Alpen Learning impacts.

I turned 23 years old on top of the Alps. We celebrated my birthday the next evening with a 3-tier butter cream frosting cake and a local vin-de-pays shared among the seven staff members. I spent the entire month of that July as a counselor in a Swiss summer camp for 35 French children aged 6-10. We stayed in an old chalet high in the mountains where I was woken at 6:00 am each morning by clanging bells as the cows plodded past my window on their way to the upper pastures. Hard to believe this was thirty years ago. The memories, and what I learned through this experience are still very vivid.

I was the only foreigner among the staff. The children recognized that my accent was different then theirs and thought I was from the south of France. I think Parisian children always think you are from the Midi if your accent is different than theirs. I've heard this more than once. We hiked a lot that month. Ball play was impossible. All the fields were on a slope. As we hiked on goat paths, I taught the children American folk songs. They taught me little French songs and poems. I remember being in love with the 10 year old boys - they charged ahead so enthusiastically to the destination of the day's hike. I would meet them coming back as I brought up the rear with six year old girls more intent on picking flowers. Despite my cajoling, completing the hike was not important to them. They had their own agenda.

Isaac was the director; his wife Gabby was the bookkeeper. I remember that two of their children were there. Every day I took advantage of this immersion experience to learn more French language, to experience more culture. In some ways the experience was very Globaloria like - long, intense, creative and collaborative days! After children were in bed, Isaac gave us opportunities to tap into our creative talents, and worked along side as we planned treasure hunts, puppet shows from recycled materials, evenings filled with songs and sharing of talents.

I had three days off in the month. I remember running all the way down the mountain with my co-worker Mireille. I remember taking the boat across Geneva Lake near Montreux. We ate lots of good chocolate and tasted sweet red raspberries from someone’s backyard.

The last precious day off was spent going up. Mireille, Isaac and I, left the chalet before the children were awake. An experienced alpinist, Isaac set the pace. Now that was the hardest climb I have ever made. Past never-melting snow, through tree-less rocks, catching glimpses of mountain goats, listening to marmot whistling, Mireille and I followed Isaac. When I didn’t think I would make it, I began to consciously watch Isaac’s red wool hiking socks and tuned my steps to match the rhyme of his steps. It was such a hard climb. Then, unbelievable, there was the summit. As we crested, we peered down into a silent, glacial lake reflecting the snow-capped mountains encircling it. It was such work to get there and such euphoria to succeed. (Again, as I imagine it feels after a year of Globaloria!) Isaac left us at the top and ran back down the mountain to the chalet to be with the children. Mireille and I continued our explorations.

What lessons learned? Comradery, collaboration, focused attention to complete a task. Openness to new ideas leading to delight. Pride in good work. Trying something unknown, leading to self-confidence. Courage to face new challenges and to continue to learn and grow.
Always choose the 10-year old boy assignment over the 6 year old girls in a Swiss Mountain camp.

Thanks for this assignment. I enjoyed revisiting this very special time.