{"id":1929,"date":"2016-07-11T09:16:47","date_gmt":"2016-07-11T13:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/site.caes.uga.edu\/studyabroad\/?p=1929"},"modified":"2016-07-11T09:16:47","modified_gmt":"2016-07-11T13:16:47","slug":"into-the-woods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.caes.uga.edu\/studyabroad\/2016\/07\/into-the-woods\/","title":{"rendered":"Into the woods"},"content":{"rendered":"

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.\u201d – John Muir<\/p>\n

In one of my courses this semester, we spent a lecture talking about the restorative qualities that the natural environment provides humans. We looked at case after case showing that spending time in nature reduces stress, reduces negative emotions, increases health, and increases well-being. Before I took this course, I already could attest to this from experience. My time here in Switzerland has been filled with time spent outdoors. Hiking was not only a great way to see Switzerland, but it always left me feeling restored and at peace.\u00a0My favorite trips weren’t the ones to famous European cities like Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Munich, etc., (although they were great). My best memories are from the days\u00a0I spent hiking,\u00a0taking in the fresh air and beautiful landscape our world has to offer.<\/p>\n

One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad in Switzerland was for the mountains. The first time I went up onto my rooftop here in Zurich and saw the snowcapped Alps in a distance, I was in complete awe. Five\u00a0months later, the site of them still amazes me. Switzerland is a hikers paradise. There are hundreds of hikes to do. The paths are well marked, and public transportation can take you nearly anywhere you want to go. Not to mention the cows roaming around, they always put a smile on your face despite how tired you are.\u00a0Below are some pictures from the various hikes I went on this semester.<\/p>\n