Do you have a bucket list?

I do. My list is full of places to visit, sights to see and people to meet. This past weekend, I crossed off one of the locations that I vowed to see during my life: the beautiful landscape of Switzerland.

No words could properly describe the feeling of fulfillment I experienced as I sat alone next to Lake Brienz, one of the two remarkable lakes surrounding the town of Interlaken. In the background, only the noise of my music interrupted me as I listened to the serenity of the water as its small but meaningful seiches clashed against the land.

I sat there, simply existing, for hours before the time of day caught up to me.

The feeling of water brushing my hands as I stared off into the distance, watching the world’s natural beauty exist in front of me is an experience and a memory that will forever be cemented into my being. The tears that marked up my face created a ripple as they fell into their new forever home and I learned there is no better emotion that this Earth can give you than pure, unwavering happiness.

As the day came to an end I made my way back to the hotel, and as I approached the door I was met with a magnificent purple hue as the evening sun had put on its best apparel for the night. A sunset to impress an emperor– that is what was in front of me.

When calling my family and friends back home, they always tell me how proud they are of me. Coming out here, living my dream, doing things that they never were able or brave enough to do. All of it is extremely touching, but until I sat here I never truly understood what they meant. Taking this trip meant so much more than seeing someplace new; it meant I was proudly walking into this new era of my life and that left me bewildered.

The plans I have for my future, will they lead me to the same feeling I felt as I sat by the lake? Change can be good and sudden change can be terrifying, but finding the right path has never been something that proved easy.

The rest of my trip to Switzerland was filled with happy memories surrounded by some of my best friends, but as the time came for the trip home, nothing had amounted to the same gratification experienced on that first day.

P.S. The chocolate here was really good.