Winter paradise!

I love to ski. There is no denying that fact. It may be one of my all time favourite activities (well, scuba diving comes close, but that is entirely different... so maybe I can have two favourites)! There is just nothing like it. This winter, I decided that I wanted to ski as often as possible. To make this more feasible, I rented skis for the season (and managed to get a fantastic deal on never-used, 2013 models) and am always on the look out for discounted ski passes! Last weekend I went with a colleague and some of her friends to the ski area of Leysin, and was fortunate enough to go there again this weekend. Two of my colleagues kindly took me skiing for the day as a belated birthday present, and I was touched by their generous and thoughtful gift. Leysin is an easily accessible resort by train - within 1h30minutes from leaving Lausanne, I was at the top of the mountain. Quite incredible really.  I feel so blessed to have so many ski locations so close to Lausanne, and plan to discover as many of them as possible in the coming weeks! And now, I will let the pictures do the talking...

2013 Here we go!

After a wonderful month of holiday, I am now back in Switzerland and ready for 2013 and year 2 of PhD life! Coming back to Lausanne just a few days ago felt so right (but of course the goodbyes to friends and family are always so difficult). This is my home now. This is where I am meant to be, and this is where I want to be. I can't believe that I moved here just one short year ago. It was so lovely arriving back in Lausanne knowing that I have a whole life here now with everything so familiar to me.

I saw the New Year in with wonderful friends - we started out at Hayley's house with a wonderful apero and then headed into town to join a 1920's themed New Year's Eve party which was a lot of fun! Day 1 of 2013 involved lots of relaxing, and Day 2 brought a day in the mountains for some snow-shoeing. Day 3 and 4 I got back into work and moved offices (yeah for a window and natural light!). Day 5 brought yet another trip to the mountains and on Day 6, I went back to C3 - my incredible church family. I am confident that Day 7... and all those that follow will be excellent.

2013 holds much promise. The promise of new experiences, of growth and of challenge. Benjamin Franklin said, "Never confuse motion with action" and I want 2013 to be a year of action. I want to use my time meaningfully and commit to things that have purpose. I want action in my French-learning, action in investing in my relationships, action in my running and fitness, action in my work, and action in exploring this wonderful world. What will you make of 2013? 

Home for a month!

I couldn't have been luckier than to be able to spend a whole month in glorious and sunny South Africa with my family. One thing expat life has taught me is that I love my family and I appreciate them deeply. So to have a whole month of holiday with everyone was indeed a treat.

The month was so full, and so wonderful with each day bringing special moments that are now sweet memories that I treasure! Now to share a few wonderful highlights:

The wedding! My brother married his gorgeous bride Annika and what a joyful day it was. Everything was perfect - but most importantly Paul and Annika were so captivated by each other all day, and that was the best part!

Time with my two precious nephews Evan and Joshua. I know I am biased considering that I get to be the lucky aunt to these two cuties... but man oh man aren't they just adorable? They are delightful little boys and I so welcomed the cuddles and giggles. Being away from these two may be the hardest part of living in Switzerland. But they are always in my heart and I am counting down the days until I get to see them again!

A few glorious days at the beach! Nothing beats the beaches of South Africa and this time was so special with the family. I also celebrated my birthday at the beach (my sister and her boyfriend blew up balloons and left them all over our room, and the family all wrote me sweet notes - a perfect start to the day which continued with a morning on the beach, cake and tea in the afternoon and dinner at the Oyster Box. But without a doubt, the best part of the day was being with family).

Time with my sisters - we spent the days shopping, have coffee dates and going for runs together. My sisters are always close to my heart, and I love them both dearly. Catching up with them was so precious

Lots of time with friends. I am so grateful for my new friends in Switzerland, but I miss my friends in South Africa all the time. I loved being able to see my friends again and share in life together again.

Christmas Eve with all the family! Such. Good. Food! 

 

And of course, last but not least, each moment spent with family was a highlight and so precious. I love my family, and am blessed that they love me and that they are my friends. 

It should not come as a surprise to you that I love food and eating out... so here is a list of my favourite spots in Johannesburg (some of which we didn't visit this trip - next time!).... Real Sushi, Cafe Vida, Dukes, Doppio and Karma in Greenside, a new find The Foundry in Parktown (oh my gosh - this place is incredible!), Vovo Telo and Simply Asia in Parkview, The Orient and Fire and Ice Milkshake bar at Melrose Arch, Red Chamber in Hyde Park,  Kauai and Tashas. Johannesburg has a great choice of restaurants and I miss them while I am away!