Oh, Switzerland!

it was intoxicating. breathing deeply of the cleanest, purest, most welcoming air i have ever let fill my lungs. we arrived after dark, and the stars alone told us we were in mountain country. dazzling! the sky seemed closer; it had to be. somehow luring us in & holding us captive to a majesty we could only outline on the horizon: enormous walls of black against the deep blue. no moon. we walked the wide & spotless streets of Interlaken almost ready to camp outside 'til the sun came up and pulled back night's curtain on these massive peaks we were so anxious to finally see. we were giddy, we could hardly wait for morning to come! alas, we reached our hostel, The Backpackers Villa, and were welcomed with a personal note and warm stack of sheets & towels. although our minds threatened to keep us awake, our aching bodies won us over to sleep...

...i was first to awaken just before dawn. (of course, the sun takes a bit longer to rise above the heady skyline). and the view i saw changed me in an instant. i cannot say that has ever happened to me before. my eyes fixated on the glory surrounding me & my entire being filled with tranquility, joy, newness, freedom. my perspectives altered. my ideals shifted. it was so subtle, yet so sincere. i had tears in my eyes & a cavern in my heart. i wanted to run up into them. i wanted to wrap my arms around them. i wanted to be apart of them, to be held by them, to call them home. those mountains on that beautiful morning!

we rented scooters later that day to go "further up and further in". curtis drove fast against the whipping mountain winds, with me warm on his back, clinging tightly. more quaint towns than i thought possible, more jaw-dropping landscapes than i could ever dream!

                            

still, we wanted to go higher. so we paid our ticket to the top: a gondola ride to the second highest peak on the continent! the road at the bottom of the next pic is the same rode we were on in the previous pic. we were only a fraction of the way there! (i was kind of scared).

getting closer...  maybe half-way there!

finally, the peak of Shilthorn in view!

the view from the top took our breath away, and the breath we did take was so fresh and clean, it could have had healing powers! the green trees and fields nowhere to be seen. our little town swallowed up by peak after peak of sky-scraping rock faces iced in a thick layer sparkling snow. nearly indescribable. truly unforgettable.

these mountains compare to no others. they are guardians, treasure keepers, sanctuaries, proclaiming such strength and mystery, we knew God had given us an incredible glimpse of himself: mighty, awesome, powerful, able, unchanging and true. his love really does reach the heavens; his faithfulness, to the skies.

all that is left to say here is please go! you will not be disappointed, no matter the cost. let yourself be moved to tears and filled with wonder again! we can hardly wait to return...