The end of an exciting year...

Here I am now, looking back on 13 months that have passed so fast but still seem like an eternity - I can hardly believe how much has happened ever since I finished high school!
My first trip to the United States all by myself which was a big adventure and gave me the opportunity to really get to know this part of my family; the job at UBS which was anything else than fun but taught me to appreciate the freedom I actually have and is something I can put on my CV...; then of course Cambridge which was the time of my life!!! I can't put it into other words because that's how I feel about these 3 months - now it's like a dream, something unreal, because I don't see all these people anymore (at least not daily) and I know that I won't ever be able to go back there and feel the same again - so I just have to save all the memories of every great moment...; and ever since I got back in June, my life has changed in many ways - I've met new people, worked on projects, enjoyed life in general (not mentioning all the money I've spent...;)) - to put it short, I have had experiences I'll never forget that have made me cry, laugh, scream, think and I guess also made me grow up a lot! It is amazing how many different people have walked in and out of my life and as the saying goes, some of them have left footprints in my heart - some of them in Zurich, some of them in America, a lot of them in Cambridge...

I think the biggest change in my life was that I've learnt to overcome my insecurity and shyness (believe it or not!!) and be more open towards new things. In a song I like a lot they sing "I never felt this way before, I'm scared but still want more..." and this is exactly what has happened to me several times! Instead of running away (as I would have done before...) I really wanted to get to know the unknown and this has opened the door to a completely new world... sounds stupid now, sorry! but it leads me to where this blog started, the song that has given it its title: The road ahead... "The road ahead is empty;It's paved, with miles of the unknown; Whatever seems to be your destination - Take life the way it comes, take life the way it is"

Yesterday evening, I was invited to a friend's house for dinner together with 7 other people who used to be in my year at high school. I've known them all for quite some time and like them all a lot, but in a way I was always aware of the fact that they were all in the same class and I was not and therefore I felt comfortable in their company but also only accepted - until yesterday! During this past year, each of us has done different things, had different experiences, become more of an individual and now, two days before we all start off into a new part of life at different departments of our university, I got the impression that we were one group, I was part of this group just as anyone else and I realized how much these people mean to me. Somehow this struck me as important because it gives me the security that whatever happens in the near future, there are some people I can count on a hundred percent and it puts me under less pressure to get to know new people at university... I mean, I still find it positive that I can start new tomorrow without anybody knowing me and everything, but now I don't absolutely have to find good and close friends there...

Don't ask me why I'm suddenly writing this very personal text (I hope I won't regret publishing it... :)), I just felt as if I had to mark the end of this very special year! Because, hey! tomorrow, university starts and with it, a new and hopefully exciting stage of my life... I'll tell you all about it if you want to read on... :)