Flagstaff, AZ, USA, Est. 1882

Back in January 2003 and fed up with studying at University of Zurich, I was playing with the thought of doing an exchange year abroad, to be specific, in the United States. I browsed our university's Student Exchange Programs website. The only match—at least in those days—was Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University. Yeah, stars and stripes! I got my second wind and put all my energy (besides the upcoming finals) into the preparations for this exchange which included a long to-do list: two letters of recommendation, letter of intent, language tests, vaccinations, visa (and thus a one-day trip to the Capital of Switzerland), a new Swiss passport, housing application, application fee and so forth. In the end every thing worked out fine, and so I flew out of Zurich on August 17.

When I arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, in mid August 2003, the temperature stood at over 100°F. Wheeh, welcome to Arizona (see stereotypes) and its famous desert! The Open Road Tours shuttle brought me up to Flagstaff—my new home for the next year or so. And that was just the beginning of what I can tell you was just awesome, and probably the best and most exciting time in my life. Get off your ass guys, broaden your horizon, and jump into the cold water—it's definitely worth the paper work!

Following you'll find the Lumberjack Updates I sent out during my stay in Flagstaff. Have a look at the «The Lumberjack Compendium» I put together. Furthermore, don't forget to check out my Picture Gallery... 'coz pics tell more than a thousand words. Feel free to read what ever you want online (or download all the updates in one file), and please apologize that I can't tell you every tiny detail (probably it's better for you and my humble self). Have fun, enjoy the stories, take care and stay tuned at flagstaff-online.com.

Lumberjack Updates

Lumberjack Update #1: First Greetings From Flag - August 26, 2003	Lumberjack Update #6: Winter Break in the Swiss Alps - January 31, 2004
Lumberjack Update #2: School Impressions, Grand Canyon, and the Jacks - September 3, 2003	Lumberjack Update #7: Spring Break, March 1, and Other Stuff - March 25, 2004
Lumberjack Update #3: Flagstaff's ABC - October 1, 2003	Lumberjack Update #8: Time To Say Goodbye - May 7, 2004
Lumberjack Update #4: Vegas and the Havasupai Falls - November 3, 2003	Lumberjack Update #9: Mexico: The Yucatan Peninsula - May 25, 2004
Lumberjack Update #5: Thanksgiving and Skiing in Winter Park - December 13, 2003	Lumberjack Update #10: Home Sweet Home - June 6, 2004