Step by Step

Christine Broyhill
December 8, 2009

If there is one thing that I truly admire about the Swiss culture, it would have to be their active lifestyle. Because owning a car in Europe can be expensive, most people walk everywhere or use public transportation. Being abroad for a whole semester so far, I love having to go out each evening and walk across Lausanne to get dinner. As the months become colder, there are times when I wish I had a car so I could avoid the cold, but when you’re walking with people that you’ve gotten close to, it makes it all the more enjoyable. I feel like the simplest things mean a lot more to me now that I’ve experienced them aboard. I love walking to Migros or Coop and coming back to La Croisee with my purchases. At home I saw it as an errand, but here I value the time I get to spend out of the house when I’m able to walk around the city of Lausanne, grab some groceries, and then come back to the house with a feeling of accomplishment. I’ve gotten used to walking everywhere and I remember the first week when I was here I wasn’t sure if I would get used to walking everywhere. Places back home don’t seem as far as they did before and I know that going in a car to the grocery store during winter break will feel strange because it is so close to where I live. The Swiss live an active lifestyle and are always moving. I’ve never had a day here where I feel like I haven’t been productive and I love that feeling. The semester has flown by so quickly and I can’t wait to treasure more of my time here next semester.