KASSIA
Exceptional Education Alum & Grade 6 Teacher |
KASSIA
Exceptional Education Alum & Grade 6 Teacher |
Hallo from beautiful and stunning Switzerland! The crew arrived safely yesterday afternoon after roughly 18 hours of travel: driving to the airport, sitting through a slight delay in our flight, flying 8 hours in the sky, riding a few more hours on the train to Interlakin and finally catching a short bus to Ringgenberg where we will call home for the next few days! I can tell you that showering and enjoying a crisp refreshment have never been better!
Mike and I are settled in a sweet little room with a beautiful view of mountains. We are struck everywhere we walk that gorgeous scenery including mountains, valleys, streams, and flora surround us at every moment. You walk one way - a mountain. You turn around - a mountain and a really beautiful flower. It's just amazing. Thankfully, after forcing ourselves to stay up as late as we could last night, we got a great night sleep and were rested for the adventures awaiting us on Day 2, and we couldn't have even prepared ourselves for the experience that awaited. Our day today was filled with lots of walking and asking each other "Is this even real?" Getting the opportunity to hike and see the Swiss Alps has always been a dream of mine, and today it became an experience I will never forget. There are truly no words to express the beauty of the landscape, and although we try to capture it in a photo, nothing can encapsulate the experience of taking in everything there is to see and feel. It is so incredibly humbling to see the snow capped mountains and imagine what it took for people to cultivate their towns, build such architecturally sound, beautiful homes and structures, and successfully figure out assorted means of transportation! Heights have always been a bit of a fear for me, and each IPDS trip I take, I seem to have to confront that fear regularly! Today was no exception. On top of lots of walking, we took a few cable cars to make our way to the summit of Schilthorn (almost 10,000 feet). I've attached a gallery of a few of my favorite photos from our journey. I'll never forget today and the memories that came along with it. My legs and feet hurt from hiking, but my core and face hurt even more from laughing! Yet again, I have been so lucky to get to travel with such an amazing group of people who make me laugh, think, and feel safe. There are no words to express what it means to be able to have these experiences with my dear husband and sister-in-law, and I'm equally grateful to be making beautiful new friends and strengthening old bonds as well. Signing off for now, but I'm sure I'll be back again soon. K
2 Comments
In only 24 hours, our travels will begin!
The long, anticipated Germany trip is closer than ever, and the 2022-23 school year closes its chapter simultaneously. This will be my first IPDS trip being out of college and having had my very own classroom for 3 full years. I am extremely excited to enter German classrooms with my new, personal experiences. I am also excited to take a little break from middle schooler age group as I'll be joining Fiona in her 1st and 3rd grade classrooms. Anyway.. the packing has begun (still not quite finished). The in-laws are here and ready to cat-sit (Thanks, Mom and Daddio Mona)! And Mike and I are excited as ever to embark on this new journey together. I look forward to sharing lots of photos, stories, and experiences with you all in this space! Thank you for reading and following our 2023 cohort through this incredible opportunity. Talk soon! K |
AuthorThis is my third experience traveling with the Buffalo State IPDS program, and I am so excited to experience all of the culture of Germany! I am a special education teacher in middle school, and I am passionate about traveling to gain new perspectives and have new experiences! Thank you for following along! ArchivesCategories |