I find it odd how the place I was so nervous and unsure about, the subway, is now where I do my best work. Not to say I feel completely at ease, but I do feel comfortable.

Whenever I'm feeling cramped, or bored, I just think about an open place. Almost immediately, I'm back in Switzerland, roaming the streets of Flem. It’s late August, and pleasantly cool.  I'm walking down the winding road from the hotel where we stayed, an ancient old castle with landscaped gardens that are up to par with Buckingham Palaces. Walking down the road, I cut across the road, and the wet dewy grass tickles my ankles. It's damp out, but sweet. Unpolluted.  So different from the sweaty atmosphere I’m currently in. I turn on to the main road, and pass the Italian restaurant mom and I ate in the first night we got there. Then I pass a few sporting shops and boutiques, all tucked in against the fragrant greenery. The road slopes down, and in a basin, tiny white house’s dot the green land. Far above that, partially disguised by the heavy clouds, are the Swiss Alps. They’re power, and grace. They stand there, stately reminders of the clear beauty nature provides. I sit on the dewy grass and absorb the beauty around me. The air is slightly sweet, and the wind plays with my curls, twisting me around. I’m positive, if someone took a photo of me at that moment, and one of me in the dimly lit dingy subway car, the two girls would be unrecognizable.

One girl is carefree, smiling at strangers who look at the young American in amusement and confusion. They wonder how she can be so at ease in a country where she doesn't speak the language, in a place where she's never been, with no guide to show her.

I'll give them an answer now. I felt at ease because I saw beauty. I pushed aside the pulse of fear in my veins at the unknown, and let myself become part of the scenery. Part of the breathtaking scenery.

I wonder if people ever get used to beauty like that. To the raw, natural beauty of nature. If they can ever disregard those powerful mountains, where it's not hard to imagine Julie Andrews singing with the Von Trapps.