Danyka Topak Photography: It is what it is. For my best friend and her family, and of course R.W.

Schilthorn

Piz Gloria facing Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau

Hey all:) so I have been meaning to do this post since I got home from my backpacking trip from Europe about a month or so ago, however I found Switzerland the hardest to choose photographs for this blog. For some of you who don't know the background story, I went backpacking with my best friend, Courtney (yes she's a real person, you will see in pictures coming up! Just love me). We backpacked 8 countries in 3 weeks. Your newfound hero's? Probably. It was harder than most people think! By the end of it, we had so much knowledge and experience enriched memories, but we were so sick of trains and planes. First world problems!

Anyways, I was most excited to visit Switzerland, "Schwyzerdütsch", as my family and I like to call it! My parents actually met in Gimmelwald, Switzerland at a hostel called the Mountain Hostel. It was such an amazing experience to be where the magic all happened! Not that like you perverts:) a romantical story is what I'm heading towards! It was so beautiful, who wouldn't fall in love there? I will be posting a whole different post on the matchmaking capital of the world, as It would be impossible to share all my feelings in this post. It needs its own centre of attention!

So throughout our few days in Switzerland (we were staying in Lauterbrunnen, which is close to Interlocken, but just a short Gondola ride up to the towns of Mürren, Birg, Gimmelwald, you name it). We were coming close to the end of our backpacking trip, so because we wanted to see so much in Switzerland, and where my parents met, etc. We ended up being able to have a more relaxing time, then waking up at 5am to catch the next train. It was quite nice after what felt like a Bonnie & Clyde runaway trip! By the way Court.. I'm Bonnie. You're Clyde. Sorry I'm not sorry. haha Love you.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the greatest the few days we were there, so thank heavens we booked another day, because oh boy was it worth it. It was Courtney's Dad's birthday as well. Russ had passed away a few years ago, but it was his day, and was he ever shining the light down and granting us the most perfect day. Courtney agreed, the sky was perfectly blue, the sun was shining so brightly, the weather was enough for a light sweater, and we both knew, that It was R.W. who planned it all.

I never usually called Court my best friend either. I don't like her.. I love her:) However, we became friends when her world was crashing down with her father's passing. We both are Daddy's girls and very close to our families. My father has always had health problems, since I was born.. so it was something that immediately connected us on a deeper level than just that of friendship. She is my soul mate, and my sister from another mister (Thanks Russ!!). We celebrated the "It is what it is" Russ on his birthday up on Schilthorn- Piz Gloria in the 360 degree rotating restaurant. We had a glass of champagne (Even though red wine on a lounge chair, and a book that he wasn't reading and was just sleeping with a glass of Vino in his hands was more fitting, it's what we had to work with). It was such a perfect day, and it was clear who that derived from. Hate that bad things happen to amazing people and families.. But as R.W. would say, "It is what it is".. Life can be a silly, complicated sad thing sometimes. I know he was looking down on her that day, just like every other day.. and smiling at what an accomplished, intellectual, beautiful, kindhearted, and passionate daughter he has, oh and kinda funky smelling too, also only a face a mother could love. Kidding, she's the prettiest thing there is.

"Cheers Daddy, I'm closer to heaven now."-His Little Princess