Julie Frutiger

I’m about to board the plane in London and send a frantic text to Marie, hoping she has not yet boarded her plane “what do julie’s parents look like?” She apparently has not left Copenhagen yet as I get back “haha I don’t know, hope they are holding a big picture of Julie.” Turns out I had nothing to worry about, as soon as I exited the gate in Geneva I saw a man holding a sign “Julie frutiger.” I walked up to him and said “hi…(not remembering if julie said he spoke English or not) I’m Caitlin.”

Julie’s dad took Marie and I on a wonderful tour of the area near Julie’s town of Allaman including a great lunch, look at the UN building, and a drive by the lake for a sunset view of the alps.

Julie’s dad spent a year in Stockholm doing an apprenticeship roof-building. He was really happy to speak Swedish with Marie. So we spent an afternoon of some English, Marie translating Swedish to English and English to Swedish, and Marie speaking to me in Swedish and thinking I would understand.

Driving from the airport to Julie’s house you could see the snow-capped mountains almost the whole way, and it was honestly breath taking. I couldn’t stop smiling, it is like when I watch musicals-like chicago or something-and I feel ridiculous because I can’t help but smile the whole time.