Today it finally hit me, Christmas Eve is tomorrow. Well technically for Switzerland Christmas is tomorrow since they celebrate on Christmas Eve. And really I feel absolutely nothing. I don't feel the holiday spirit. Maybe because im not at home. Or maybe it's because they don't have far enough decorations as we do in America. This sucks, really. I feel like one of them old men who already had celebrated a thousand christmas' so could care less. Maybe it will feel like Christmas but who knows. But, for now it's just gonna be another day. BAH HUMBUG!

Today I decided I was going to be more of a listener and less of a talker. So I did just that, I listened a little more than usual to conversations and I payed attention to the atmosphere around me. It all brought me to a new perspective of thinking and why things are the way they are. Also, made me a little confused and although listening has answered some questions it has also created more. So, im going to share with you my wonderful yet sometimes un-answerable questions.

-Why can you hear an airplane before you can see it?
-Why do bad things happen to good people?
-Why does the cold weather make us feel a different emotion than when it's hot and sunny?
-Why does God allow suffering?
-Why does pink represent a girl and blue represent a boy?
-Why do alot of peolpe believe that the world is going to end on Dec. 21st?
-Why do swiss people talk swiss german to someone who cannot?
-What made me decide to actually go through with being an exchange student?
-Why is a picture worth a thousand words?
-Where is the next place in the world I am going to visit?
-Why is it so hard to learn german?
-Why are blonde hair and blue eyed people considered the superior race?
-Why do we learn things in school we will never use again in our lives?
-Why do we force children to believe in magic, such as santa claus and the tooth fairy?
-Why can't I speak french anymore?
-Why do beautiful people have ugly hearts?
-Why do people always want what the don't have?
-Why don't I take a second out of each day to do something good for someone else?
-Why does the time go slow when your not enjoying yourself but fast when your having the time of your life?
-Why do people believe in love at first sight?
-Why do I wear so much black?
-Will I ever learn how to speak swiss german?
-Why do people judge people with tattoos?
-Why isn't graffiti considered a work of art?
-How can a person hurt little children?
-Why is it easier to curse then pray?
-Why is a rose considered as a symbol for love?
-Why can't I find the 'right man' for me?
-Why do I love cars more than most girls?
-Does gum really stay in your tummy for years?
-What would I be doing right now if I was in America?
-Why is time everything?
-Why am I thinking too hard?

And, my conclusion to this day was; Sometimes, the things we can't change end up changing us.

So on Christmas Eve, I have been in Switzerland for 4 months. So now it's the perfect time to tell you about this amazing country im living in. I feel like Americans don't have the slighest clue about Switzerland othe than they have really good choclate and cheese. Some people don't even know this country exists becuase it's so tiny and you can barely find it on the map of Europe. When I told most of my friends I was leaving they always told me to have fun in Sweden. I still have no idea how they came up with that one. But, it was the funniest when my dad told me that. Since he clearly knew where I was going.
To start off ill tell you a little about the country and history and then go into some fun and interesting facts that im sure you would love to know. Well as I said before Switzerland is a very small country. It is located between Germany, Austria, France and Italy. Because of the bordering countries, they have 4 main languages spoken, German, French, Italian and Romanish. Switzerland has 26 cantons. Cantons are equal to states that we have in the US. In schools in the german speaking part they learn german from Germany but they speak swiss german. Every kanton speaks a different dialect of swiss german. Sometimes this means only some of the words are differnt but most of the times it's just the way it sounds when someone talks, like an accent. Also, equivalent to the US. Like in TX and CA, they sound a little differnt then PA. The most interesting part of this whole dialect thing for me is that sometimes the swiss people can't understand people from another canton. But I don't blame them becuase I sure as hell can't either. I just barely understand St.Gallen deutsch. Well enough with the stuff im sure you find boring, now off to the interseting stuff. Well Switzerland has a very good public transportation system with trains and busses that are always punctual. People are always on a time schedule. There is no such thing as a personal space bubble. People will squeeze in between you and your friend just to get by. Or run into you without ever saying sorry, just becuase they know they will never see you again. Most houses are very modern but the cities look old, the streets are paved with cobblestone and the buildings have paintings and art on them. Everything is extremely clean. The Swiss flag is everwhere. You will never loose track of time becuase there is a clock almost everywhere you go. Everything is extremely expencive. The swiss use any reason to party from getting a good grade in school to an anniversary of friendship. You have to be 18 to drive, 16 to drink beer and wine and 18 to drink liquor. The swiss are very open and friendly to talk anytime. Almost everyone can speak a little english. School is very demanding. It's normal to come home from school for lunch. Dinner is bread and meat and cheese, only on weekends a hot meal is prepared. Swiss people will go out of there way to help someone. If you are obsessed with VW R32 you deff. came to the right place, I see about 3 a day on average (; Boys are flirts but would never talk to a girl first. All the rumors you hear about swiss choclate being the best in the world is absolutely true. I've meet more americans this past week than my whole time here. Maybe americans like to come here for the holidays, no idea. Newspaper, Movies and school work, is all done in german. The only time people write in swiss german is to their friends in a text or facebook. To legally have a dog you have to go through an agility course. Dogs are allowed in trains and bussed but have to have a special ticket. It is extremly cold here in winter. The weather is like a pregnant person, one second it's raining and the next second it's snowing. The mountains are absolutely breath taking. Swiss cows are the most cared for in the world in my opinion. They always have fresh pastures to graze on, not cooped up in stalls, and are milked by hand. Family is the most important part of their hectic and stressful days. Everyone loves america and it's their dream to come here. Their always rocking shoes or scarfs with the american flag. It's normal for people to wear clothing for two days because swiss washing mashines are 'soo good'. Most of the music is in every language but german. Zurich, is the most epencive city in all of the world. Swiss people love to talk but they would never talk about their feelings. People smoke alot. Jobs are the only thing young people are focused on. People never say like, they say love. You most likely will never hear of a prison here. If you don't have a pencil case you are considered uncool. It's normal for you to get a list from your class of everyone's address and number. When you are introduced to someone they always ask where you live. Huge scarfs are 'in'. Girls dress to impress not based on the weather. Kebab is the best food in the world, im truely addicted. There are alot of immagrants here from Turkey. Switzerland is amazing. Come here and see for yourself (: I'm clearly in love!

My topic today is Expierence.
As of right now I am expierencing many new things. On monday I got to spend my 17th birthday in another country. Far away from my family and friends. This was quite different. I went to school, got greeted my everyone in my class by a hug and a happy birthday in english or german. Some of my friends gave me presents and I was beyond delighted. I didn't expect anything at all. I once herd this saying "when you expect the least from someone or something you get the most out of it." This was exactually true. Then I came home for lunch and my family sang happy birthday to me and I blew out the candle on my little green swiss desert. I am really looking forward to seeing if my wish comes true. Every year I wish for something but I always forget what I wished for. This year im keeping tabs on this wish. Because if it ever comes true it will surely be a miracle. After School it was just like a normal day, nothing special. Just running around the yard with no shoes on in the snow with my host brother and sister like normal swiss people. Even though my day was nothing special, I was absolutely okay with this. Maybe a little let down from seeing how other exchange students are clebrating their birthdays here. But maybe we will celebrate on the weekend.
So back to the subject, I guess you can say by now im having the expierence of my life. Some times I think if I was still in the US right now what I would be doing? Would I be driving to school or would I be hanging out with my best friend? I even sometimes this about when I go back. I think about how damn punctiual I will be for everything. Since being late doesn't fly with swiss people. Or maybe I will be calm and cool with whatever happens.
Right now im expierencing so many new things, new cultures, new family, new school, new friends from all over the world, new languages and new ways of thinking. But right now I couldn't be happier with all of these new things. Lately I've been thinking who am I becoming? When I was a child I was so shy, I wouldnt go anywhere without my mommy or daddy. My sister would always talk for me and now im forced to talk for myslef, in another language at that. Some people ask me why I wanted to go so far away from my family and friends? They ask me how am I so brave? I dont really know, I guess right now I just living life as it comes at me. And, honestly it suites me very well. Lately, I feel so spontanious, I never know what will happen next in my life. This is kind of the opposite of the swiss lifestyle, they are so strickt and to the point. Friends here will ask you a month ahead of time what you are doing in this weekend, the teachers will tell you, you have a test next month. But me, of course im always on time but Im living life as it comes to me. One weekend im in a different kanton and the next im in another country, or doing something I would never imagine myself doing. Like being okay with living with a new family. Life is so new and exciting, and right now im loving every second of it. This is my Swiss Expierence.