Pumped full of fresh, wonderful emotions every day, for some reason I decided things would continue that way. I knew we had a plan to visit the Aletsch Glacier, but it depended on the rest of the team's availability. Some folks had been sucked into the quagmire of workaholism, so we were waiting for the right moment. Garik occasionally brought up how he got screwed over with hikes last time due to his friends' unpredictability. Because of this, I thought we would definitely go on a hike this time. I’m always happy to get out into nature if my health allows; I have no reason to sit around spacing out at home. Very few things bring me joy anyway, and it's better to keep my hands and feet busy. And on top of that, the unpredictable Swiss weather seemed to be favoring us.
So Garik’s midnight message that he’d be sitting out tomorrow (Tuesday) came as an unexpectedly unpleasant piece of news for me. As is often the case, it's not so easy to agree on things while traveling. Especially when the advance plans were very vague, and there are a lot of participants. Nevertheless, I was hugely disappointed. I had already psyched myself up for a hike and knew the forecast said the weather was only going to get worse later on. "Cherchez la femme" crossed my mind, but what can you do. I joined the trip at the last minute, and it’s not my place to make demands and set terms. If someone wants to hang out separately for a bit, that’s their right. It's just a shame to find out about it so late, because otherwise I could have planned a solo excursion in advance. I’m no master planner either, but sometimes I feel like a straight-up guru compared to many people on this planet. True, the price for that is frequently zoning out into my phone instead of admiring the surroundings. It would be good to do these things in advance, but definitely not with my concentration abilities, exacerbated by meds and chronic illnesses.
In the morning, I was eating gross local muesli with milk—which the Swiss normally drown in yogurt—and wondering what to do. The friend I was staying with told me about a place you could reach in a reasonable amount of time to take a walk amidst some beauty. That spot was Stoos, and a hike between the Klingenstock and Fronalpstock peaks. I poured a few coffees down my throat, threw fresh socks, hiking boots, thermal underwear, and meds into my backpack, and ran for the train.
Nostalgia
