Our New Digs

    Many people asked me before I left where we would be staying or if we would be camping. No camping for us on this trip, and due to the high cost of living in Switzerland, no hotels either. What made the most sense in terms of cost and to have enough space for the equipment, etc. was to rent a house. And that is exactly what Neal and Luke did.

    Two houses in fact. One over in the French side of Switzerland in the town of Fully, and another in the German side in a town called Mörel. These two locations were chosen because they were both located no more than a 90-minute drive from the different glacial forefield targets.

    We spent the first half of the trip in Fully. This house was surrounded by apricot orchards and had amazing views out the back patio of the surrounding valley.

    Fully house 1
    Outside view of the house we rented in Fully, Switzerland.

    Fully house 3
    Amazing views of the orchards surrounding us in the mountain valley in Fully, Switzerland.

    Fully house 2
    View of the living space in the house in Fully, Switzerland.

    We arrived at our second location in Mörel yesterday. Situated on the side of the mountain, a long winding, one-lane road led us up to this house. It is smaller than the first house, but just look at the view off of our patio!

    Morel house 2
    Outside view of the house we rented in Mörel, Switzerland.

    Morel house 3
    Scenic views outside the patio of our house in Mörel, Switzerland.

    Morel house 1
    View of the living space in the house in Mörel, Switzerland.

    Thank God for Facetime

    While I am off on this adventure, it is super hard to let go and accept that things are running fine without me at home.

    My kids are young (3 and 6-years old), and it hurts to hear that they spontaneously tell my husband or my parents that they miss me. Thanks to the modern marvel of Skype and Facetime, I get to “see” them everyday. My heart doesn’t ache quite so much when my husband sets the phone in front of them and I can watch them play for a little bit.

    Facetime 1
    Facetiming with my son while in Switzerland.

    Facetime 2
    Facetiming with my daughter while in Switzerland.

    But at the same time, I relish my time away. Being able to go on this journey and have the chance to share my experiences with a large audience is an amazing experience that I still can’t quite believe I got to do. I know my PolarTREC expedition will forever change me and help shape the path of my future career. I also know that as much as they miss me, my kids will one day understand what I was doing and be proud to tell their friends that their Mommy once climbed a glacier.

    PolarTREC Poppy

    You know what is not fun? Getting sick while in Switzerland. I have been feeling pretty crummy the last two days and needed to take a day off to recuperate before our hardest hike tomorrow. Poppy knows hot tea and honey is my favorite remedy.

    Poppy tea 2
    PolarTREC Poppy helps me make a cup of tea on my recovery day.

    Daily Haiku

    Goodnight my babies
    Mommy is conquering peaks
    I will make you proud

    Date
    Expedition

    Comments

    michelle

    Wow, those are some beautiful views and comfy homes. What was the most surprising thing you have seen or done in Switzerland?

    Paigie

    How long was the trip and how did you stay away from your kids. Did you have some good food where you were?

    Lauren Neitzke Adamo

    The most surprising thing was seeing the daily changes in the glacier. I knew about the seasonal changes, but I was surprised by how much it changes throughout the day too.

    Lauren Neitzke Adamo

    Hi Paigie, I will be gone for a total of 24 days. It was hard to be away from my kids that long and I miss them a lot. I'm glad I get to talk to them everyday through facetime though.
    We did have some good food. The dinners made by the group have been great! We also went out to some traditional Swiss restaurants and had some really tasty local food.