That's it; I'm addicted. Have you ever seen a picture or a postcard that instantly took your breath away? Or maybe you, yourself, have visited such a place? If so, then you can empathize with me when I say, it is absolutely unforgettable. I will never, for the rest of my days, forget Switzerland. It was early in the morning as our plane crossed the Italian-Swiss border and I looked down to see the incredible Alps marching below us. They are massive. I wish there were other expressions, but nothing quite captures the magnitude and beauty of these wonders. I was in love with this place before I even landed. As we stepped off of our plane, I took as many deep breaths as I could; like the cool, crisp air was going to run out if I didn't hoard it all for myself.
After all sorts of transportation (literally in one day I conquered planes, trains, and "auto-buses"), we finally arrived in Interlaken! Wow, I'm smiling as I type that name. So after we checked into our world renowned hostel, Balmer's, we explored the town. Nestled right in the foothills of the Alps, this town is known for its extreme sports-seeking tourists and of course, delicious chocolate.
Obviously the main event was 8:00 a.m. the next morning. After not nearly enough sleep (as you could guess sharing a hostel room with a stranger from South Korea named Kim, doesn't exactly guarantee the sweetest sleep...), we waited on the curb for our "carriage". A crazy, and I mean wild, reckless, and looney, Australian named Bernie aka "Birdman Bernie", picked us up in a shoddy white van and we were off. He sped us to the drop spot, and two by two we were lead to our adventure.
As the van twisted and turned up the face of an alp (is that correct?), we finally arrived at the top. I guess I always had this idea in my head that you literally jump off the side of a cliff when hang gliding, but I was wrong. We unfolded and set up the giant kite and ropes, took some pre-gliding pics, and strapped in. He said the only rule was to keep running and do everything he says...easy enough, right? So once we were both strapped in, we ran. And we ran and we ran. Down the face of a sloping, 12, 000 feet above sea level mountain. Next thing I knew, we were flying! It was amazing! Literally. we floated and drifted all over the beautiful landscape of Interlaken. Lakes, mountains, towns, and trees. We soared above it all.
There was something about that mountain air. Cool and crisp, yet warm and comforting all at the same time. That place; that untouched, not land not sea, but air. A space where one cannot be found, but finds. That place is sacred, that place is magical.
If I could jump off of cliffs, with that kind of view, and feel that free every day of my life, well I certainly wouldn’t hate it.
“So if you can’t find me, look to the western sky...”
-Wicked
