Goodnight Switzerland

It is my last night in Switzerland. I still have to pack. It is about to rain, just like yesterday, the sky is swelling with a black wet. It is calm and quiet here. The family is asleep. Maddy is all tucked in, here little cheeks red from crying (we don't want to say goodbye). We read the Princess Knight before I kissed her goodnight. A book about a young girl who takes her future into her own hands. Who, even though she is afraid, does what she feels she needs to do.



This morning Audrey crawled into my bed, she curled herself up into a little ball and nestled against me. A few hours later, the girls and I were in my room and Audrey said, "Yep- tomorrow there's gonna be no more Marie." Maddy just gasped and exclaimed "YES THERE WILL BE A MARIE! JUST MARIE IN AMERICA!" It has been a very bitter sweet day.



Greg, Jill, Maddy and Audrey took me out to this Italian place for dinner. It was nice, Audrey was obnoxious and still adorable at the same time (I don't know how she pulls it off). She was wearing the napkin around her neck like a bow tie, then said to me, "Hey Marie- I have something for you." As she said this, she leaned over and said "tink, tink" as she made her eyelids blink in this really exaggerated way, making the sound match with her eyes. Meanwhile, Maddy sat there solemnly holding my hand and staring at me. Oh... I am sad to leave these girls, I really am.



It is amazing how God has brought me to where I am. Just before I left the States, I stopped over at St. Thomas to say "goodbye" to Luke. He hugged me, said "goodbye" and just as he was running off to class yelled, "Don't be afraid to change". What I didn't realize was how much I would have to cling to the bravery that comes with facing change. And lots it! I look back and can't believe that I have basically been Europe's ping-pong over the last 9 months. (eh...wasn't exactly prepared for that). Still, there as been no lacking whatsoever in God's grace. The rich outpouring of His understanding and patience and reassurance. In all of this I have felt His peace.

I can't wait to get home, just to see all of your faces. To hear your stories from this last year, to catch up on all that we have missed in each other's lives.

This has been such a beautiful, challenging, interesting and purposeful chapter in my life. I have no choice but to turn the page now, to move on to thousands of words that are yet to be read. How truly great is our God! I will never forget this family! This experience! Jill and Greg have been amazing and I have grown to appreciate their wisdom and friendship, just as much as I have grown to love Maddy and Audrey.








Goodnight Moon

In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of -

The cow jumping over the moon
And there were three little bears sitting on chairs

And two little kittens
And a pair of mittens
And a little toyhouse
And a young mouse

And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush
And a quiet old lady whispering hush

Goodnight room
Goodnight moon
Goodnight cow jumping over the moon
Goodnight light and the red balloon
Goodnight bears
Goodnight chairs

Goodnight kittens
And goodnight mittens
Goodnight clocks and goodnight socks
Goodnight little house and goodnight mouse
Goodnight comb and goodnight brush
Goodnight nobody, goodnight mush
And goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush"

Goonight stars
Goodnight air
Goodnight noises everywhere .....

Margaret Wise Brown 1947

Sunday at the pool...

Sweet Maddy and Me


Jill and Audrey soaking in the sun


Greg and Audrey reading :)

some roads aren't meant to be travelled alone.

I am excited to go home, I really am. I can't wait to see my family. People have been asking me, "Marie, what is your plan for when you go home." I say, "First of all, I am going to hug my Mom. Then, I am going to come up with a plan". Last night I a group of friends came over to my house for a special dinner. Carrie from Canada, Joanna from Poland, Marios from Greece, Reshmi from Britain, Fabio from Italy, Marc from France and Sally from the Philippines. I was so pleased to have all of them in my house. To be able to cook for them and just enjoy the company that I know is almost coming to an end. I did my best to make a meal that was tasty and satisfying and thought upon this quote as I cooked "Cooking isn't about impressing people, it is about making them feel comfortable". That is exactly what I wanted to do. To have my "Mon Amies" over for the evening so that they would know a bit of how grateful I am for their role in this blessed experience. It was really sweet.



This morning, Marios, Reshmi and I, had breakfast together, and then met up with Joanna to go to the top of Mount Saleve. I have been wanting to do this since I've been here, but procrastinated. I have spent most of my time jogging along the base of it, imagining how fun it would be to hike up at some point. But alas, I had to resort the ol' cable car which turned out to be just as well.

When we reached the top of Saleve, there was a crystal clear, bird's eye view of Geneva and the lake. I could look down and see where I lived (or at least the general area) and we saw the Jet d'eau whiched looked like nothing but a sprinkler. We walked a bit, trying to find a better view of the alps and had no luck. We did however, come upon para-sailors who were preparing to make the flight off of the mountain. I have watched these para-sailors from my bedroom window. On sunny days like today, there are clusters of them on La Saleve, these bright dots of color, like pollen in the sun. To see them up close, the count down, the whistle of air through the inflated parachute was so beautiful!







Just before leaving, we found a children's play ground, complete of course- with a slide. If I could not para-sail, this I thought, would be the next best thing.

Thursday Night (A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving- Lao Tzu).

(teresa, me, joanna, jess, carrie & evi)

It seems to be a common theme here in Geneva, that people stay, but they don't stay long. In that regard, I suppose I am happy to be the one leaving as it would be REALLY hard to have to watch my friends all go in different directions while I had to remain stagnant. To handle the separation that is inevitable, my friends and I decided to celebrate our "goodbyes" which has been a lot of fun. On Thursday night, a group of my Au Pair friends all got together to bid our friend Carrie (the Crazy Canadian) fair well. It has been interesting to see how so many people that I have met here are going somewhere else, and for all different reasons. Some people are moving on to new countries, to learn new languages and cultures. Other people are going home to get re-centered, with the hope of discovering a new place very soon. I suppose it all took a certain amount of bravery to leave the places we call home, and it is now the time to move on again. To muster up a bit more courage to do what we are supposed to in order to fulfill our individual purpose. eh! It gets exhausting sometimes to think about all of the changes that have and will take place. I suppose that is why we just have to be present, to laugh and enjoy each others company while we can.






(a guy at the club cracking himself up)

6 days B.I. (before Italy)

Fete De La Musique was on the agenda of fun the weekend before I went to Italy. It was great to see Geneva all lit up inside and out. With music of every kind echoing through the old towne. On top of the music there were the football fans displaying team colors and pride, making a fun menace in the streets. It made for a loud, energetic party, which is very anti-swiss. Hence, making me feel almost like a rebel, like one of the dirty dozen in a night club- it was fabulous!

Teresa and I met up with our friends Jess and Carrie and went from music genre to genre, listening to folk, a bit of flamenco, African drumming, rock (a concert put on by a friend's band), techno/trance and even a taste of classical. It was VERY FUN!




in Rome it seemed that no matter where we went, whether dark or light, inside or out, the guys would be wearing sunglasses- this was our silly tribute to there ridiculousness :)

Kid you good a lookin' but you don't a-know what's cookin' till you mambo italiano :)

So there I was in this little sleeper car, smiling awkwardly at two male backpackers from France with an indescribable combined body odor. They were tired, and so were their feet and so they removed their shoes, and rested their big, dirty sock feet on the seat next tome. The dirty sock feet were moved back down to the floor when a French couple, deeply in love, joined our little club. So there we were, 5 of us: The French lovers, loved each other, while the French backpackers smelled each other and grunted. I sat there wondering when it would be bedtime, anxious to fall asleep in Switzerland because I knew that I would wake up in Italy.


A sleeper car is a good thing because if you want to sleep on a train, you don't have to contort yourself like a circus freak. You don't have to press your face against the window, creating a firm but foggy pillow. In a sleeper car, if you are sleepy, you can stretch your body out all straight and horizontal like, and if you are cold, you can even exercise the right of blanket usage. But it does of course come with a bit of risk, but one that is worth it, because you can actually walk post train travel.


6:45a came quickly, and I was happy when the Italian train conductor woke me up because he was handsome and offering espresso. I didn't have time to drink it, because I was so excited to be in Florence! And practically leaping off the train as it came to a final halt.





From the moment my feet hit the ground until the time I left for Geneva, I did not stop. HOW COULD I? I walked in the dewy light of the Tuscan sun, down the streets, still groggy and half asleep. I walked around the Duomo- so majestic and intricate and looking more beautiful than when I had seen it last.



I walked into the afternoon, when the sun hit the cobblestones and sent heat through the souls of my shoes.




I made my way through the city slowly, pausing to look at this or that, weaving in and out of the markets. Walking into random churches and museums. Eating gelato with out any guilt or hesitation, because I am finally realizing that life really is too short. And then eating more gelato, until I averaged three a day :) I was so happy! I can't even tell you! The people walking past me probably thought I was a woman in love, which in truth- I was. I was twitterpated. It was so great for me to have the city all to myself, to realize a dream for the second time.






I don't mind traveling alone, and have even taking a slight liking to the "solo mio" of my current existence, but after a while, you just want someone to talk to. Teresa has been my partner in crime since January, and we have had amazing times together. We were actually in Florence just after the new year. A time that will be forever remembered, especially because the 86 yr old owner of the hostel we were staying in tried to kiss me... yeah- on the lips. That was a fun time. But that is not the point- the point is that this time I was indeed alone, alone. No beautiful, tall, funny Teresa to laugh at my expense and share wine and cheese with. And although I was ok with that, I was also ok with not being alone. Meaning, if there were to be nice people in my general area, I might not deny them a bit of witty conversation and cheer.


As always, God was good, and brought me to exactly where I needed to be. I found myself sharing a room with 3 wonderful girls from Seattle named Rachel, Emily and Haley. I said "Hi", they said "Hi". "My name is Marie" I said. They said their names and after that- we were friends. I love it when things just "click" like that. When you meet people and even though you hardly know each other, there is something about them that feels right with you. As if you've known them for much longer then the mere half an our you can mutually call your own. I was very glad to meet my new friends. We had great conversations about so many things and shared stories galore, and laughed and laughed. I honestly felt so blessed to have met them, because even though, like I said, I would have been ok alone, having people to share an experience with makes it twice as good.



We all went out that night, balancing on the cobblestone in an effort to avoid heel hazards. We were in search of a place to dance, and surprisingly found nothing. Seriously! Where do the Florentine's kick it? I don't know. We did however come upon a Piazza where a quartet of violin, drum, bass and something Oriental were playing Russian music. This did of course inspire a spontaneous jig to be set free, but it was brief because although the 4 of us really felt it, and the musicians appreciated it, the rest of the people encircling, seemed less than amused. We searched to find a place to dance to some reggae or world music. Instead we ended up at club that was suggested to us by a local, it was called Dance Electronica and we were all a bit suspicious of it, but thought we would give it a try any way. It was after 8 girls all wearing bikinis stepped onto this little stage to participate in "The first Bikini Competition of the year!" that we decided to leave. It's true, our first night in Florence was a bit of a flop.



I slept so hard on Friday night, and woke up so excited to be able to have another full day in Florence. We walked everywhere! We went to the Opera Di Santa Maria Del Fiore where I saw Donatello's Mary Magdelaine. And then to the Complesso Monumentale di Santa Croce where I actually saw the burial places of Michelangelo, Dante Alighieri and Galileo! For me, that was one of the most amazing experiences. There I was, standing in this church, minding my own business, and oh look! There's Michelangelo!









After the museums, we walked to the Piazza Di Michelangelo which gives you a beautiful view of Florence.



Saturday evening was long and lovely. Haley and I wandered around the city, people watching and of course- eating gelato! Seriously! I couldn't get enough of it! We met some new friends, and ended up staying up until the sunrise, talking and laughing in a beautiful Piazza.



I am so happy that I had the opportunity to visit Italy once more before leaving for the States. My time there was completely blessed! As I was walking around the city, I thanked God for His blessings. For the way He takes care of me. My Mom has always said that "God knows the desires of your heart". And I know that is true. The dream that I have had since I was a little girl, came true this year- twice in fact! And I could not be happier.

When you walk in dream, but you know your not dreaming... that amore!

nature: it's wild and alive!

Last weekend when Teresa and I were in Zermatt, all I wanted to do was take everything in so that upon going home, I would maybe be able to explain what it was like there. But honestly, there are no words. At a certain point you stop trying to document the place with photos and written or spoken word. How do you describe the way it feels? The air so clear and untouched? The sound of silence that is tinged by the alto clang of a cow bell.

There are not cars allowed in Zermatt, with the exception of the little golf-cart-esque things that drive around. It is very quiet, very peaceful. I just kept on thinking about that song "How Great it our God" as we walked from one place to another. I have never hiked around mountains before- which might seem silly considering my location, but it might also be obvious that I am not exactly a nature girl. None the less, I embraced the place with as much passion as the next tree hugger, and had a wonderful time!



The MATTERHORN!

It was a "the hills are alive" kind of moment

hiker's view

The stunning men of Zermatt


Everyone wants to be a Swiss Cow

Oh Teresi- you adorable thing!


the train ride...

yes- that looooong train ride...

After a while, train travel begins to wear on you...

p.s. this blog was updated while listening to a Brazilian rendition of the James Bond theme song.

And top hats on!

There is only so much "High School Musical" and "Hannah Montana" a single person can take. At a certain point, not only do you begin to lose your dignity, you literally begin to lose your mind. A few weeks ago, I have to admit to having yet ANOTHER dream about Troy (the star of HSM) chasing me through the woods. It was horrible! I woke up in a sweat, rocking back in forth while softly singing to myself "we're soarin', flyin', there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach"

I decided that I had had just about enough of it all. So I brought Anne of Green Gables to the house. This was appreciated, even liked, but for those individuals whose favorite pass time does not include dressing up like an orphan from Canada, much is left to be desired. Which leads me to the following question: how do I ween the little creature off of the pop-culture idols that most youthlings adore? If Anne with an "E" can't do it, who can?! I decided to do bring in the experts, the old classics that made me laugh until my tummy was sore. The black and white characters that charmed my silly senses like a snake spiraling out of a weave. It was time for a little of this:






Luckily, Maddy enjoyed a few of my attempts, and I am hoping to have her set free of her addictions soon. Although I have to be honest with myself, the girl is in love with all things fabulous, and that leaves little room for Jerry Lewis. However, even glamorous girls go retro every now and again.

not your average footballers!

Here are a few photos of Teresa and me watching the Portugal vs. Turkey match, on the big screen in Plain Palais.

Maddy + Audrey = ADORABLE!

Quotes from the girls:

Scene: The girls and I were making special cards for Jill and Greg, small tokens of affection to remind them of what good parents they are:

Marie: So Audrey, what do you want do you want your card to say?
Audrey: Huh?
Marie: I mean, what do you want me to write for you, so that Mommy and Daddy know how much you love them?
Audrey: Oh, okay, well, me- I love that butterfly dog! Please may give it to me! I love that butterfly dog! Please may give it to me! Is that good?
Marie: um...
Scene: Maddy and I are having a special treat at the nearby cafe

Maddy: Marie, if I ever become famous, I want to change my name to "Ashley Glam" because I really like the name Ashley and I love being glamorous.

Scene: Audrey and I standing in my bedroom, I am just finished up getting ready for the day, we are not talking, until she breaks the silence with this:

Audrey: Marie, I don't want you to go.
Marie: Go where?
Audrey: Back to America. I mean, you don't have to go. You have a room and your bed and everything. You should just stay here forever.

Scene: Audrey and I are walking home from Creche. We are holding hands.

Audrey: Do you have to go to America today?
Marie: No honey, not today.
Audrey: Well Marizi, you know what? You're not lost. You're not lonely. You're with us.

Scene: Maddy and I are getting ready to go outside. There is music coming from the kitchen, I do a little dance.

Maddy: When we get our new au pair I am going to ask her 'hey, why aren't you crazy and wild like Marie? And where is your big hair?!'

Scene: Greg, Maddy and I are sitting at the table, finishing our dinner, Jill and Audrey are starting the bath

Maddy: Dad, I think I want to be a scientist when I grow up.
Greg: That is great Maddy (he, by the way, majored in science)
Maddy: Yep, a scientist AND a pop star!

Scene: Audrey and I are eating our breakfast, I have just put a Gershwin CD on. Our spoons clink at the glass bowls as we try to catch the cornflakes

Audrey: Marie, is your spoon dancin' ? Look, mine is a figure skater!

Scene: Maddy and I are sitting on the couch reading books, when Maddy moves in to hug me and hold my hand

Maddy: Oh I just love this arm. I love this hand. I'm just gonna hold it forever.

Scene: Audrey and I are just about to leave for Creche, I am in the kitchen, when I here her call

Audrey: Hey babe- Are you ready to go?

Ole Ole Ole!

As luck (or fate) would have it, I get to be here, while Geneva participates in the hosting of the Euro Cup. As many of you know, my knowledge of sports is, shall we say- limited. I feel like the Father of Dean Martin in the old classic "The Caddy" when Dean explains to his father that he is going to be a professional golfer. The father pauses, looks at his son and then says, "So you gonna hit a little ball with a stick?!". If someone were to ask me about the ins and outs of any sport I would most likely give them a really creative answer, based on the smallest thread of truth. It is like last year, when I just couldn't figure out why those guys in the white and black stripes kept on running onto the football field at Jacob's game (I'm joking). But truly- sports in general leave me wondering about what is really going on. And since it is usually confusing to me, I pay attention to thing that takes little education- the handsome athletes! This brings me to what I was originally writing about- the Euro Cup. A time where men from around the globe, with handsome faces and fit bodies come together in good sport, to have a bit of a brawl.


There are 16 teams participating, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Russia, and Switzerland are a few of them. I feel like it is important for me to have a team that I, you know, support. But how to choose? Well, let's take a look at a few of the candidates:

Here we have the captain of the Spanish Team:



Ah-Hem... and here is the captain of the Italians:



Turkey anyone?



the French...



ahhh... if I have sparked your interest in anyway, you can always go and check out more soccer stuff at the official website which is: www.euro2008.uefa.com

Okay so maybe European footballers aren't tough like the Americans (there Jacob I said it!)lets face it- they are ballerinas. The call fouls every 10 seconds and sprawl out on the field for much longer than necessary after even the most petite kick, or swing in the wrong direction. At the same time, let us consider that the average soccer player runs up to 11 miles per game (which in my opinion takes a bit o' strength) and lets face it- skinny or not- they are pretty cute.

(this entry was posted for my female readers- Lisa in-particular)