Montreux (March 2020)
Every single city, town, island, country I've been to has had an impact on me in one way another. But this trip to Switzerland, brought me back to life. Reminded me who I am. What I stand for. What I'm capable of. And how lucky I am to live this life. To be able to wake up and decide to fly to Switzerland for a mental break.
I came across Montreux, Switzerland in a female solo travel group on facebook. It was recommended for those who needed to take time off for some relaxation. It seemed like the perfect place to go to after a break up. I've not been to Switzerland since 2013. Additionally, I've not been to a mountainous area since New Zealand (2016), therefore I underestimated the beauty of mountains & lakes. I was in awe when I got out of Geneva airport and saw the mountains. I forgot how breathtaking they were. They reminded me of the beauty the world had to offer and how when I was 18 I chose to dedicate my life to travel but somehow the last year or so, ever since moving to London, I've lost my direction. I lost touch with myself and what makes me, me. As I sat on the balcony with the view of the French alps, I reflected on everything I've achieved and experienced in the last few years since I turned 18 (when I started actually 'living'). I realised that since my move to London, I dimmed my light. I made myself smaller as I did not want to scare the guys I dated. I felt I had to do that so that they will feel more like a man. But as I sat there, I realised its not my duty to make these guys feel like something they are not. *Loosely quoting crazy rich asians* I realised in my last relationship, I minimised my goals and dreams for him. He never asked me to but I felt the need to. I rejected my needs and wants for him - why does society train women to do this??
And this is why I love travelling alone - the self growth & reflections that happen are incredible. Sometimes one day in a different place gives you more than ten years of life at home.
Lausanne
I spent a few hours in Lausanne with Morgan - an amazing friend I met on tinder in London. She is from Switzerland, she was travelling around the UK in 2019. She's one of those people that gets me really well as we had similar childhood experiences. So I can be almost completely myself with her and there's never any judgement. It was nice to see her face to face as I hadn't seen her since summer 2019 when she left London. It was nice seeing her and reflecting on how much we both have changed & how many different events that took place in the last year had caused so much growth in both of us. We hung out at a bar near the lake & enjoyed the views and scenery.
Montreux
I spent most of my time in Montreux. That was where I was based. I stayed at Golf Hotel Rene Capt. I chose it because of the views it provided and mainly the balcony. I love a good balcony where I can chill for days and people watch and write. Montreux has good shopping and restaurants in its city centre. However, I spent most of my time in the room as I did not really want to be around people because of the way I was feeling. I did end up meeting some mates on couch surfers (an application for solo travellers to network). I took a walk along the path next to the lake. I walked and walked and ended up reaching another town. I stopped here and there to write. (Bits and pieces of it may be shared in my Break Up Diary Section)
Interlaken
My first trip to Switzerland was in 2013 when I was 14 years old. I went to Zurich and Interlaken. I fell in love with Interlaken, I've never been to a place that quiet and calm. Ive always been used to the city. I told myself then that I wanted to come back there in my twenties and spend a week reading and writing. Even though I couldn't stay for long, I decided to go for a day trip to Interlaken. It was spontaneous and one of my best decisions yet. It took me 2.5 hours & 2-3 trains from Montreux to Interlaken. Once I got there, I saw people paragliding and It reminded me of a thought I had in 2013 during my first trip there, I told myself that the next time I came here I was going to go paragliding, So that's exactly what I did. I booked it then and there and within an hour I was in the sky above Interlaken. The whole town looked so small. All my problems looked insignificant. I felt okay. I love doing crazy adventurous things when I'm going through something. For some odd reason, it helps me put everything in perspective and reminds me what is important and what may seem important but isn't.
