Happy birthday, Switzerland!

In honor of Swiss National Day, here are a bunch of never-before-shared-on-Swiss Lark photos of me and J  in Spring 2007 in Neuchâtel when we first got engaged - and both fell head over heels in love with Switzerland. I had moved to Switzerland for a teaching job and J came to stay for three months. He was a clever little monkey and brought a ring with him and carried it around everywhere we went for over a week waiting for a good moment to literally pop the question.

He ended up taking me completely by surprise while we were watching a total lunar eclipse down on the Esplanade du Mont Blanc. Apparently, it is actually really bad luck to get engaged during an eclipse, but whatever! We have been married for ten years and counting, so it couldn't have been that bad. The lunar eclipse over Europe last week had me thinking a lot about that spring in Neuchâtel and just how much we really do love Switzerland.

This photo is from our favorite hike in all of Switzerland, the Gorge de l'Areuse. It's breathtaking and magical and offers such a variety of views and terrain.

It's funny to see photos of us as a young couple with no children. We had so much time - and freedom. I've always loved this photo with the cherry blossoms and the train going by. So Swiss!

I desperately miss the sound of cowbells. I hope that they still have the Heidi movie with cowbell sounds in the terminal to terminal airtram at Zurich Airport. It has always made me bawl my eyes out, but in a good way.

It's fun to think of taking our kids to visit the area around Neuchâtel. J and I made a trip there the year before Coco was born and it was fun to revisit all of the vineyards, our favorite hikes and the beautiful medieval towns.

It's also important to remember that our kids will grow up and move away and it will be just the two of us again some day. During this time of life, ten years into marriage, a lot of the romance is on the back burner, we have tons of responsibility and day to day duties, and it can feel really overwhelming at times. But it's also so wonderful and amazing. I like to call it "equal parts delight and despair" because it really is. High highs, low lows. Real life, people!

I can't help but think of that Chainsmokers song when I look at this photo. Just a relaxing day on the lake and we never through we'd get older.

But we did! And Switzerland is a year older, too. Happy 727th, Switzerland. We'll see you for 728.