"Look for Laube" was Audie's advice before she hung up. I met Audie Hazenberg my last year in university and previous to that, knew her as this 6 ft Amazon woman with long, flowing blonde hair. I thought she was the most exotic student on campus.
Audie belongs to a group of friends that called me by my middle name "Atticus" in university. I believe I actually got to talk to her by joining in a volleyball team through music friend jonathon Kenny. I found out she was an intelligent and life loving person and was happy to only write letters to her through our 17 year relationship. Every couple of times a year, I would get a scribbled postcard or letter and hear about a new adventure-lions in the Serenghetti, biking through Pakistan, guiding tourists through France on cycles, or working on with Doctors without Borders. "Normal" is not an appropriate descriptor for Audie. Every once in a while too, the name Serge would pop up too. The last card I received from her, she'd had a baby. I waited too long to respond and found my mail returned to me. I got a break when I found that she used Facebook and had posted pictures from a trip to Leysin,Switzerland. I sent numerous Facebook messages to everyone we knew. No response. As I got closer, I even appealed to her brother but he wouldn't give her up. Blood is thicker than water apparently. When I was 46 km away from her and at a crossroads, I decided to go north but also sent a message to the warm showers person in her town. I got to Worb but also got a break because the warm showers person gave me Audie's address! Victory!
Got in touch and arranged to take a train down. Would have been cruel to be that close and then keep going. Trains down were quick and efficient and the train to Leysin was just a tiny two car train from the Eighties I think. It went right through town, acting as a team then went straight up the mountain at about a 10 degree slope. Straight up. It was a sunny day for the first time in weeks and the mountains with their snow were spectacular! I took several pictures on the way up. The train stopped midway up and let me off in this tiny, picturesque town surrounded by blue sky and mountains. Glorious!
Audie belongs to a group of friends that called me by my middle name "Atticus" in university. I believe I actually got to talk to her by joining in a volleyball team through music friend jonathon Kenny. I found out she was an intelligent and life loving person and was happy to only write letters to her through our 17 year relationship. Every couple of times a year, I would get a scribbled postcard or letter and hear about a new adventure-lions in the Serenghetti, biking through Pakistan, guiding tourists through France on cycles, or working on with Doctors without Borders. "Normal" is not an appropriate descriptor for Audie. Every once in a while too, the name Serge would pop up too. The last card I received from her, she'd had a baby. I waited too long to respond and found my mail returned to me. I got a break when I found that she used Facebook and had posted pictures from a trip to Leysin,Switzerland. I sent numerous Facebook messages to everyone we knew. No response. As I got closer, I even appealed to her brother but he wouldn't give her up. Blood is thicker than water apparently. When I was 46 km away from her and at a crossroads, I decided to go north but also sent a message to the warm showers person in her town. I got to Worb but also got a break because the warm showers person gave me Audie's address! Victory!
Got in touch and arranged to take a train down. Would have been cruel to be that close and then keep going. Trains down were quick and efficient and the train to Leysin was just a tiny two car train from the Eighties I think. It went right through town, acting as a team then went straight up the mountain at about a 10 degree slope. Straight up. It was a sunny day for the first time in weeks and the mountains with their snow were spectacular! I took several pictures on the way up. The train stopped midway up and let me off in this tiny, picturesque town surrounded by blue sky and mountains. Glorious!