This is a bit of a different kind of blog post. Seasoned with a wink, a shot of self-irony and a pinch of humor I created a not at all complete list of the things the mountains have taught me these past six months. And in the end you'll find a somewhat more serious video about it. Enjoy! =)
1. Nature is my greatest teacher and source of inspiration.
2. Sitting alone on a stone by the river is my favourite pastime.
3. My vocabulary has grown by some botanical names, which - I'm sorry - are not translatable to English.
4. The sun is shining at least once a day, most days.
5. Zucchini plants get huge!
6. Snails like my garden, mulching does not help.
7. The same applies to ants.
8. Nonetheless it's the best feeling to eat the salad and veggies grown in my little garden.
9. If you want to bathe in the river, you'll find suitable spots to do so.
10. Whenever I think that there couldn't possibly be another more beautiful swimming spot, another one appears as if by magic.
11. Going outside. Full stop.
12. Like-minded people do exist here, too.
13. Old friendships remain.
14. You can make amazing smudging sticks out of native plants. Therefore you won't need to import white sage from the US anymore.
15. Winter is so gorgeous.
16. Summer, too, despite the many rainy days of this year.
17. Spring? Doesn't exist here, I think.
18. If you wait long enough, a lost snow shoe will reappear.
19. Blooming flowers on the meadows are the best!
20. I cannot influence the weather, as much as I would like to do so.
21. The sun shines more intensely in the mountains.
22. Each kind of weather (to a moderate extent) has it's advantages. The chanterelles for example are already growing thanks to the rain and regularly make my dinners taste like forest. In a very good way.
23. I don't need to know everything yet, because if I open myself to the possibilities that come my way, many amazing things will unfold.
24. Teaching yoga is a lot of fun.
25. Organising rituals in the woods, too.
26. And working in the restaurant of the village every now and then is a welcome change.
27. I now know how to open a bottle of wine, but I have yet to succeed in foaming milk for a cappuccino.
28. Veganism has arrived to the more remote areas of Switzerland, as well.
29. The Piz Toissa (a mountain close by) is an extension of the Dolomites. That's why its peak doesn't stand in a mountain chain and why it consists of another rock. Water doesn't flow from its sides as rivers, but it drains internally. It is said that there must be a subterranean lake inside of it.
30. Everything takes a bit longer here and that's ok.
31. When birds sing in the forest, it's a warning signal for the other animals that you are there.
32. My Romansh has improved.
33. As soon as the snow melts, the first flowers appear.
34. Heating the house with wood.
35. Mowing the lawn by scythe. (Well, I can't do it very well yet...)
36. Sharpening the scythe. (I think I'm doing it right?)
37. Mowing the lawn by scythe is the best kind of mowing for the insects.
38. Bugs exist in the most beautiful and iridescent colours.
39. House martins have a white belly, hawk swallows are bigger.
40. The green woodpecker sounds as if it's laughing at me.
41. I really like being alone.
42. But in order to feel comfortable being alone I need my stable peer group.
43. I am part of nature.
44. To shoot the neighbour's crowing rooster on the fence while everyone is in church, isn't recommendable. The feud might last for generations after.
45. Feuds that lasted for generations can be solved and be transformed into a beautiful neighbourhood.
46. My ancestor's actions remain in people's memories to the present day.
47. When ordering something online, oftentimes there isn't a space to write down your post-office box.
48. The disadvantage of having many people with your last name living in the same village is that sometimes your mail ends up in a post-office box of one of your namesakes, your new phone for example.
49. In a small village you know each other and so your new phone eventually finds its way to you.
50. Being able to live here is a gift I am grateful for every day.
Bonus: Translating this post into English has gotten me learning many new botanical and zoological terms.
