What kind of an Au Pair am I?

Last Friday, Josh and I went into the woods with our bikes and the faithful dog, Poly. We stopped at a fire pit and began playing Josh's secret game where we go on missions to fight against monsters. (oops, don't tell him I told you about it.) As I always do, I let Poly of the leash so she could explore a little. Then, Josh and I began playing around the pit.

When it started to get dark out, we headed back home on our bikes. I called for Poly, and expected her to come shortly after I called her name. However, she didn't come. We looked for almost a half an hour, and I was almost in tears when Josh finally said calmly, "Let's just go home; she'll come." We rode home, but I went back out to the woods in the Soccer-mom-van to search for another hour without any luck. I left for soccer thinking to myself, "Poly is lost...how does someone loose a dog?...The family is going to fire me...I will be remembered as the Au Pair who lost the dog." Needless to say, I didn't practice much soccer that night.

To my relief, when I came home from practice, Poly was right there at the door ready to jump up on my legs. However, I am sure the parents are wondering exactly this...If an au pair can loose a dog, what will happen with our children? :)

Swiss-mas time!

Twas the morning of Christmas,
and all through the Swiss-house,
not a creature was stirring except for the au pair of course...

She woke up at 7:00am and forced herself to sleep longer,
Until 8:15 she was sure she'd be the last one awake.
Only to come downstairs where the silence was even stronger,
where were the other kids for heaven's sake?

The au pair was so excited to give her gifts,
yet somehow she new this Christmas would differ.
Everything was full of Joy and uplifts,
But the au pair was so glad to know Christmas is still there in Denver.

Some Things I've Noticed...

There is a Starbucks in the next city, and the hot chocolate with whip cream is still my favorite drink. However, when I am sitting at a table for four by myself, reading, it is very likely that three other people I don't know will sit down at the same table.

Everyone rides the trains here, including famous people, so I always keep an eye out for Rodger Federer.

Swiss people eat an average of 12 kg or about 25lbs of chocolate a year, but I am going to average way more than that this year. :)

Everyone's yards are immaculate, and they actually do the yardwork themselves.


Funny things people have said to me....

Frani: "Carolyn you left your radio walking." At first I didn't understand until I realized that if it had been going a little faster, I would have left it running. :)

Rachel: She is a native Swiss-German speaker, and we were having a deep conversation about marriage. She couldn't remember the word she needed to use in English, so she asked me, "Having one husband is monotony, right?"

Mauro: He was talking about ice hockey and said, "Are you any good at walking on ice?" I told I was not great at ice-skating, but that walking on water wasn't even a problem for me...

The key to the Puzzle...

There is something so great about sharing new life with old friends. Who I am spans across time, oceans, and borders, and the person I am is even more apparent when I am without the friends and family who have shaped my life. However, when the two different locations are connected by a common denominator, my life seems to be completed like a puzzle. There is no way to explain experiences, describe settings, or give details about my life here, which makes it extrememly difficult to share life with you despite my best intentions. The only hope is for a few pieces of my life here to make connections with you at home.

Last weekend one piece of the puzzle was connected when a good friend of mine, Drew, came down from Germany to visit. We did everything that I typically do on the weekend and during the weekdays; Drew got to experience my life, while reminding me about how life used to be. Although my life is far from complete, one piece has been put in to connect the old to the new.

(If any more pieces want to come help finish the puzzle, I have the perfect place for you.)

Skipping Stones and Broken Bones

Ben and I went for a long hike the other day in the Rigi, which is a mountain that supposedly looks out over all of Switzerland and some of Germany. (Although I can't vouge for that because all I could see was fog.) Despite the cloudy weather, the hike was "Shun" or beautiful. We took the cable car to the top, like all good Swiss people do, then hiked down. On the way down we found caves that we could explore, an old goat transporter, and a 200m waterfall. We also stopped for awhile near the river, and I partook in one of my favorite activities, skipping stones. (I think I could stand at the river for hours doing that, but maybe I am just a nerd.) Then, as we finished our hike, I was walking up the make-shift stairs as Ben told me his Grandfather used to do the same hike, but there were never bridges or stairs over the river canyon. It used to just be two ladders on each side, so everyone had to climb down, walk across the river (or Fjord it of course), and climb back up the other side. I just thanked God for the invention of bridges as I looked at how far it was to the bottom of the canyon.



P.S. We finally won a soccer game, and you are never going to believe this: I scored, but I did not do it with my forehead. (I scored a P.K.) Now, I know exactly what you are thinking, "Why in the heck is Nason taking P.K.'s?" That is what I was thinking as I walked up to the line when the coach called my name, but then I just thought to myself, "Just shoot it like Shannon Lovejoy does, and you will be fine." Gosh, it felt good to win, and now I know why winning tastes so much sweeter when you have been pushed down a few times.

Die Kinder

Well, I am falling in love, and all it took was a couple of weeks. The first few weeks were extremely difficult because I did not know what my role as a nanny should look like...should I try to play the role of a parent, should I be a friend, should I be the cool-fun one that everyone loves all the time? I finally decided on the older sister role; I have always wanted younger siblings (especially brothers), and I figured this is the best way to lead the kids while still having fun with them.

The three kids here took awhile to warm up to me, and for awhile I thought they never would. There were several days when I struggled to see my purpose here, and I questioned God's reasons for bringing me to a place where I had no chance of making a difference. He quickly reminded me my only purpose for being here is to love these children because they need it desperately. Just as quickly I have begun to see the kind of love that God must have for me.

Frani only talks to me when she wants something...yet I still have a heart for her, and I am constantly pursuing her. (I imagine this is what God must feel like when I pray to him only when I want something.)

Ben has an extremely unpredictable behavior, and is usually angry for no reason...yet even when he is cussing at me, I love him and think he is great. This is the kind of love God has for all of us because we are constantly cursing him when he only wants to show us love.

Josh is somewhat fickle...for example: this morning we were walking to the school house, and he gave me a big hug before he went to class. Then, the moment he got home he told me we weren't friends anymore. Clearly this is an example of my fickle relationship with Christ.

I am just amazed that through all of this I absolutely love these kids; they make me laugh, they teach me German, we just hang out together, and we are starting to become like family. (I just hope I really am like the cool-fun older sister in their eyes, and maybe they will be able to see God in me.)

The other day someone at church told me that if you want to hear God laugh, tell him the plans you have for your life. I think God is probably getting a kick out of my life right now because I never would have imagined I would be spending so much time with kids; I am a full-time nanny, I coach a little girls soccer team (that plays in the boys league), I am a youth group leader at the church I go to in Zurich, ha, and I am even taking German classes with a group of mothers, so there are kids at the classes every week. I don't know what God is up to, but I am enjoying hanging out with kids so much...they are great!

The Hike

Last saturday I had the greatest idea...I was going to hike to the top of Mount Pilatus, which overlooks Lake Lucern. The website I was getting directions from said the hike to the top was only about two hours, but that most people took the gondola to the top. Being the competitive person I was I scoffed at the gondola as I walked past, and I started my hike to the top.

An hour and a half in, I was only about a third of the way up the mountain, and I thought, "Gosh, I must be really out of shape." Finally, I walked by a group of four Swiss people who asked me if I was going to the top. I answered of course, wondering why anyone would ask such a silly question...Who wouldn't be going to the top? Then, I asked how much long it would take, and the kind Swiss man said it usually takes about five hours. I laughed at myself for thinking I could climb to the top in just two hours, and was a little discouraged since I had to be at a bbq at 6:00pm. Since I had already passed the gondola, I was worried that I would not make it to the top. Luckily for me, the gondola had several places where I could board on the mountain.

Once I finally made it to the top, the view of the Alps was breath-taking. I had to keep looking down because I was so overwhelmed by the beauty. I was looking out, and I realized that yes I can hike this mountain...it may take a long time, and I will probably get there a different way than I planned. However, there is unimaginable beauty at the top.

I hope to do the same hike in the Spring, but actually start earlier so I can hike the entire mountain.