Congratulations to our October-wedded friends!

Between Ryan and I, we attended the weddings of 3 sets of friends in the US this month.  Since our vacation days are limited, Ryan attended the first two weddings and I attended the last two weddings (we overlapped on the middle wedding) so that one of the two of us could still be present at every wedding.  Each wedding was unique, beautiful, and a complete blast! Best wishes to our dear friends in their marriages and thanks for inviting us to be a part of your special day!

Here are some pictures of the gorgeous couples for your viewing pleasure <3

Zach and Amanda in Michigan

 CJ and Alaina in Cape Cod

Heather and Ryan in Maine

"I love that dirty water.... Boston you're my home"

Last Sunday I flew back to the US to kick off a fabulous 2.5 week trip home in the US. My company pays the flights for Ryan and I to come back home once a year so we decided to plan our trip home in October so that we could attend the weddings of 3 sets of friends (that just so happened to be getting married 3 weekends in a row!).

Although I have come back to the US quite a few times since we moved abroad for work trips and long weekends, I surprisingly haven't stayed in the US for more than a week since we moved. I love Switzerland, but boy this past week has made me realize just how much there is nothing quite like "home".  So far this trip has been a perfect mix of fun times with our amazing friends and family, beautiful weddings, spectacular New England foliage and fall weather, several CLUTCH Red Sox and Pats wins to celebrate, and happy times catching up with Boston coworkers.

I'll eventually get around to posting some actual photos from the trip home; but, in the meantime, check out my Instagram feed to the right of my blog website to get a sneak peak at our adventures over the past week -- hmm, I just busted a rhyme ;)

I heart visits from loved ones

Since we live an ocean away, we don't get to see our families nearly enough as we would like and we have grown to really miss them - accordingly, one of my favorite parts of living abroad are visits in Switzerland from family and close friends. Its such a treat when they come to stay with us in Switzerland because it means uninterrupted quality time, without having to travel or organize our schedules and we get to introduce our family and friends to the Switzerland we have come to love.

Even though I have to work this week in preparation for flying to the US on Sunday for an extended trip home over the next few weeks, my mom and dad are visiting and it is wonderful to have them here to spend some quality time with Ryan and I and to do a little adventuring on the weekend and weeknights.... and I will admit that no matter how old I am, its always nice to be taken care of by mom and dad!

Over the next few months, several more family and friends have trips planned.  Thankfully our first Christmas and New Year's week away from home (cue the sad face!) will be brightened with visits from my brother Andrew and Ryan's brother Jamie with his fiancé, Holly. Who is next on the Swiss visitor train?! :)

Arrival dinner with raclette and a delicious homemade fondue! 

Chilling on the couch with my favorite people (+ cat)!

Watsu.... what? who?

My parents are visiting with us in Geneva this week (yay!) and with slightly rainy weather today, we decided to introduce them our thermal bath hobby.  We went to Lavey-les-bains, one of our favorite baths.  While there, a man in one of the pools approached us and told us that his students were studying to be "Watsu" teachers and asked whether we wanted to get a free session from a student as part of their training program.  Not knowing what a "session" consisted of, we agreed and what followed was an awkwardly amazing experience...  before I explain the details, below is the official description of Watus:

Watsu is a gentle form of body therapy performed in warm water. It combines elements of massage, joint mobilisation, shiatsu, muscle stretching and dance. The receiver is continuously supported while being floated, cradled, rocked and stretched. The deeply relaxing effects of warm water and nurturing support, combine with Watsu's movements, stretches, massage and point work, to create a bodywork with a range of therapeutic benefits and potential healing on many levels.

While the massage was certainly relaxing and unique, the poses were a bit, shall we say awkward... and then picture this happening in the middle of a crowded, public pool.  There were several points that I couldn't contain my giggles because I could hear Ryan laughing and I knew how ridiculous this little session must have looked to everyone else in the pool.  How awkward could it be you ask? Check out the below sample pictures off of Google to see for yourself...

So would I ever do a Watsu session again? Sure!  It was actually a really relaxing and gentle form of massage.  But, definitely in a more private setting :)