I made it to Switzerland!!!

After two flights, a train ride and a taxi cab I managed to make it to Lausanne :)

The flights were okay. I can't say they were the most comfortable jets I've flown in- but they did get me here in one piece! I first flew into Frankfurt and waited about 2 hours for my connecting flight to Geneva. Once in Geneva, I found the train station (which is conveniently located inside the airport!) and proceeded to the counter where a young Swiss man *wiggles eyebrows* helped me order a train ticket and explained to me in very clear French what platform I needed and how much time I had left before the train departed.

I have to say, Swiss trains/train stations are very "heavy bag" friendly. When I studied in France a few years ago, I remember having to lug my huge suitcase up and down stairs quite a few times AND THEN somehow manage to get it on the train (which was a good 2-3 feet off the ground. Not an easy thing to do when you've packed enough stuff for 4 months). Switzerland seems to understand the concept of making it easy for international travelers :P

The train ride from Geneva to Lausanne was beautiful. I wasn't able to take any amazing photos because various objects would block my view (trees, buildings, telephone poles etc.).

Once in Lausanne I decided to take a taxi to Planète Bleue, the apartment I'm currently in for the next month. I quickly get a cab and he takes me there without a problem. I pay him, he drives off and I enter the building. When I arrive on the floor Planète Bleue is on, No One is there.

Now, let's rewind a bit. Thursday, the day before I leave Texas, I send an e-mail to Planète Bleue letting them know what time I will arrive on Saturday (approximately 3:00/3:30 PM. I was asked to do this 2-3 days before my arrival so someone could meet me and give me a room (no one works on Saturday, that's why they wanted to know what time I planned to arrive).

Okay, back to where I left off: NO ONE was there. The doors are locked. Lights are off. No sign of life. Naturally, I begin to freak out. It is here that I am reminded of the words my friend Luan gave me before I left: "DON'T PANIC" (that's for you Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans out there ;) ) . I check my watch and realize that it is only 2:30. I have shown up an hour early. Okay. Okay. Still good. I'll just... sit here and... wait for someone to show up.

While I wait, I decide to get out my laptop to see if maybe I could use Skype to call the director of Planete Blue... or at least find alternative lodging. No luck. I can't get an internet connection despite the fact that there are at least 3 available networks. Then I hear someone come up the stairs. It's a student and he lives at Planete Bleue. I explain to him, Edouardo, that I'm supposed to begin my stay that day and he lets me into the main lobby area (Alright! I'm in!).

After a few seconds of talking to me, he leaves me in the lobby and retreats to his room. Not exactly what I was hoping for (which was a cell phone to call planete bleue or at least directions on how to get to a pay phone) but I'm grateful that I am no longer in the stairwell. It's about 3 o'clock now, and there is still no one in the secretaries office. I pull out my computer again and fiddle with the internet but still no luck. At 3:15 (no one yet) I walk around the main lobby area which is complete with a "baby foot" table (foose ball), a ping pong table, two couches and a book case with religious books and Lausanne guides. I pick up a guide and start looking at alternate lodging options.

At 3:25 I hear a noise across the stairwell outside of the lobby. A few minutes later I peak my head out the door (being sure not to close it behind me since the doors lock automatically) and find the director getting ready to LEAVE on the elevator after he had just arrived! After a huge sigh of relief and some jumbled French, he gave me a key to my room and showed me around.

I have to admit, I wasn't too terribly interested in checking out the place at the time. I was extremely tired and cranky- all I wanted to do was pass out. But now that I've been here for a few days, I'd have to say that the place is pretty cool! It's made up of international students who share a living space. Each person has their own room, but each apartment (made up of 4 rooms) shares a kitchen/hangout area. It's a great way to meet people! Currently, there are a lot of students here who all work together on an Intern Program (but I get the impression that they don't do anything because one guy was telling me about how he surfed the net all day, while one of my roommates, who is also in the program, didn't actually show up to work until after lunch- haha).

So far so good in the Land of Swiss. Tomorrow I have to apply for "un permis de séjour" (a residence permit) with the cantonal police of Neuchâtel, so we'll see how that goes. I did not find out until yesterday that this needed to be done within 8 days of my arrival and since the office is not open on the weekends, and for some reason all this week the office will not be open in the afternoon, I'll have to skip my language class tomorrow morning and hitch a train to Neuchâtel. I'm definitely excited about seeing the city I'll soon be living in- but I am definitely NOT excited about what I'll have to do while I'm there. I have this sinking feeling that they're going to ask me for something that I do not have, despite the fact that I've searched their website over and over to make sure I have what they're asking for. I guess we'll see! I'm hoping for the best!