New host family!

Its official: I moved today! I now live in Menzingen--population 8000 (eek!)

I'm going to try to explain the topography of Kanton Zug, but visualizing things has never been my strongpoint, so bare with me.

Ok: this is Kanton Zug. The majority of people live near Zug, and the population kind of gets less dense as you move farther away. I lived in Steinhausen before, which is a suburb about a 10 minute drive away. Do you see the city Baar, just North of Zug? Well, Baar is at the base of a mountain (range? or one mountain? I dont know) which basically slices the Kanton in half. Menzingen is IN the mountain. And it is the biggest town to be so high...in fact, we get snow here when they dont, and we can see over the fog of Zug! Luckily, its only a 20 minute bus ride.

My new host family is very nice. I have a host sister who I think is around 12, and a host brother who I would guess is 14 (he doesnt really talk much...I think he is in that awkward "girls are gross" phase). My host father is so funny, and the pastor of the Reformed church here, and a Rotarian. My host mother Barbara also works in the Church, and is very funny too. There family is much louder than my last one, which is different for me. PLUS they have a dog!

This is Menzingen. What you see in the backround is the famous fog over lake Zug, and Kanton Luzern. It is usually 3 degrees Celsius colder here than in the lower villages.

I think you might be able to see my house even in this picture...it would be somewhere around the bottom right hand corner. We are in an appartment, but they own a couple different appartments on the same floor, which is kind of weird. But my room is bigger! I'll be sure to put up some picture when I am able to find my card reader from unpacking.

I have mixed feelings right now. I am excited for the new change, and my new host family seems very nice, but it is hard to leave Steinhausen when it was beginning to feel like home. I will miss being so close to Zug, and having the house to myself often, but its good to be in a family again. Plus, I'm really happy that I have a host Dad, because honestly, not having a father figure here has been really hard for me. I missed my Daddy! And it was hard to say goodbye to Margrit, who has just been so nice to me. Driving away and seeing her alone waving to our car just broke my heart! I am planning on visiting her whenever possible.

I'll write again when I have more news about Menzingen! And CHRISTMAS!!!