In a land where the rivers are the hue of a cloudy yet brilliant blue and the sky is the hue of a blue yet brilliantly cloudy, Switzerland stands out in this beautiful world.

I discovered myself on my journey through Switzerland, from Geneva to Zurich, stopping in Lutry, Bern, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and Lucerne.

I discovered a country unlike any other I had visited: staggering mountains jetting up in every village, train lines bordering gorgeous lakes, and fellow travelers as kind and adventurous as I’d ever encountered.

As I navigated Switzerland in its austere beauty, I also navigated who I was at the time and who I wanted to become.

Who I found inside was much like the places I sought: warm, glowing, rugged yet refined, bright yet boundless.

Switzerland was the signpost that directed me to this realization.

I was backpacking Europe for six months, discovering myself, meeting incredible people, and getting uncomfortable.

One of my goals with the trip was to figure my way out of travel scenarios (which takes immense practice). Another was to see what all the hype was about for Europe (and boy, it’s totally worth the hype).

Finding Europe outside of me meant finding a place within me.

A place of comfort in the uncomfortable.

There were times I was waiting for a train to arrive: in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, rain pouring down around me, nothing but a backpack and water bottle, and yet I was more alive than I’d ever been before.

Switzerland was a stop on that journey of discomfort, yet an important catalyst in changing how I thought about who I am and what really matters to me.

What I also found was that people matter.

Above everything else: the people I come across in my life, the deep connections I’ve made, and the times people have pulled me through are what I need to focus on.

I must thank not the place named Switzerland, but the people named Swiss, who strive for happiness in all they do and taught me to look up, look out, and look beyond what’s right in front of me.

And to the Swiss, I shall return to learn another lesson of humility and gratitude.