With this information in mind, after months of searching, I finally came across AUS.
Honestly, it seemed too good to be true. It checked all of my boxes and happened to be in Switzerland, somewhere I had never been before. I applied for the April 2024 term, interviewed, and got in. I almost couldn’t believe I had committed myself to such a major move. Luckily, I was no longer afraid of homesickness as Virginia cleansed me of that fear.
And so on the 9th of April, 2024, I boarded a flight with my family and Alix to move across the world to somewhere most people dream of visiting, nevermind living. Honestly, I was horrified. I had no idea what to expect, how I was going to adjust to such a drastically different environment, learn a new language, take care of myself, go to school, make friends, and all of the other things. But all of this is a part of the adventure which is something I find myself saying often.
Now, it’s January of 2025 and I have been in Switzerland for around 9 months. Nothing in life is easy, especially moving across the world, but my experience in Switzerland and at AUS have been nothing short of incredible. I have made new friends, traveled extensively, explored numerous hobbies, as well as returned to running and photography, two things I had not had time to do while playing softball.