Better than the Movies

June 2023

Everyone has that one place that’s lived in their imagination forever. For some of my friends, it’s Paris, or maybe Italy, or Japan. For me, it’s always been Switzerland. Ever since I was a baby, I’d hear my parents and relatives rave about the “most beautiful place on Earth.” It was like Switzerland had cast a spell on them. So when I planned a trip there after my study abroad program in Prague, my mom didn’t care about the other five countries on my itinerary - all that mattered was that I would be in Switzerland.

Switzerland was my first stop of a 14-day Euro trip. Taking a FlixBus from Prague to Zurich, I found myself roaming the streets at 4 a.m. The city was asleep, but somehow, it felt alive. The stillness, the faint morning light, the joggers passing by - it was cinematic. I remember thinking, I made it. I’m finally in my number one bucket-list country.

I had a full day to explore Zurich before heading onward, so I started by simply walking - through cobbled streets, chocolate shops, and souvenir stores decked out in spring decorations. At the Zurich flea market, a butter-yellow blazer caught my eye. You know that feeling when you see something and you just know it’s meant for you? That was me and the blazer.

After my spontaneous purchase, I headed to the Lindt Museum - a dream come true for a lifelong Lindt fan. TikTok hadn’t exaggerated; it was a chocolate lover’s paradise. Before I could fully take in the glistening lake and golden weather, I was already on a train to Interlaken.

That train ride felt straight out of a movie. I snagged a window seat, pressed my forehead against the glass, and watched as the Alps appeared - first small and distant, then grand and endless. It was my quintessential Swiss dream: a train winding through mountains, music in my headphones, a story unfolding outside the window.

Reaching Interlaken felt like stepping into another world - or more accurately, into a movie I’d watched a hundred times. This was where Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, one of my favorite Bollywood films, had been shot. It was surreal to be surrounded by other South Asian travelers who had come chasing the same dream - recreating scenes, laughing, taking photos where Raj and Simran once stood. I couldn’t stop picturing my mom here, reliving the movie that defined her twenties.

A highlight of my stay was my hostel, Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof - still the best I’ve ever experienced. From my window, I could see the Alps. But what made it special was the people: girls from England, the Philippines, South Korea, the U.S. - all drawn to Interlaken by the same cinematic pull. Over breakfast, we bonded over our reasons for being there - some chasing DDLJ, others Crash Landing on You, the beloved K-drama also filmed here.

Interlaken became my home base for a few days, and the Alps my backyard. I explored Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and Mürren - names that now feel like poetry. With my high-school-level German and boundless determination, I managed every train, every trail. Each stop felt like a new scene: eating the best pastry of my life with a million-dollar view, standing before a waterfall so stunning it felt unreal, or sitting in silence, realizing that beauty can actually leave you speechless.

There’s a reason filmmakers choose Switzerland - it’s almost too perfect to be true. But what I realized on this trip is that sometimes reality outshines even the most romantic scripts. The laughter I shared with strangers, the quiet confidence of traveling alone, the golden morning light spilling over the Alps - none of it was staged, and that’s what made it beautiful.

I came to Switzerland expecting to step into a movie. I left knowing I’d lived one of my own. And the best part? It was better than the movies.