I think.
Anyway, the chocolate was DELICIOUS.
And white chocolate isn't actually chocolate because the cocoa powder isn't used.
No we're on the bus to go to a waterfall thing.
I still wish we were going to do the white water rafting thing. I'm sure the waterfalls are super awesome and all, and we can always go class-four rafting in West Virginia, but I was just looking out the window ad part of the river, and there is NOTHING like that in West Virginia.
We just got back on the bus on our first town day. We went to this chocolatier in Interlaken, and he showed us yow they make hollow chocolate cows and how the chocolate goes from the pod/ bean/ plant to the chocolate place:
- grown
- pods = harvested
- pods split open
- beans harvested
- put under banana leaves for fermentation - 7-10 days
- 7-10 days = drying
- shipped/ sold
- ground
- fat from bean = removed
- all = melted
- mixed so it's smooth
- sugar/ milk/ vanilla/ necessaries added
- mixed
- heated
- coolness
- stuff is done
- eaten
yeah, that's basically it.
I think.
Anyway, the chocolate was DELICIOUS.
And white chocolate isn't actually chocolate because the cocoa powder isn't used.
No we're on the bus to go to a waterfall thing.
I still wish we were going to do the white water rafting thing. I'm sure the waterfalls are super awesome and all, and we can always go class-four rafting in West Virginia, but I was just looking out the window ad part of the river, and there is NOTHING like that in West Virginia.
Swiss Facts (written on bus; part of Europe Journal)
So these notes are what I took on the bus on the way to Interlaken. They're actually sort of interesting (I think, at least), and they're in the notebook, so why not put them in?
FACTS (7/27/11)
- Adelboden is in a valley with a river that gives its name to the valley
- I can't spell it (river/ valley); I probably can't pronounce it, either.
- *now I don't remember it*
- Adelboden = 1356 meters above sea level, same height as Chalet, just on the other side of the valley
- woodcarver visits since 1945 (Chalet opened 1932)
- suspension bridge over a river = 180 meters high, 30 meters long, largest (one of) suspension bridge in Europe
- Elsegen hike *one of the peaks* = at peak = Edelweiss = Swiss national flower; endangered species *who knew flowers could be endangered*
- Frutegen *town* = 800 meters *above sea level? not sure - I just put the measurement*, more bricks b/c of a fire in 1724, had to rebuild
- Kandersteg (spelling?) valley *Kandersteg = another peak* - Boy Scout World Center? World center of something with huge chalet (WAGGGS chalet = 12 summer volunteers; theirs: 70)
- Neissan Mt - 2400? meters - longest staircase (11,632 steps) record climbing - 55 minutes 50 seconds
- Aeshi *not sure where this is* = Helen Storrow's Ideal Location for Chalet (Falk talked her down for more adventure and it got moved to Adelboden)
*Helen Storrow = founder of Our Chalet; Falk = her friend who helped in Location Scouting*
- Lake Thun (pronounced Tune) = huge = 500 meters?
- Interlaken - one of best-known adventure sites
FACTS (7/27/11)
- Adelboden is in a valley with a river that gives its name to the valley
- I can't spell it (river/ valley); I probably can't pronounce it, either.
- *now I don't remember it*
- Adelboden = 1356 meters above sea level, same height as Chalet, just on the other side of the valley
- woodcarver visits since 1945 (Chalet opened 1932)
- suspension bridge over a river = 180 meters high, 30 meters long, largest (one of) suspension bridge in Europe
- Elsegen hike *one of the peaks* = at peak = Edelweiss = Swiss national flower; endangered species *who knew flowers could be endangered*
- Frutegen *town* = 800 meters *above sea level? not sure - I just put the measurement*, more bricks b/c of a fire in 1724, had to rebuild
- Kandersteg (spelling?) valley *Kandersteg = another peak* - Boy Scout World Center? World center of something with huge chalet (WAGGGS chalet = 12 summer volunteers; theirs: 70)
- Neissan Mt - 2400? meters - longest staircase (11,632 steps) record climbing - 55 minutes 50 seconds
- Aeshi *not sure where this is* = Helen Storrow's Ideal Location for Chalet (Falk talked her down for more adventure and it got moved to Adelboden)
*Helen Storrow = founder of Our Chalet; Falk = her friend who helped in Location Scouting*
- Lake Thun (pronounced Tune) = huge = 500 meters?
- Interlaken - one of best-known adventure sites
Monday, August 22, 2011
Entry # 16, Europe Journal
bathroom, Chalet 10:30 PM July 27, 2011
MORE BULLETING! (Sleep = soon) (continued from before)
- abseiled *European term for rappelling* off bridge
- I went first
- ate lunch
- hiked
- climbed indoor rocks (kind of wet for outdoors)
- did indoor bouldering (no ropes)
- came back in rain
- did chores
- ate dinner (Risotto, salad, dessertiness)
- got pen and postcards at camp store
- did scavenger hunt type thing about WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) in small groups (not by troops)
- all centennial parties = on my birthday (100th year being celebrated on the 100th day of the year, which is my birthday - April 10th)
- I was the ONLY one in my mini group who knew about at least some of the UN MDGs (mission development goals) in reasonable detail
- gooo IYAG!
- won 'spirit' award (our little group)
- I was the only one in group who cheered about this
- came inside
- packed for hike tomorrow
- went on Facebook (mom got an Internet pass)
- finished packing
- changed clothes
- brushed teeth
- cleaned off my bed
- wrote a letter
- went to bathroom
- finished journal entry
- read a book
- went to sleep
Today's rating = AWESOME!
Soreness Level: 8/ 10
pumped-for-tomorrow level: 22/ 10
likelihood that I should be going to bed: 120%
Likelihood that I am procrastinating on this activity to lengthen this entry: 96%
my desire to actually read some stuff now: 20/ 18
tiredness level: 18/ 22
Okay, someone just almost walked in on me writing about the day while sitting on a toilet. Time to go to bed.
And I just thought that last paragraph in the sort of accents that the UK group has.
Okay, going now.
MORE BULLETING! (Sleep = soon) (continued from before)
- abseiled *European term for rappelling* off bridge
- I went first
- ate lunch
- hiked
- climbed indoor rocks (kind of wet for outdoors)
- did indoor bouldering (no ropes)
- came back in rain
- did chores
- ate dinner (Risotto, salad, dessertiness)
- got pen and postcards at camp store
- did scavenger hunt type thing about WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) in small groups (not by troops)
- all centennial parties = on my birthday (100th year being celebrated on the 100th day of the year, which is my birthday - April 10th)
- I was the ONLY one in my mini group who knew about at least some of the UN MDGs (mission development goals) in reasonable detail
- gooo IYAG!
- won 'spirit' award (our little group)
- I was the only one in group who cheered about this
- came inside
- packed for hike tomorrow
- went on Facebook (mom got an Internet pass)
- finished packing
- changed clothes
- brushed teeth
- cleaned off my bed
- wrote a letter
- went to bathroom
- finished journal entry
- read a book
- went to sleep
Today's rating = AWESOME!
Soreness Level: 8/ 10
pumped-for-tomorrow level: 22/ 10
likelihood that I should be going to bed: 120%
Likelihood that I am procrastinating on this activity to lengthen this entry: 96%
my desire to actually read some stuff now: 20/ 18
tiredness level: 18/ 22
Okay, someone just almost walked in on me writing about the day while sitting on a toilet. Time to go to bed.
And I just thought that last paragraph in the sort of accents that the UK group has.
Okay, going now.
Entry # 15, Europe Journal
6:21 PM July 27, 2011 Our Room, Chalet
I only have ten minutes before dinner and I actually need to sleep tonight (and also write a LOT of letters for yesterday's makeup, today, and tomorrow *the dawn hike*), so it's going to be another day of bullet-noted Records of the Day.
- wake at 7
- shower
- make bag lunch
- breakfast
- pack for day
- group up
-walk to adventure place
- get harnesses/ helmets
- get zip line instruction
- zip lining
- over raging stream
- progressively higher off ground
- two rides each wire (eight rides plus three after the bridges)
- SO MUCH FUN!
- bridges
- one-board (in segments) airplane-wire bridge
- very wobbly
- airplane wire
- one strand for two feet
- wobblier
- longer
- tilty Bridge of Death
- one wire at top for holding/ beaners (the others had two)
- convinced I would fall (I didn't)
- Tarzan swing
- awesome
- altophobia = cured
Shall continue later. Now = DINNER! (I am bloody STARVING. I hate rain hiking.)
I only have ten minutes before dinner and I actually need to sleep tonight (and also write a LOT of letters for yesterday's makeup, today, and tomorrow *the dawn hike*), so it's going to be another day of bullet-noted Records of the Day.
- wake at 7
- shower
- make bag lunch
- breakfast
- pack for day
- group up
-walk to adventure place
- get harnesses/ helmets
- get zip line instruction
- zip lining
- over raging stream
- progressively higher off ground
- two rides each wire (eight rides plus three after the bridges)
- SO MUCH FUN!
- bridges
- one-board (in segments) airplane-wire bridge
- very wobbly
- airplane wire
- one strand for two feet
- wobblier
- longer
- tilty Bridge of Death
- one wire at top for holding/ beaners (the others had two)
- convinced I would fall (I didn't)
- Tarzan swing
- awesome
- altophobia = cured
Shall continue later. Now = DINNER! (I am bloody STARVING. I hate rain hiking.)
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Entry # 14, Europe Journal
11:07 PM 26 July, 2011 Our room, Chalet, Adelboden
This entry was created so I don't end today on an unlucky number. Huzzah!
Last night: some light bulb drama with Leila.
Night before last (last night in Bern): I was up until four in the morning because someone was snoring loud enough to accurately imitate a concrete breaking scene.
The end.
This entry was created so I don't end today on an unlucky number. Huzzah!
Last night: some light bulb drama with Leila.
Night before last (last night in Bern): I was up until four in the morning because someone was snoring loud enough to accurately imitate a concrete breaking scene.
The end.
Entry # 13, Europe Journal
11:02 PM Our Room, Chalet Tuesday, 26 July
MORE NOTES!
- dinner
- pasta, sauce, salad, watermelon
- international night
- Lady Gaga + DC FTW!
- Lots of cool Canada facts and such
- proper definition of "pants" vs "trousers" from the UK
- swaps
Crazy Scene of the Day (occured not long ago):
Mrs. W (Adult Alison): *knocks*
Allison: Come in!
me: no! Don't come in! I'm pantsless!
Allison: no, it's fine, Mrs. W, come in.
Mrs. W: Don't you mean trouserless, Drillbit?
me: that too!
Allison: come on in, Mrs. W!
Mrs. W: Let her finish changing!
- finished changing
- wrote a letter
- journaling
- sleep
MORE NOTES!
- dinner
- pasta, sauce, salad, watermelon
- international night
- Lady Gaga + DC FTW!
- Lots of cool Canada facts and such
- proper definition of "pants" vs "trousers" from the UK
- swaps
Crazy Scene of the Day (occured not long ago):
Mrs. W (Adult Alison): *knocks*
Allison: Come in!
me: no! Don't come in! I'm pantsless!
Allison: no, it's fine, Mrs. W, come in.
Mrs. W: Don't you mean trouserless, Drillbit?
me: that too!
Allison: come on in, Mrs. W!
Mrs. W: Let her finish changing!
- finished changing
- wrote a letter
- journaling
- sleep
Entry # 12, Europe Journal
26 July, 2011 Tuesday 5:47 PM T-Bar
Today is another list day. Hooray!
- wake at seven
- shower
- change
- b-fast at eight
- yogurt, canned peaches, granola, milk/coffee/chocolate
- opening ceremony
- INTROS
- pack shindigs for backpack check
- gather
- divided into groups
- went places
- crafts - made woggles (these things you can put on your bandanna - most scouts/ guides wear theirs around their neck rather than in their hair, hence the need for woggles)
- orienteering
- went around and found the names of the fifteen peaks
- our team got all of them
- we got the most, so we won an Our Chalet Song Book
- lunch
- weather got really cold
- hung out until two
- finished doing stuff
- environmental
- percentage waste thing
- carbon footprint thing
- fun fact quiz
- campfire cooking
- lots of shaving of wood
- had to build up fire high enough to break through yarn
- my group won awesomeness
- had food
- had to sing for matches twice (you only got one, and if the fire died you had to sing a Scout song to get a new match)
- came back
- did our group chore (sweeping)
- came inside
- removed shoes
- got stuff
- came to T-bar
- made hot chocolate
- sat on couch
- drank hot chocolate
- began writing
- finished writing for now
Today is another list day. Hooray!
- wake at seven
- shower
- change
- b-fast at eight
- yogurt, canned peaches, granola, milk/coffee/chocolate
- opening ceremony
- INTROS
- pack shindigs for backpack check
- gather
- divided into groups
- went places
- crafts - made woggles (these things you can put on your bandanna - most scouts/ guides wear theirs around their neck rather than in their hair, hence the need for woggles)
- orienteering
- went around and found the names of the fifteen peaks
- our team got all of them
- we got the most, so we won an Our Chalet Song Book
- lunch
- weather got really cold
- hung out until two
- finished doing stuff
- environmental
- percentage waste thing
- carbon footprint thing
- fun fact quiz
- campfire cooking
- lots of shaving of wood
- had to build up fire high enough to break through yarn
- my group won awesomeness
- had food
- had to sing for matches twice (you only got one, and if the fire died you had to sing a Scout song to get a new match)
- came back
- did our group chore (sweeping)
- came inside
- removed shoes
- got stuff
- came to T-bar
- made hot chocolate
- sat on couch
- drank hot chocolate
- began writing
- finished writing for now
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Entry # 11, Europe Journal
Monday, 25 July, 2011 10:17 PM Our Room, Our Chalet
Well, we finally made it! Adelboden is probably the town that should have the tag line, "We Are The Town That Is On Your Postcard From Germany/ Switzerland/ France/ Italy." It's nestled in a valley among three (maybe four) mountains, though you can see around fourteen *actually fifteen* from the Chalet. There's one mountain almost entirely covered in snow.
I'm short on time so I'm going to bullet today.
- woke up about half an hour after everyone but Paige
- Paige and I change and are the first to breakfast. score!
- I hold everyone up with my last-minute packing.
- this is because nobody told me we were leaving at eight thirty, not eight forty-five.
- we still make it to the rail car and train WAY early
- went to a bakery, got chocolate-embedded rolls. SCORE!
- catch train.
- lots of photos from train.
- first incident of me wondering WHY Lord of the Rings wasn't filmed in Switzerland.
- this becomes a regular occurence during day. Insert this aside as you will.
- we take a bus to Adelboden
- we nom on our rolls
- we meet people from the Chalet at the Adelboden bus stop
- they take our luggage; we search Adelboden
- we see a British Group (they turned out not to be at the Chalet, but still were British Girl Guides)
- we eat
- more touring of Adelboden
- hike to the Chalet
- HIKE to the Chalet
- I do well on hills. Score!
- this doesn't last long.
- we arrive
- we meet people
- we eat
- we chill
- I write a letter
- we tour the Chalet and learn cool stuff
- I finish my letter
- I do this journal entry
- I go to bed, prepared for adventure
*not recorded: Leila accidentally breaks the string on her lamp when she tries to turn it off at the end of the night, so it's on and we have no way of turning it off. We thus spend around an hour trying to switch Leila's bulb with the one two beds down that doesn't work.*
Recurring Thoughts:
1. WHY wasn't Lord of the Rings filmed here?
2. We're staying on a bloody POSTCARD!
3. The word 'cute' is entirely overused, so by the time it can be used in a valid context, I am so sick of the word that I promptly disregard the context it was used in and get really annoyed at hearing the word 'cute.' (please do not ask why I dislike the word 'cute,' because I WILL go and rant about it).
4. This place is awesome!
Occurrence of the Day:
We met a group from outside of Boston that is similar to us.
We say we're from DC because we're really close, and nobody's heard of us in Switzerland/ Canada/ Britain (some from the US don't even know about us, I think - I don't blame them. We're the smallest county in the US.)
They say they're from Boston, because who's heard of their town twelve miles out?
(in that respect, some of the UK girls are similar too - few people have heard of their town, even in Britain).
Verbose Quote of the Day:
Me: May I express my need to relieve the contents of my bladder?
Mom: ?
Me: I gotta pee. Is there a bathroom?
*Aside: from here on out, a lot of my journal is bulleted, so I will be typing stuff up in prose, but most of it will be based off of notes. So it's journal recording but not journal recording. FYI.*
Well, we finally made it! Adelboden is probably the town that should have the tag line, "We Are The Town That Is On Your Postcard From Germany/ Switzerland/ France/ Italy." It's nestled in a valley among three (maybe four) mountains, though you can see around fourteen *actually fifteen* from the Chalet. There's one mountain almost entirely covered in snow.
I'm short on time so I'm going to bullet today.
- woke up about half an hour after everyone but Paige
- Paige and I change and are the first to breakfast. score!
- I hold everyone up with my last-minute packing.
- this is because nobody told me we were leaving at eight thirty, not eight forty-five.
- we still make it to the rail car and train WAY early
- went to a bakery, got chocolate-embedded rolls. SCORE!
- catch train.
- lots of photos from train.
- first incident of me wondering WHY Lord of the Rings wasn't filmed in Switzerland.
- this becomes a regular occurence during day. Insert this aside as you will.
- we take a bus to Adelboden
- we nom on our rolls
- we meet people from the Chalet at the Adelboden bus stop
- they take our luggage; we search Adelboden
- we see a British Group (they turned out not to be at the Chalet, but still were British Girl Guides)
- we eat
- more touring of Adelboden
- hike to the Chalet
- HIKE to the Chalet
- I do well on hills. Score!
- this doesn't last long.
- we arrive
- we meet people
- we eat
- we chill
- I write a letter
- we tour the Chalet and learn cool stuff
- I finish my letter
- I do this journal entry
- I go to bed, prepared for adventure
*not recorded: Leila accidentally breaks the string on her lamp when she tries to turn it off at the end of the night, so it's on and we have no way of turning it off. We thus spend around an hour trying to switch Leila's bulb with the one two beds down that doesn't work.*
Recurring Thoughts:
1. WHY wasn't Lord of the Rings filmed here?
2. We're staying on a bloody POSTCARD!
3. The word 'cute' is entirely overused, so by the time it can be used in a valid context, I am so sick of the word that I promptly disregard the context it was used in and get really annoyed at hearing the word 'cute.' (please do not ask why I dislike the word 'cute,' because I WILL go and rant about it).
4. This place is awesome!
Occurrence of the Day:
We met a group from outside of Boston that is similar to us.
We say we're from DC because we're really close, and nobody's heard of us in Switzerland/ Canada/ Britain (some from the US don't even know about us, I think - I don't blame them. We're the smallest county in the US.)
They say they're from Boston, because who's heard of their town twelve miles out?
(in that respect, some of the UK girls are similar too - few people have heard of their town, even in Britain).
Verbose Quote of the Day:
Me: May I express my need to relieve the contents of my bladder?
Mom: ?
Me: I gotta pee. Is there a bathroom?
*Aside: from here on out, a lot of my journal is bulleted, so I will be typing stuff up in prose, but most of it will be based off of notes. So it's journal recording but not journal recording. FYI.*
Friday, August 19, 2011
Entry # 10, Europe Journal
Sunday, 24 July, 2011 Room 320, Hostel, Bern 8:55 PM
This afternoon was relatively uneventful. We hung out at the museum, then made our way through a nearby corn maze (which was really easy) before catching a bus home to the hostel.
For dinner, we ordered pizza - one cheese, one veggie. We each had two pieces and and it wasn't very filling.
Towards the end of dinner, we started to watch a couple play ping-pong through the super massive windows. We thought it was a mother and son, but then they started to make out profusely every few points.
Allison, Leila, and I bought some ice cream and continued to watch the cougar couple. When the guy glanced our way while they were taking a break, Leila gave him a thumbs-up, which was kind of funny.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Adelboden, which is extremely exciting - we're finally going to the place that we came to Switzerland for! WOOHOO!
Also, funny/ awkward thing: after my shower when I was brushing my teeth (it's essentially a public shower room... also, I was decently dressed when this occurred), the female half of the cougar couple entered the shower rooms. I'm pretty sure she recognized me, because she was just like, "Oh," and then left.
Also, Enya is still dead, which makes me very sad. Mom is letting me use my memory card on her camera, though, which is nice. I also accidentally deleted all my photos from today, though, which kind of sucks.
I learned this new way of weighing/ buying bagged fruit, but I need to write letters.
It basically involves weighing, punching in the store-assigned number for whatever it is you're buying, and then the machine printing out a ticket to put on the bag for the person to scan.
Right. Letter Time.
This afternoon was relatively uneventful. We hung out at the museum, then made our way through a nearby corn maze (which was really easy) before catching a bus home to the hostel.
For dinner, we ordered pizza - one cheese, one veggie. We each had two pieces and and it wasn't very filling.
Towards the end of dinner, we started to watch a couple play ping-pong through the super massive windows. We thought it was a mother and son, but then they started to make out profusely every few points.
Allison, Leila, and I bought some ice cream and continued to watch the cougar couple. When the guy glanced our way while they were taking a break, Leila gave him a thumbs-up, which was kind of funny.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Adelboden, which is extremely exciting - we're finally going to the place that we came to Switzerland for! WOOHOO!
Also, funny/ awkward thing: after my shower when I was brushing my teeth (it's essentially a public shower room... also, I was decently dressed when this occurred), the female half of the cougar couple entered the shower rooms. I'm pretty sure she recognized me, because she was just like, "Oh," and then left.
Also, Enya is still dead, which makes me very sad. Mom is letting me use my memory card on her camera, though, which is nice. I also accidentally deleted all my photos from today, though, which kind of sucks.
I learned this new way of weighing/ buying bagged fruit, but I need to write letters.
It basically involves weighing, punching in the store-assigned number for whatever it is you're buying, and then the machine printing out a ticket to put on the bag for the person to scan.
Right. Letter Time.
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