Monday morning at 5:00 am, we left Antwerp and headed
towards Switzerland! We haven’t done a whole group trip since the last 10 day
trip. We were excited to travel with everyone one last time. At first I was a
little nervous because they kept saying it was going to freezing and snowy in
Switzerland, but we had great weather! We arrived at our hostel in Interlaken at
night and got free dinner at this Irish pub next door. We stayed at the very
first hostel ever, so it was not very modern. It was eight girls in a tiny room
with only one outlet. All 16 girls shared the bathroom. It was good bonding
though!
On Tuesday, we had a presentation in the morning about the
tourism in Interlaken. We got to learn about all the extreme sports which were
very popular here. For lunch, they ordered pizza for everyone. Then, we went on
a hike to visit the waterfalls in Interlaken. It was so beautiful! The water
was so fresh since it came from the glaciers. Then we hiked all the way back
down to the village. Everything is so pretty with the mountains, green grass,
and blue water. That evening some of us had signed up for activities. I really
wanted to do hang gliding but they have a certain amount of spots, and I was
not heavy enough or tall enough. So I decided to sign up for the paragliding.
It was so much fun! It was a small group of us that got to sign up. We drove
all the way to the top of the mountain and each has a professional paired up
with us. Once we were attached to the parachute we ran a fast as we could down
hill until the wind picked us up. It was the most amazing thing I’ve done. It
was about a fifteen minute flight and we even did some tricks at the end. At
night we went to a little brasserie and watched the Bayern munich and real Madrid
soccer game.
Up and away!
Wednesday we had the morning off. A lot of people signed up
to do extreme sports. Courtney and I wanted to do the ropes course because the
sounded the easiest and was the cheapest. Then we somehow got convinced to not
do the ropes course but go canyon jumping instead. Our other friends had gone
in the morning and some people were going at 4:30. We signed up with the 4:30
group (11 of us). When the first group came back I told them I had signed up,
they said “we were just talking about how the one person on the trip that shouldn’t
do it would be you and how we were glad you didn’t sign up”! So that did not
help my anxiety about this jump! The closer we got to the mountain the more
nervous I would get. After a 30 minute drive we got to the top, also signing a
waver just in case, we were ready to jump. A few people went in front of me and
we all cheered them on. It seemed ok watching other people do it but then it
was my turn. Just standing on the platform made me have a little panic attack!
I was about to turn around and go. But I had a really great support group
behind me. After 3 long minutes of thinking, I finally jumped. Scariest thing I
have ever done in my life. I was so scared that I blacked out during the fall.
I don’t remember until I started swinging again. The guy said it happens a lot
for some people when there is too much adrenalin, but sometime in my sleep the
feeling comes back to me. I am so happy I did that. Now I feel like I can do
anything! Probably one of the top best things I have done this semester. That
night we all watched our videos over and over again. We got burgers and the
hostel and then had a few drinks at the club downstairs.
30 stories high. 80 meters drop
On Thursday, we left early in the morning for Germany. We
did a little hike through the black forest and to see the tallest waterfalls in
Europe. We stayed in a really nice hotel that night. We went to a German
restaurant and then went to a bar.
Waterfalls
This morning we went to the Mercedes- Benz museum. I don’t
care much for cars, but this was pretty cool.
Now we are back in Antwerp. Our last weekend here! I am so
sad to leave. Tomorrow I am going out for dinner to celebrate my birthday (on Sunday).
Then we have our presentations on Monday. Tuesday we have a final dinner and
Wednesday we leave. This has been the best semester of my life. I wish it could
last longer. We had done some many incredible things we will never forget. And
I have made 30 new best friends that I know I will see again soon at JMU.
COB ANTWERP Spring 2012
Laetitia
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