"I'm leaving on a jet plane..."

It has been a very long journey getting to Lugano, but so well worth it. 

After my mom dropped me off from checking my bags, I was finally on my own.  I would like to boast at this moment at how well i was able to navigate my way through security and all the way to my departure gate, but that does not mean that it didn't go without some difficulties... Of course my hiking backpack had to jam the conveyor belt while it was being x-rayed... that wasn't embarrassing.  Not only was i sweating earlier waiting in line to check my bags, but now i had everyone staring at me because i was THAT girl who slowed up the line. Needless to say, my sweat glands were full throttle.

After getting through security, i was feeling good about getting to my gate. I followed the signs all the way to gate D but low and behold... its not the acccctualll gate. its a fake gate. A "gate" that is really a shuttle that has to take me ALLLL across the airport to ANOTHER place. I found the real gate after i got off the fake gate.

I was making good timing, 2 hours early before our flight left. I got 200 Swiss Francs (switzerland money) from one of the kiosks in the terminal. And the swiss francs(paper money) are very pretty!! pinks, blues, greens, golds!

The plane took off on time at 5:40 something.  I have only flown twice before to NYC so this flight was a little different... and long! 8 Hours! Luckily i had a window seat and i sat next to a girl i knew and liked. Since we left at night, it was very cool to see all of the lights of DC from the plane. It was actually pretty spectacular and I can only describe it as being like a Light Bright board (google if you dont know what that is). I got motion sickness and the damn dramamamamaine didnt really help at all. When we were flying over Europe I was trying to see all the lights and noticed that there weren’t as many clusters or very bright lights at all! It was very confusing because I expected that when we flew over Paris that I would see a lot of lights. but I couldn't see anything! I later realized that it was because we were flying over clouds... woops.

We touched down at 7:50 something AM (swiss time). I got my bags back quickly without any complications.  I did notice, however, that many many people were just staring at our group. I guess i would too if i saw 43 college students all walking around an airport together not knowing where to go or what to do. We are sooo0o american. After everyone got their bags, we met our Professor and Director of the Program, David Brinberg, and we got on a huge charter bus to take us to Lugano. This was a 3 hour bus ride. After our 8 hour flight. yep.

Even though i was exhaused, I was taken aback because it hit me that I was finally in Europe! We drove all through the country.  There was a little bit of snow and a LOT of mountains.  Now, I thought that I knew what mountains looked like, but these MOUNTAINS made the mountains in Blacksburg look like ant hills.  Literally, the mountains were sharp, pointy, towering, filled with snow, and you couldn’t even see the tops of them because they broke through the clouds!!  Incredible. The first American thing I saw was a BP station.. but someone informed me that BP gas stations aren’t really foreign.. whatever. But the REAL first American thing I saw was a Burger King. And it was literally in the middle of nowhere- country- side Switzerland.  Another surprising thing was all of the tunnels we drove through.  I think we spent more time driving through tunnels than we did actual roads. LOTS OF TUNNELS.

We finally got to the Montarina (where I am staying) in Lugano and it was absolutely beautifully amazing!! I have seen pictures, but actually getting here and being here was even more beautiful and amazing.  The villa is right on a river that overlooks mountains and houses and civilization that I could definitely get used to! (check pictures on facebook!) The bus didn’t really drop us off right in front of the Montarina Villa, but instead… down at the bottom of the most annoying steep dumb hill.  Now, imagine 40 girls with two 50lb bags, a hiking back pack, and a purse, marching up this hill in our designer boots and coats. I know what you’re thinking…Good work out.

The place I am living at is beautiful.  We are spoiled. We literally have this entire “house” like villa with 22ish rooms. There are 3 floors. The 1^st floor has a dining/common area, a kitchen, bathroom, shower, check in desk, and 5ish living spaces (I live on the first floor!) Levels 2 and 3 are solely living and bath.  These rooms are gorgeous (check facebooK!!!!!). I have a twin bed with a temperpedic-esk mattress, it’s wonderful.

This was just my trip getting to Lugano, but I will have so many more details to come with my traveling I will be doing!!

Ciao for Now!!