The First Thing You Notice in Lauterbrunnen

It’s not the waterfalls. Not really. The first thing you see getting off the train in Lauterbrunnen is how small you feel. The valley walls are so steep, it’s like someone pressed pause on the world and forgot to unfreeze you. Everyone around me had their phones out, but I just stood there, suitcase handle digging into my palm, trying to remember the last time I felt this much like an extra in my own life. I’d seen the photos online—perfect, wide-angle, always sunny. But standing there, the air was damp, and I realized I was just another tourist, hoping for something to shift inside me. Spoiler: the mountains don’t care if you’re lost. But sometimes, that’s the point. #TravelReality #Lauterbrunnen #NotJustAPhoto #Travel