Growing up in the Alps in Switzerland, I loved mountaineering... So I got a job as an aide in one of the numerous mountain hut owned by the Swiss Alpine Club.

I was 16 and until I was 21 and moved to the US that is what I did during the Summer: work as host at about 9000ft high, cook, clean, chop wood, get lost alpinists and look at mountains like the Grand Combin. I also got to know people... all kinds; but all equals in front of the "mountains". Water was sometimes scarce, elctricity was provided by solar panels and small windmill, phone service was unreliable... and the closest to civilisation was 3-4 hours.

My bosses were and still are inspiration. Sunrises and sunsets on the Alps were gifts, storms were memorable, and life lessons were pretty unique!