I'm Loving Cloud Nine, My Head's in the Sky, I'm Solo... (Except for the Lesbian Roomie).

Let's take a break from my Spain experiences and travel back to Christmas of 2006 where I went on a Contiki European tour all alone at the ripe young age of 19.

They paired me up with another girl from China who spoke poor English. Her name was "Tin-Tin". Yes, I'm serious.  Like the show with the orange haired kid.

The tour led us to one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life.

Switzerland. Mount Pilatus.  We stayed at the highest hotel in Europe.  I believe only people who go on these Contiki tours are able to stay at this hotel.  The hotel was above the CLOUDS.  It was sensational.

We took one of these cute little red things up to a platform where we boarded a larger one to reach the top of the mountain. 

I remember getting to our room that I shared with Tin-Tin.  And looking out the window feeling overwhelmed and in awe that we were actually above the clouds.  It was ridiculously romantic.  Until I looked over and realized I was sharing this romance with a girl named Tin-Tin.  I would have prefered to spend the night with the ginger cartoon character if I'm being blunt.

Now let me tell you a few things about Tin-Tin. On my first night on the tour, the very first time I've met my roommate, we checked out our assigned room in Amsterdam.  In European hotels, two twin beds are normally put together and you have to break them apart yourself when you get in the room. Shortage of doubles for couples? No idea. Anyways, the first thing I did in Amsterdam was of course, separate our beds so we could have our own space.  Tin-Tin did not appreciate this.

"You no want to sleep 

beside me?"

"Um, no, it's not that. I just like my own space." I respond graciously.

I had my suspicions about Tin-Tin from the start..  but I thought maybe I was just reading into it.  But then later on in the trip I noticed for the first time that she was wearing glasses.

"Oh, I didn't know you wore glasses, Tin-Tin".


"EVERY NIGHT I WEAR GLASSES. YOU NO NOTICE ME BECAUSE I AM NOT BEAUTIFUL TO YOU!!!"

That started to confirm my suspicions a little that she was a little into me.  But if that wasn't enough, the next conversation sure confirmed things for me.

"What is wrong?" Tin-Tin politely asks me.

"Oh, just thinking about my boyfriend"

"You miss him? You miss making love with him? You can make love with ME instead!"

I nervously laughed and left the room. 

Now, my point with this story, is to explain by at this point in my trip I was understandably creeped out by her advances.  When we arrived at the hotel at Mount Pilatus, I made sure to move my bed as far away from hers as possible.

Right by the romantic window-view of the clouds beneath us. 

For two mornings on Pilatus I woke up to this gorgeous view, but then would turn on my other side and see Tin-Tin, sometimes staring at me, and the early-morning mood of romance was extinguished.

Aside from that, Switzerland and Mount Pilatus was a blast. On the first night on the mountain we watched "Euro Trip" projected onto a large-screen.  The second night we had a "Swisco" (Swiss Disco) and danced the night away with other tour groups.