Last Updated on June 21, 2019 by Mackenzie Boland
Europe is home to some of the most beautiful natural landmarks and sights on the face of this Earth. Taking advantage of venturing to these beautiful places is so important to me during my semester abroad.
Last weekend I took a break from the city life and retreated to the beautiful mountain town of Interlaken, Switzerland. Interlaken is great for rich chocolate, beautiful landscapes, and is known as the adventure capital of Europe. Some of the extreme sports offered are skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, river rafting and canyoning. I love the feeling of realizing how small I am compared to this big world we live in, so I decided to go paragliding.
For about 15 minutes I was able to sit silently and gleam at the natural world surrounding me that often goes so overlooked. The actual paraglide and the instructor made me feel so safe, giving me zero stress and plenty reason to sit back, relax and be mesmerized by the aqua colored water and snowcapped mountains I was flying over. I was speechless.
Paragliding was a breathtaking experience I would encourage everyone to try. But even if extreme sports aren’t your cup of tea, Interlaken has a life-changing cup of hot chocolate that makes the town worth the visit still.
During your study abroad experience, take time to wander, sit, stare, and ponder. Not every weekend has to be go, go, go. Plan a relaxing retreat to the beautiful Swiss Alps. With a few good friends, and way too many bars of chocolate, Interlaken is sure to bring refreshing relaxation, rejuvenating vibes, deep conversation, and a needed, cozy sweater.
This post was contributed by Mackenzie Boland, who is spending her semester studying and interning with AIFS in Florence, Italy.
