Everybody who hates neutral states, that is:

In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. (Too bad this quote is bullshit.)

The countryside can speak for itself.

Right now I have a feeling that my brains are going to drip out the back of my head because of how jet-lagged I am (do NOT volunteer to go to the lab for work on your first day of arrival.) However, I will make one observation. My apartment looks like it was built by Ikea. Spacious, efficient, and not just a little bit sterile. It’ll take some getting used to.