I think it is safe to say that having been to Switzerland is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I can barely recall the moment when I first fell for Switzerland, but I do know it made my “bucket list” long before New Zealand and Iceland.
Before this trip, there were scattered pieces of vision collected over the years, whether from photos on Instagram, personal stories on blogs… Eventually, when I was finally there, the whole experience felt like all those pieces falling into place, linking my past with present, my emotions with the scenery, and forming a multi-dimension picture in my mind.
This feeling is not as simple as purchasing a toy which I’ve been wanted for years, or visiting to a place that happens to be a filming spot from movies I’ve seen. It felt more like awakening all my memories connected to this place, no matter how faint the connection was, even if it was only a brief glimpse.
Standing at the Matterhorn Viewpoint, I thought of the early November of 2022, the moment I saw a photo taken from the exact same spot, the desperation of wanting to see this view in my own eyes once and the hopelessness, devastation, even rage of not knowing what the coming years would look like.
That night, I posted “This happens once every few lifetimes” on social media, and I genuinely meant it. I was grateful that everything worked out after the “darkest” days and I also felt I should really cherish the opportunity to be there and to hold those complicated feelings.
There’re countless places in the world that are overwhelmingly breathtaking, historic, meaningful, but only a few create this kind of bond for me, and that’s why this trip, for me, happens once every few lifetimes.