Fernweh

[Deutsch unten] Yesterday my successor started at work, so I’ll be showing her the ropes and make sure I leave my first proper job (which I lasted almost two years in, unexpectedly) in better shape than I found it… which shouldn’t be too hard, considering I started from scratch. In addition to this I’m naturally [...]

[Deutscher Text unten] Except for immunisations (which my health insurance should mostly cover) and travel insurance most of the big budget posts have been paid for by now, although I’m sure I’ll keep thinking of stuff I have to buy (like a battery-operated fan and similar things to make my life in Haiti easier). But [...]

Haiti has suddenly become much more real – I received the confirmation email from Global Volunteer Network that my placement will begin on October 15, 2010. Oh boy… I would like to congratulate you on confirming your place in the Haiti Volunteer Program for 1 month starting 15th October 2010. You may now go ahead [...]

After a long flight (well, 14 hours to London, but because they put me on a different plane in Singapore I was stuck in the middle of the row) it felt utterly surreal and see the typical Swiss rolling hills/forests/small towns combination from the window of the small plane from London. The feeling got more [...]

Study week is almost over – my first exam is tomorrow afternoon. I don’t know if I’ve studied enough, if I’ll remember all those finicky little details, but there’s not much I can do about that now except revise some more. Yesterday I watched a couple of movies with Michelle (and a very sleepy Rathy) [...]

I’ve paid the first half of my plane ticket, so I now have a schedule for leaving New Zealand. Needless to say I’m not happy about it. But here are the dates: June 19: last exam visit Denise, pack and ship all my stuff June 28: Meredith moves into my room travel the South Island, [...]

I made a 2007 mix CD – you can find it here, in my personal blog, which otherwise I’m shamefully neglecting in favour of this one… 21 songs that personify this exciting year for me for a variety of reasons. Hope you enjoy!

Besides a lovely phone call with Sibylle, editing of my second assignment, and going grocery shopping, I also spent today (slowly, as my internet is still dial-up) uploading some of my photos – not the ones I took here, but a number of older ones. Most notably you can see the pics I took when [...]

My aunt Maria sent me a surprise email with a photo from the family goodbye weekend at my grandmother’s old summer house on the Greifensee near Zurich: That just gave me my first pang of homesickness.

Checked in my luggage (one big suitcase, one big backpack) at the train station today. This makes it all the more real, but, occasional anxiety attacks aside, it still feels not very different from my usual trips. Except that I’m not coming home this time – at least not to this home, as my parents [...]