Zermatt: We Have Lift-off

Our second morning, we were ready to begin in earnest. Ben and Norah declared themselves fans of Swiss breakfast which included large helpings of hot chocolate and Nutella. Fueled by the sugar rush, we made our way to the Zurich train station in search of our route to Zermatt.

Looking like an old pro already!

Mid-train travels

I set out on this trip with a hope that, more than anything, these five months away would be an opportunity to come together as a family of four; to enjoy experiencing things – the ups and the inevitable downs – as a team. At home in Evanston, we balance full time jobs, school, activities, and a wonderful community of family and friends. This makes for a very enriching and full life. But also one that is very busy and one where each of us maintains a fair bit of independence.

Our time here, and particularly these three weeks that we are traveling, is just the opposite. For the most part, what we do, we will do together. Although the shine of this will soon wear off, I think we have all leaned into this feeling. We are learning one another’s routines, we are making our own in-jokes, and frankly, some of the kid’s worst behaviors – the ones that appear when they feel like they are competing with other people and responsibilities for my attention have mostly fallen away.

In addition, while my phone works here, my need to be connected is much weaker. It’s been a great excuse to break my compulsion to check my phone. This helps me be more present and disconnecting a little from US news and politics is a welcome break.

All this to say, spending three days exploring Zermatt, Switzerland was a perfect way to start our international adventure.