We’re here! We did it!

And by “we,” I mean “me.” Me did it.

Off on another adventure, though I feel more tired than in the past. Am I getting old?? I used to be so sprightly.

This will be my second time touching land in four different countries within the span of 24 hours. I started in Seattle (USA!) and flew direct to London (UK). I got a nice window seat with the middle seat empty, so I was able to tuck up my legs and spread out. I only bothered the girl on the aisle to pee three times, and I swear she did not pee once the entire flight. Suspicious, honestly.

I watched The Fablemans (not bad!) and A Man Called Otto (I liked the book better, but it was still cute). I did not, unfortunately, sleep much. Hence this gibberish writing you’re seeing.

The best part of the flight was the views! I picked the left side so that I could enjoy the sunset, but I miscalculated and was surprised to also enjoy the sunrise! That’s a polar flight for you! Actually, the sun only really set for a brief few hours. The light never really faded, as though the sun was always waiting just beneath the clouds. It was very pretty!

The worst part of the flight was when I spilled a packet of sugar on my seat and attempted to brush it onto the floor, resulting in sticky hands. Yuck.

But then I was rewarded with yet another amazing sight! Oxford!!!!

That was very cool. The round building is the “Oxford Camera,” which is actually just a big library. It was fun seeing it from the air after having seen it from the ground a few years back!

We landed early, but it took me nearly 45 minutes to disembark. They had to bring busses out to us and kept needing to bring more while we just stood in the aisle. So that wasn’t great. But I still made my next flight with plenty of time to spare. Check out some pretty views from that window seat:

Since landing in Zurich (Switzerland), I’ve spent the last three hours bumbling around trying to find my way to Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein is the first real stop on my trip!

I thought this was a made-up place for a very long time, because I knew it from “A Knight’s Tale.” The main character poses as a knight and is always introduced as “Ulrich von Liechtenstein!!!” But it is, in fact, a real place, and I will be crossing its border with Switzerland in a matter of minutes!

So you may be wondering – what’s this trip all about, anyway? Did I just quit my job again? About to start a new one? No, and hopefully! I was let go!! Perks of working in tech: all the perks. Downsides: big ol’ layoffs. So yes, I panicked and felt compelled to go somewhere, even though I really did like my job and honestly would have rather kept it, but here I am. In Switzerland. Staring at some craaaaazy mountains.

This will be a six week trip (40 days, to be exact), and I already miss my boo-thang. Dangit! Whenever I do these big solo trips, I’m always either tied-down or heartbroken! How am I ever supposed to find my Italian husband this way?! Sean, by way of keeping me in check, has threatened to find himself a new Microsoft girlfriend should I follow my dreams abroad. So yeah, it’s going pretty well.

The train ride from Zurich had some amazing views of those crazy mountains I mentioned. (Can you spot the little mountain church?)

Lots of people were out enjoying the sunshine as we passed by the water.

And my bus ride isn’t half bad, either! Anybody want to try translating this sign? (It says “Good Ride,” but it sure did make me giggle.)

…

Okay, update. I decided to eat a waffle snack for dinner because I was too tired to go to a restaurant. Instead, I sat on my own private balcony while trying to figure out how to use an “eSIM card” and accidentally made a bunch of mistakes with money for activities tomorrow. (I should have gotten a discount and didn’t apply it, etc.) But hopefully the activities will make up for my current frustration! It is also supposed to rain the entire time I’m here! Huzzah! Check out the view during my one dry day when I’m too tired to do anything:

I also got a lovely surprise while sitting out here! Some sort of marching band(?) was either performing or practicing nearby, and I got to listen! It was lovely! The birds also are trying very hard to outdo one another, and the church bells chime every hour for several minutes. It’s a musical place, this Liechtenstein!

Okay, that’s all for now. I made it, and we’ll see what happens next!

Until then,

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

-Lizzy-wa