2019-20 • Switzerland
December 29, 2019 to January 1, 2020
I continued my Winter Break trip to Europe by heading west to Switzerland. Starting in Geneva, I was able to take in what this truly international city has to offer. Being in famously neutral Switzerland while also on the border with France, Geneva was once home to the League of Nations and is still an important hub for the United Nations (even though its main headquarters is in New York). After spending some time in Geneva, I rented a car and drove into the Alps to go snowboarding in Zermatt—home to the world-famous Matterhorn! The real one, not the one with the yeti in Anaheim (although there could be a yeti in Switzerland, you never know). The Matterhorn is actually on the border between Switzerland and Italy, and while I was snowboarding, I was able to go back and forth between the two countries. Zermatt is also notable because no gas-powered cars are allowed in the city—they do not want any pollution obscuring the view of the famous Matterhorn. I had to park my car outside town and take an electric train in. After spending New Year’s Eve snowboarding, I made my way back to Geneva to ring in the New Year. I enjoyed fireworks at midnight to celebrate the beginning of 2020. Little did I know how terrible 2020 would end up being! Switzerland is a wonderful country with unmatched scenery, but it is also important to note that everything is EXPENSIVE! Even when trying to save some money and go to a fast food restaurant, I still spent way too much. I suppose the Swiss banking industry and the country’s wealth are known around the world for a reason.
