This hike was easily one of the top 5 hikes of my life. 

You have to get your ass up to do things like this, but wow, it was worth it. And absolutely not for the uncoordinated or anyone scared of heights.

The pictures might seem repetitive, but we could not get over the view or this trail. Peak after peak, it just kept coming—nine peaks. The one that made me question it all was Tannhorn. It was one of those no going back now/don't fall to your death moments. Not for the faint-hearted. 

We started early with the 7:30 a.m. cogwheel train from Brienz to Brienzer Rothorn. After a quick coffee and a croissant at the hotel to warm up, it was go time. It took us a little under six hours of hiking time and almost 23 km to get to Harder Kulm. I was mentally prepared for a long day, but damn that last hour after we started descending the ridge felt like ten. My feet were dead. I was worried that if I sat down, that would be it.

We made it to the touristy extravaganza that is Harder Kulm, had our celebratory drinks, and then happily took the cogwheel train to Interlaken (thank you Switzerland). I made it back to the car, and we even went for a cold-ass, well-deserved swim in Lake Brienz. Perfect for numbing everything.

A magical day in Switzerland.

We have slowly been checking out our surrounding mountain playground, and there is no end in sight. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes for us to check out, the hikes are endless, and I feel like the sun just keeps on shining. So, the list is long.

We spent a day at Melchsee-Frutt, which was a nice little surprise. We drove all the way to the top of the ski resort and were greeted by a perfect alpine plateau and all the warm fall colors. Going there on a weekday was the trick. Switzerland can be overcrowded with tourists, so finding little ways to escape is always the goal. And I felt like we had the place to ourselves.

We also had a very memorable moment up there. I went to pay for parking and saw B walking towards me with his phone. On that Thursday afternoon at this ski resort somewhere in the Swiss Alps, we found out I was getting my visa. The nightmare that had started on July 28th was fading away. I was allowed to live here now. I would finally be able to continue my residency. 

These last few years, it has become more apparent that I'm not a big-city girl. I like to be in the city, but I get pulled in by nature. The mountains, the smell of fresh air. Sunsets in wild places. Whenever I put myself in the right situation, I realize what it does to me. It revives me, and it puts me in my happy place.