A few years ago, I visited Switzerland for a short trip, and I absolutely loved it. But my time there was so brief that I left feeling like I had only scratched the surface. So, when the opportunity came up to spend six weeks in Switzerland (and 2 weeks in England) between seasonal jobs, I jumped at the chance, hoping to experience more of what Switzerland had to offer.

Unfortunately, things have not quite been going as planned.

The Apartment: A Series of Unfortunate Events

From the moment I arrived at the apartment, it was clear that the reality didn’t quite match what I’d been promised. The location was harder to access than expected, making even simple errands a logistical challenge. The free shuttle from the funicular station left my sister and I both feeling motion sick, they were always late, and the evening shuttles were sporadic at best. 

When I first stepped into the apartment, I immediately noticed the lack of cleanliness. The linens didn’t smell fresh, the kitchen was filthy, and the apartment just didn’t feel clean. To make matters worse, I opened the window to enjoy the view and the crisp mountain air, only to be hit with a wave of pot smoke from the neighbors. It was overwhelming and completely ruined the fresh mountain air. I scrambled to close the windows, but the smell had already permeated throughout the small apartment.

The list of missing essentials went on: no toilet paper or hand soap in the bathroom, no trash bags, no dish soap, napkins, or paper towels in the kitchen, no cleaning supplies. No lids for the pans, a broken water boiler, and a nearly unusable shower with a showerhead that drooped every 30 seconds and only sprayed straight down the wall. There was dirt and grime everywhere, dog hair on the sofa, and dog food under both the sofa and bed. The "recently renovated" apartment was a mess, and there were no supplies to fix it. 

Cleaning, Transportation issues, and Trying to Make It Work

I reached out to the host and requested basic items like cleaning wipes, toilet paper, and cooking supplies. After several hours of cleaning, I finally felt like I could tolerate the space. However, over the next few days, I realized more things were missing. My sister, who has stayed in several AirBNBs, encouraged me to keep requesting what we needed. She even booked a hotel for us for two nights because she hated the apartment so much.

I wanted to cry. I had promised my sister a fun trip to Switzerland, where she didn’t have to worry about the expense of booking hotels and could enjoy staying with me in a cozy mountain apartment. Instead, she hated the apartment more than I did. It was hard to watch her struggle through the same discomfort I was dealing with, and I couldn’t help but feel responsible. But despite the frustrations, we both tried our best to make the most of our time together. We cleaned, complained, and made the best of the situation, always reminding ourselves that even in frustrating situations, we still have fun together. 

We made the most of our time in Switzerland, exploring and enjoying the country. We continued running into issues with the apartment, and ended up spending most of our time just traveling between destinations. The challenges were overwhelming but we enjoyed wonderful visits to Leukerbad, Montreux, Crans-Montana, Sion, and Zurich. 

Lucerne: Finding Joy in the Chaos

After my sister flew home from Zurich, I decided to take a detour to Lucerne. I was looking forward to a quiet day by the lake, but I accidentally stumbled into the madness of Carnival Monday. The streets were filled with costumes, marching bands, music, and food stalls. At first, I was taken aback by the chaos, but then something shifted—I embraced it. I found myself enjoying the energy of the parade, the food, the costumes, and the festive atmosphere. I let go of my expectations for a calm day and allowed myself to be swept up in the fun. I felt like I was actually embracing the adventure of travel.

But as soon as I returned to the apartment, the joy of adventure came to a crashing halt. 

A New Setback: Avalanches and Expensive Ubers

As I made my way back to the apartment, I was ready to settle in, find my rhythm, and make the most of my time here. But that wasn’t in the cards just yet. When I arrived at the top of the funicular station, I was told that the shuttle to my apartment had been canceled due to avalanche risks. The attendant said the road was expected to be closed all week. I’ve lived in snowy places before, but I’d never been unable to get home for an entire week because of snow.

I eventually managed to find an Uber willing to take me on an alternative route, but for nearly $100 USD, the driver stopped 1.5 kilometers from my apartment. We didn’t speak the same language, and I struggled to explain where I needed to go. But in the end, it didn’t matter. That was the end of the ride. I gathered up my gear—my duffle from four days of exploring, camera equipment, and a week’s worth of groceries—and stepped out into the snow-covered road, ready to face the snow-covered uphill walk ahead of me.

The air was thin, the elevation was high, and the cold air burned my lungs. The road had no shoulder, and I got absolutely drenched by three cars driving past in the deep, slushy snow covering the road. But after 20 minutes of uphill trekking, I made it back to the apartment. Somehow, all of my eggs survived the ordeal.

Letting Go: The Moment I Gave Myself Permission to Break Down

I finally cried the tears I had been holding back all week. After a long night of  cleaning, I accepted that I was stuck for at least the duration of the storm. So I took the time to rest and regroup.

After a frustrating week in the apartment, trying to limit how much smoke filled my apartment, I tried to head out on a "nearby" day trip.  The bus was late (again), causing me to miss my funicular and shortening my time at my destination. I was exhausted from poor sleep due to noisy neighbors, and ill from the motion-sickness inducing bus ride. I gave up on my day trip, got my groceries, and went back to the apartment. I needed a new plan for the rest of my stay. 

Embracing the Adventure: Letting Go of Expectations

Travel time to anything outside the apartment was always a minimum of 30 minutes, with 4-6 hours of round-trip travel if you wanted to do any exploring, which was the whole reason for my trip. So I forced myself to lean into the adventure. My sister reminded me that some things in life are just mistakes we pay for. And so, at some financial cost, I decided to embrace the pandemonium.

Since my apartment location made day trips difficult and not worth while, I decided to book a longer trip to another part of Switzerland. I also decided to take the opportunity to add a few overnights during my journey to London (part 2 of this adventure). With this new plan, I’m optimistic about the remainder of my stay, with several weeks still to go. No more fighting the chaos—just letting it wash over me. And wearing earplugs 24/7.

Matterhorn

Embrace the Unexpected

Travel rarely goes according to plan, but that’s part of the journey. It’s not always about perfect moments or flawless experiences. It’s about how we navigate the setbacks, embrace the chaos, and find the adventure in the frustration. Sometimes, the most memorable parts of a trip aren’t the easy moments—they’re the ones where you dig deep, laugh at the absurdity, and learn to roll with the punches. Embrace the Type 2 fun. 

This has yet to be the relaxing Swiss getaway I expected. And I still have several weeks ahead of me. But I am certain to have more adventures.