CarPe ZuRiCh

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.

Nearly ten years ago I remember being really overwhelmed with life. Feeling like I wasn't doing my best, not accomplishing enough, not being enough. A perfectionist complex, you could say. Thus with clear distinction I remember waking up one evening and for some reason having the phrase "gather ye rosebuds while ye may" in my head. I had no idea who wrote it let alone how it got in my head. Yet I got the point: Stop stressing so much about the future and make the most of what you have in front of you. It rang true with a sentiment from of my favorite movies, Dead Poet Society--and thus you see Carpe Diem on the masthead to this blog.

I can't say I often don't find myself hesitantly hovering a few feet from the ledge of life. But when I do, I try adamantly to bully myself to step forward, take a deep breath and plunge in. I know that life is so much more fulfilling when you do that, not to mention filled with a lot more memories.

And this, ladies and gentleman, is how I found myself in Zurich, Switzerland on New Years Eve.

I had wanted to visit my friend Kunal in Switzerland from day 1, but in the final planning phase it fell apart. However it kept gnawing and gnawing at me. Thus around midnight on the 30th of December when Amy and I found ourselves sleeping for one night at my cousins house, trying to figure out NYE plans and getting more frustrated, I just gave up. Amy was ill and went to bed, and I decided to see if Kunal was still annoyed at me. In the process of our conversation my urge to be in Switzerland became way stronger than my fear of how we could make it work (ledge + me scooting forward.) I started looking up flights and resolved to talk to Amy about it the next morning. After we'd said goodnight I texted him saying, "don't be surprised if you wake up to a text saying I'm coming!"

Next morning I woke up and went to check on Amy. She said to me, "I see you were looking up tickets to Zurich..." and thus began our discussion of how crappy we both felt about England. We were constantly getting moved about, nothing seemed to be working and it was like we were trying too hard. Whereas Kunal I knew would be happy to have us (as much as he has since given me grief for ruining his NYE plans) and we'd be able to stay in one place and have fun. Further opening the doors, tickets were still only $175 for a triangle trip from London to Zurich to Paris. We both felt really good about the decision and after confirming our return trip from Paris would still be valid, at 11:00am on the 31st we took the plunge and bought two same-day tickets to Zurich for a 4pm flight.

I texted Kunal we were coming then jumped in the shower and quasi packed. After a brief detour to London we raced to Heathrow where my parents met us to say goodbye and --nearly a ghost town--we breezed through security (literally, we were the only ones there) and onto our flight to Zurich. Before we boarded I got a text from Kunal, who had recently gotten back from skiing, saying he'd pick us up... and that I was mad. I responded, 1) mad people are more fun and 2) Carpe Diem!

Upon arrival and we went back to his apartment where he and his roommate prepared a dinner of raclette for us. This is also the point where he busted out the Kombucha teas you see left for each of us to enjoy. I just started laughing when I saw the brand "Carpe Diem"--LOVE it. It is because of this drink that, as hard a time I know he will continue to give me for giving him SEVEN (he claims 4) hours notice, he was glad we came. And guess what? For me, BEST decision of my trip and top 3 of 2011 (next to leaving Kerala, India early and starting my masters.) After all... as Sir Richard Branson says about his adventurous world, "life is a hell of lot more fun if you say yes rather than no." Amen!...And yes to Zurich.