Layover in Geneva and Back 'Home'

 Layover in GOOD Old Geneva (A gratifying second glance at a beautiful city)

Still LOVING Geneva and its beautiful people (possibly more than my last trip!)

So, I made a friend on the plane! Her name is Karla, a young and vivacious Peruvian woman in her final year of Medical School in Barcelona (Residency Stage). She is so brilliant, benevolent, light-hearted and funny. I think it’s so great how excited she is about what she is going into – she wishes to specialize in Kidney Transplants.

Karla, my Peruvian Travelmate

My new friend and I wasted absolutely no time during the otherwise brutal 9 hour layover in Geneva. (Spanish-English translation). “Let’s not sit around. Let’s take advantage, get out there and get to know Geneva!” I explained to her that my Tio Mauro lived in Geneva and that I had recently come to visit him for a few days! I told her all about how wonderful this man is. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get through to him during our brief visit!

We were taken aback (well, I was yet again) by how intrinsically motivated people are here! They are actually interested in HELPING you. “It’s Switzerland!, said Mary Jo, a local who offered her mobile to call Tio Mauro multiple times while on her shift! Mary Jo isn’t the only one who took us by surprise. We met a LOVELY woman at the ripe age of 90. She noticed we were a bit unrehearsed in public transit so she took the liberty of walking us up two flights of stairs to the Bus Station (10 minutes out of her way)! The woman was wonderful – she spoke both French and English (at the age of 90! This is very rare, to me, for an individual of that age to speak two languages!)

They are a different species. I guess people always surprise you, no?

A few minutes later, another local offers us one of his tickets so that we can get on the bus to the city; as if we weren’t stunned enough (especially Karla!), a sweet older man stopped to explain the transit system here in Geneva (what’s fastest, most efficient, cheapest, recommended bus lines, etc.) It was so lovely!

 Karla comments:

“2 Chicas extrañas en Ginebra = una Americana y una Peruana. Nos animamos a salir del aeropuerto rumbo a la cuidad. Hemos conocido gente en este pequeño trayecto hasta cojer el tren que nos ha indicado como llega =

1)    Una señora de 90 anos!!! (Con un ingles de 30%) nos llevo a la estación – (and surprisingly walking faster than we were!)

2)    Un chico de +/- 40 anos que nos regalo un ticket de autobús

3)    Un señor de +/- 80 anos con un ingles perfecto tomo como 10 minuto para explicar paso a paso lo que teníamos que hacer para llegar al centro

Cada vez, el mundo se sorprenda mas.

Si había conocido una ciudad (IMAN) como NYC (this is where she has visited for the past week) esta probablemnte la cuidad mas amable en la que he estado

Como dijo Mary Jo (la nanny lady) = ES SWITZERLAND!!!!”

- I love her!

We had three hours in Geneva! It had only just begun and we already awe-inspired (just by the PEOPLE)!

Fortunately for us, the day we stopped in Geneva is an important holidays for the Swiss!  Indeed,

This weekend marks the BEAUTIFUL celebration of L’Escalade (which took place the night of December 11 to 12 in the year 1602.  The locals celebrated the day Geneva defeated France! (This year there are over 800 participants!) 

Too bad Karla and I missed the road running segment, which is apparently “one of the most significant annual events in Geneva, and is one of the most prestigious sporting events in Switzerland”.

Official Website (Google Translated for Ya)

Streets were filled with people selling Soup, a refreshing Hot Juice/Sugar/Wine Drink, Sausages, Hotdogs, etc! I may have fallen hard for roasted chestnuts (at one point within 3 hours, about 400 grams of chestnuts lain in my digestive tract).

The city was even more beautiful than the last time I came to visit! I’m so fortunate I was able to experience this again, with a sweet new friend!

By the way, The term "Escalade" means “to climb” (more specifically on a ladder or any vertical plane)

During the flight home, I watched quite a few films: one that I particularly enjoyed is entitled Going the Distance (featuring Justin Long and Drew Barrymore). Great film for me! 

I almost could not resist Avatar when I opted for Killers. It’s so funny how rarely I watch films, actually. It’s so relaxing.

Almost home! Barcelona to Valencia

Just my luck! The plane arrives in Barcelona airport 30 minutes longer than anticipated, leaving me a precious hour to pick up my luggage (Can’t wait to be carrying with me two 50 lbs bags, a backback and purse!) Baggage Claim took at least 20 minutes.

 And then I was OFF to the bus station. AH, I reminisce my run (attempted run, that is, with the amount of luggage I carried) through La Rambla (Thank you, sweet couple from the Aerobus for directing me! Oh! And the group of travelers who allowed me to follow them to the station because I had no idea where I was going!)

I made it to the bus with a mere FIVE MINUTES to spare. I admit - I had a minor panic assailment, but I made it!

Five hours later (2 AM): I was safely back in Valencia and INFINITELY grateful my neighbor, Ruben, volunteered to collect me! I am too fortunate.

Now that I am back…

I can’t help but admit how much I’ve fallen in love with this city. Walking to the center of the city is such a gift. It’s literally a 10 minute walk from the Pont de Fusta metro stop, 

which I can WALK to in less than 15 minutes if I please. I absolutely love crossing he bridge, passing by several soccer practices in session (futbolistas ages 8 to 25+). It is so invigorating having soccer around all the time again! Dad, I can’t wait to share this with you! Oh, and the BUILDINGS (the history behind the beautiful architecture in Valencia) is more captivating now than when I left simply because at home, well, we don’t have this type of scenery. I take it in and count my blessings. I missed every one here in Valencia: my friends, my coworkers, my students (oh, how I adore them), my ESL students (outside of el colegio). I definitely missed how much affordable fruit and vegetables are here (Fruterias are our friends). 

Reading is Music to the Mind 

So, I recently finished a phenomenal read– “Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.” may very well be one of the most phenomenal reads I’ve delved into thus far. Truly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND (Thanks, Chels and Heather Swick). Bali (Part 3) was my favorite, for sure.

After reading the book, I perused the web for other peoples’ reactions to the books. I came across some pretty lovely pages.
Lessons learned thus far (applicable to all! So please do skim!)

• Embrace Failure. Have you lost a job recently? Gone through a divorce? Life has a way of bringing all our well-thought out plans to an immediate halt sometimes. I think that's because our plans are oftentimes too linear. Life is really more like a 2-step dance; you take two steps forward, followed by one step back. Or sometimes two steps back. The point is that when life sends you a flat tire, don't just put on the spare and keep going. This is a great time to also reevaluate the map.

• Be Your Soul Mate. We all spend (or have spent) a lot of time looking for or that perfect life partner, our soul mate. It seems to be part of human nature. But how much time do we spend nurturing the soul mate within? So many of us have busy lives running kids here and there, working, commuting, etc, that we hardly take time to spend time with ourselves. And even when we do get a few minutes of quiet time, do we really spend it trying to know ourselves more? Elizabeth Gilbert took a voyage to Europe and she went by herself. You don't have to go to Europe, but how about a walk in the park? Or a trip to a local museum. Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist's Way recommends weekly dates with ourselves where we treat ourselves the way we act toward someone on a first date. Go to a local cafe. Enjoy yourself. Pay attention to the scenery. Enjoy the moment. Then you can return to your family refreshed and with stories of your own to share.

• Defend Your Happiness. I love this quote from EPL, "Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it...And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it." I've never thought of myself as the warrior for my own happiness, but I think it's an idea worth considering. The important thing to note here is that I'm not defending my happiness at the expense of others, but that in fact, others around me will benefit from my happiness. As a warrior for my own happiness, I am much better prepared to be a beneficial presence to those around me than when I'm filled with misery.

Source

 

• You’re Not Alone – Though at times you may feel you’ve entered a long dark tunnel - population one – when you take time to look around, hundreds of people wish you well and do all they can to ensure your happiness and security. Sitting in that dark tunnel brooding over past mistakes and judgements solves nothing. Talking with friends and family, or even a professional can go a long way to help your emotional healing. Make a list of all your friends and keep it open, adding to it daily. Focus on the good things in your life and force yourself to write down at least one a day. You’ll soon see that life balances the good with the bad. Stop focusing on the bad.

• You Can Change Your Life – If you’ve ever driven down a busy highway on the wrong side of the road, it won’t take long before you realize you’re headed towards a nasty collision. You’ll feel it instantly and swerve to avoid crashing. Other drivers will honk at you and scream profanities to let you know your error. Life acts in the exact same way. If you lead your life yet feel like something is not right, listen to that inner voice and become aware of the ‘collisions’ in your workplace and home. Only when you begin to recognize the signs can you begin to turn your car around and start driving in the right lane.

• There Are Worse Things Than Being Alone – Being in a dead-end relationship or one that leaves you feeling battered and abused (whether emotionally or physically) signals danger. Heed relationship don’ts and get out. If, like Gilbert, you spend the middle of the night sobbing on your bathroom floor, you must realise that something is wrong. Find the source of your pain. Do you want to remain in the relationship? Or is it time to move on. Thoughts of being single at any age conjure fear and uneasiness, but nothing kills your self image and worth faster than remaining in an unhealthy relationship. Fix the relationship with yourself first, then find solutions to your other problems. Once you feel better about yourself, everything else will fall into place.

• Let Go Of Control – Trying to control every last detail of your life can make you sicker than you realise. Life is about living. Life is not linear, rather it spins off into many directions. Trying to control everything is like an octopus trying to juggle with all its tentacles at the same time. Eventually it will tangle its arms into a knot and the juggling pins will crash down on its head. Control the things you can and assume the strength and wisdom to cope with those you can’t.

Source: 

If you happen to check out the book, I found a few excerpts particularly interesting (at least go to Border/Barnes & Noble and check out the following sections. Make sure to follow up with me):

•  Pg. 16-17 (if you find the text online, I believe it is page. 13-14), Gilbert's discussion about her take on "God". On Point!
• Pg. 175, The author's take on the notion of "Faith" (STIMULATING. I loved it). In fact, I read it three times over.
• Pg. 177* Discussion about fate/destiny. 

 The concept of the perception* of "pain" is fascinating to me, particularly after reading this work. It really is ALL mental. "It all goes away" (It is truly only temporary.)

Take some time for some self-discovery, my dear friends (men and women alike).

Ask yourself a few questions (who knows, these few minutes may change your life):

Think about it — when was the last time you asked yourself…got quiet…got in touch with your heart, and asked:

• Who do I really want to be in my life?
• What is my definition of success?
• What are some of the things I want to experience in this lifetime (And, do you have a plan in place to turn them from fantasy to reality?)?
• Am I really alive in my life or just passing through without much engagement?

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