My Birthday Week

The week of my Birthday is always a special one. I am the sort of person who tends to make Birthdays a big deal... especially mine! If at home I would ask my brothers to do little tasks for me, and if there was any hint of opposition I would break out my trademark line "but... it's my birthday!". I was excited for later in the week when the day would actually come, at 2:27 in the morning, when I would turn 20 years old.

On Sunday my roommates and I decided to take a little stroll to some of the surrounding areas by Olten. We ended up finding our way along the Aarie River, to a town that many people dream about but few ever visit: the home of the Lindt Chocolate Factory. I kid you not, the whole town smelled of chocolate! Although the outward appearance could have fooled anyone into thinking it was just your average building, the aroma wafting through the streets left me and my roommates speechless. It was, alas, Sunday so the factory was closed, but knowing where its location was we promised to be back later in the week. The areas surrounding Olten were beautiful, and in Trimbach we saw sheep! (so very Swiss).

Monday I started my day going to school (fortunately my class does not start until 10 on Mondays, so I got a little sleep). After a day of lectures, I decided I wanted to go on a little adventure: see what the town of Olten was like. I ended up walking East and finding a beautiful, old cemetery on top of a hill. Reading some of the headstones I discovered that Swiss people must have a secret to long lives, because everyone of the dates I read said the person was just over 90 years old! I think its a mixture of the chocolate, cheese, and lazy lifestyle that keeps these folks going for so long...

On Tuesday I decided to go for a hike in the mountains next to my house: The Jura. Just about a half mile away was a nice little trail that took me to a rock climbing area. The wind was so strong, I felt like I was going to blow away, but the view from the top was just breath taking... you could see for miles, all the way to each little town, and the long rail road tracks that keep them together. I decided I wanted to press on, and go to the very top of the mountain, so after a little bit of scoping around I found a path that took me to the top. As I went up and up, I was getting more and more excited. There were bird houses (with what looked to me to be addresses!) and mushrooms, and flowers, and signs showing you the correct way. It seemed that you could reach anywhere on these back trails! As I finished out hiking the last leg of the journey, I noticed something shining at the top of the mountain... something I had not noticed before: it was a castle! I had inadvertently hiked to a castle in the Jura Mountains! How awesome is that?! A CASTLE!!

On Wednesday it was my actual birthday! I had to go to school, but it was alright because everyone wished me a happy birthday. I probably heard "Happy Birthday" in 9 different languages! After school my Finnish friends took me to a pub (Bini's), and after exchanging birthday stories, they gave me a gift of a necklace and a shirt that says "Keep on Smiling Every Day!" (they said as soon as they saw it, they knew I had to have it). After the pub I went home to my roommates, who had decorated the house with streamers and birthday banners. Then Mrs. Walther brought up a fantastic cake, with a marzipan pig on top! After a dinner of spaghetti (my favorite) and after eating about a million slices of the fantastic cake (and trying my very first marzipan... which I think is probably the best food ever created) I got to open my present from the roommates. Inside was a little children's beginning German book! It was so funny! They said "If little kids learn through this, you can too!" The sad thing is its true, the book has helped a lot with my basic vocabulary... Haha. All in all it was a fantastic day, and to top it all off I had become 20 years old, no longer a teenager, but an adult.

On Friday I decided that it was time to become brave, and start using the train system. After purchasing a half pass (which lets you ride for half the price of the regular ticket on any Swiss Train) and the after 7 pass (which lets you ride for free after 7 PM) I was ready to begin. I then boarded a train to Aarau, to try to locate my church. Armed with google maps driving directions, I left the banhof and walked East toward Rohr, where my church is located. This proved to be a more difficult task then I had planned, for the driving route to Rohr, and the walking route to Rohr are to completely different things! After about two hours, and a bus ride to the right location I finally found it: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was so happy! It was funny, the church looks just like one that would be in Utah, it gave me kind of a pang of happiness thinking that even so far away things look very similar.

On Saturday I had an invitation to spend the day with the family I had met on the plane on the way over to Switzerland. Of course, as luck would have it, the weather was the absolute worst it has been since I have arrived: it was raining cats and dogs, and the wind was just relentless. After a bit of a schedule change we decided to spend the day looking at the sites of Winterthur (where the family lives). It was very fun, and I got to see an old church with beautiful stained glass windows, a huge library, an art museum full of old Swiss Paintings, and of course, the Families house! They invited me to have dinner with them, a delicious Swiss meal called Raclette: which consists of melted cheese of every variety, potatoes, and an assortment of vegetables. Oh, it was so good! Later that evening I got to play Sing Star (a karaoke game) on the PlayStation that they had. It was good to play a video game again... I know Bridger would be proud.

As you can see I have been trying to do as much as I can in this little time I am afforded in the amazing land of the Swiss.

This is Ashley Bush, (now 20 years old!!) signing off :)