Well I believe I left off with me in Interlaken, Switzerland - time to catch you up on the past few days. On Thursday morning, I left my campsite in Interlaken and jumped on the train towards Brig where I just managed to catch the Glacier Express, known as the "slowest express train in the world." It has been called one of the most impressive train routes in all of Europe and after traveling on about half of it, I can easily see why.

But before boarding the train, I stopped into a local bakery to pick up some lunch for the ride. I grabbed a small sandwich and some chocolate which totaled 12 franks. With very little time to get to the train, I quickly swiped my card, signed, and bagged my purchases. For some reason, I managed to double glance down at the receipt as I started to walk away and noticed that instead of paying 12 franks, I had actually just paid 120 franks - slight difference. So after a jumbled attempt at trying to speak swiss german with the cashier, I eventually was able to get my money back with just enough time to get on the train.

Now the Glacier Express is a popular trip for older folks, and is nice for those wanting a relaxing ride through the mountains and a romantic meal along the way. My intention was slightly different, I just wanted to see glaciers and needed to get to the other side of switzerland at some point. So when I sat down in my seat, I found myself sitting across from a french couple (who spoke zero english) and found myself as the third wheel on their romantic little trip. Now typically one would buy a single seat for a single individual - not this couple. Of the four seats around our table, they bought three of the four - the two near the window and then another one so they could sit beside each other. So for half of the train they sat side by side, and then when dinner came, they sat across from one another for their romantic meal. Meanwhile, I sat in the fourth seat with my tiny sandwich in a plastic bag, a bar of chocolate, and a camera constantly shooting pictures over their shoulder. Fun times.

As their wine, full course meal, tiramisu, and a whole range of other things to keep them fed were served, I sat in awe of the sights around us (they didn't take a single picture the whole time we traveled, I'm not sure how that is possible, ha). The tracks that we traveled meandered their way through mountain range after mountain range, passing by tiny clusters of wooden homes darkened by the beating sun. A herd of cattle roam the hillside and we can hear their bells ringing as they move from patch to patch. The higher we climb, the closer we find ourselves to the glaciers that were only recently beckoning me to reach out and touch them back in Grindelwald. It's as if time has stopped - the glaciers stand so still as if they longed to be flowing down the mountain with the other waterfalls and streams trickling past us. Our train passes through a series of intricate tunnels and over beautifully-crafted bridges. A biker climbs the curving roads beneath us, just a speck in this massive landscape. I find myself staring out the window without really focusing on anything in particular.

As we pass by all the little towns beneath us, I started to think about how lucky I am to live in a place like Lancaster, or the US for that matter, where I have so many options and opportunities available to me. Now I'm sure the people who live in these towns love it, but I don't know if I could permanently live in such a solitary place. I began to notice that in many of these areas, there is typically only one church as well. Sometimes I forget how much of a privilege it is to be able to question the churches I grew up in and then have other options to choose from to find the one that fits best. We don't just have freedom of religion, but also numerous possibilities for religion.

Passing by the many small towns, we eventually arrive upon Chur, an old town in the center of the valley which consists of an elaborate network of back alleys and small squares. I decided this would be a good place to crash for the night. I left the train, leaving the french couple to actually enjoy the rest of their trip, and wandered into Chur looking for a place to stay. I eventually stumbled across an awesome hostel (with unlimited internet, got to love that) and unloaded my bags in one of the dorms. After strolling through the town for awhile, I went back to the hostel's sports bar and watched a few of the world cup games. There I met a guy from South Korea and we shared many of our stories from traveling around the world. The more I travel, the more I realize that there are so many other places to travel to - I think I'm going to have to make it a goal to every year or so go and see something new and inspiring. After the final game, I went back to my room and cleaned up a bit and got ready for the next train ride in the morning.

And that's where I find myself right now, riding on the train from Chur to Stuttgart where I am meeting a friend of mine from Sweden. It's just a few more days now until the family comes over and a whole new series of craziness ensues, as always, I'll be sure to keep you updated.