One Year Later

One year ago, we moved across the globe to Switzerland and began a new chapter in our lives.  It feels like just yesterday that we put our belongings on a boat, said our goodbyes, and boarded a plane to a new country with a one-way ticket.  It certainly has been a great adventure thus far.

Here are ten quick observations and thoughts on our first year in Switzerland:

1. Switzerland is Beautiful

Amy and I are amazed at the overwhelming beauty that this country has to offer.  It seems that no matter where we go, either into the mountains or walking the streets of a new city or village, the scenic landscapes captivate us at every turn.   I have tried to capture as much as possible using Instagram, but the pictures fail to highlight the magnificent views.  If you plan a trip to Europe, please try to visit this small but beautiful country, as Switzerland is frequently overlooked; you will not be disappointed.  And when you do come, please come and say “Hello”!

2. Kids are Resilient

Before I left, a wise man told me our boys would be OK if they were with Amy and me.  I don’t know if I believed him when we left a year ago.  Moving anywhere new, let alone across the world, to a country that doesn’t speak our language is a transition for anyone, especially young children.  Despite this, the boys, and every other child in their school who has faced the same transitions, have been amazing.  Watching Jack and Andrew grow and adapt virtually daily to new experiences and adventures has been incredible.  So much so that I often long to see the world through their innocent and adventurous eyes.

3. Trash Kings and Queen

Switzerland has a way of collecting trash that differs from what we used to do in the U.S.  Instead of paying a flat fee for garbage in the States, we pay by the bag.  You buy trash stickers labeled either 35L or 60L, depending on the size of the bag you are putting out for pick up.  You stick the stickers on the bag when putting it out for collection.  As you can probably tell, more bags equal more stickers, and more stickers equal more Swiss francs, a lot more Swiss francs (more on Swiss francs in a second).  It has taken us a bit, but we finally have consolidated our garbage into a 60L bag, but one bag nonetheless. We still have time to bring it down to the 35L bag.

4. Don’t Look at the Bill

Switzerland is a beautiful country; Switzerland is an expensive country.  The top 3 most expensive cities in Europe for Expats to live in all happen to be cities in Switzerland.  As a result, let’s say that sticker shock is a norm around these parts. Therefore, so that my head would not explode during my multiple trips to the grocery store in a given week, I adopted the “no look” technique.  I whip out the card, pay the bill, and look later.  Our approach has been if we need it, we buy it and cry over it later, usually over a glass of wine (which is surprisingly cheap here).  This is how Amy and I have decided to roll over here.  We spend a ton of Swiss francs on groceries every week, but as long as we don’t look at the bill, we do it with a half-ignorant smile.

5. The World is Small

Years ago, when I used to travel and live in different parts of the U.S., when playing baseball, communicating with loved ones or friends took either time or money.  I remember writing handwritten letters, putting them in the mail, and waiting patiently, sometimes for a month, to receive a return letter.  If I used the phone to call someone, calling cards on a payphone was usually the only way.  Today, we call our loved ones or friends with the touch of a button and speak to them in real-time via video via Facetime or Skype.  It has made the world seem small, as we don’t feel far away.  Technology has helped ease the transition for us, although there is something about a good old-fashioned handwritten letter in the mail.

6. Home

Being Expats has taught us much about what it means to call a particular place home.  Living here in Switzerland is temporary, yet we don’t know where our home will be in the future.  This new reality forces us to stay in the present.  That being said, there are days when uncertainty can create anxiety.  As a friend recently told me, “You never truly escape the fact that you will be on the move again, and this reality sits on your shoulders every day.”  This has forced us to appreciate every day as it comes and to understand firsthand that there is no certainty in life and that real peace comes when you find comfort in this truth.  What a gift this has been.

7. 2 Swiss Francs

A golden rule for us is never to leave the house, no matter what, without 2 Swiss francs in our pocket.  The reason?  It costs 2 Swiss francs to use most public bathrooms in Switzerland, and when you have the bathroom king of the world (my 8-year-old son) with you at all times, you must always carry 2 Swiss francs with you.  I still am looking for a record of daily trips to the bathroom because he has to beat it.  As a reminder, if you ever come to Switzerland, always have 2 Swiss francs handy, especially if we are with you!!

8. Pace of Life

Without a doubt, the number one aspect of the Swiss culture that has directly impacted our family the most has been the pace of life.  The slower-paced lifestyle took us a few months to get used to as we had to unwind both physically and mentally to a way of life that was very much foreign to us.  We feel less run down physically and mentally, and we had to get over the “guilt factor” of enjoying downtime.  On the one hand, we have come to see that we have much more control over our lives and where we choose to spend our time than we thought we did before the move, and yet this can be true no matter what country we live in.  On the other hand, we also realize how much a cultural norm can directly impact the valued time spent with family.  And this brings me to #9.

9. Sunday

Growing up in a generation once removed from businesses being closed and youth sports not being played on Sundays, I only ever heard stories from folks who did experience this way of life in the form of “the way it used to be.”  As a result, although Sundays were extremely busy for our family until a year ago, we never had any other experiential context on which to base our reality.  We just assumed everyone was dealing with the same Sunday busyness.  Now, living here and seeing firsthand the positive impact of not having the option to run errands, go to youth futbal games, or go to work, our family has greatly benefitted.  Every week after church, we ask ourselves what we want to do today.  A day trip?  A family movie day?  Hanging out together in the backyard?  A day hiking on a new trail?  Not that these were not options a year ago, because the reality is that they were; it just took experiencing a cultural norm in a different country to realize it.

10. “The Big Adventure”

Finally, much is made about moving to a new country.  Much is made about dealing with language and cultural differences.  Much is made about confronting our comfort zones.  However, as much as these things are important and not taken lightly, they aren’t “the” big deal.  They don’t represent “the big adventure.”  Living here for a year has made one thing more apparent to me than ever: the adventure of living here, in the States, or anywhere else in the world is nothing compared to the adventure and journey of one’s soul.  Beauty can’t satisfy enough; confronting your comfort zone doesn’t fulfill sufficiently, and experiencing new customs and cultures doesn’t quench the burning within one’s heart.  For that, we must enter into the journey of our souls, a journey that will be like nothing this country or world can compare to. A journey that is both exhilarating and humbling.  And the best thing about this journey is that it can be traveled in the town you grew up in or a village halfway around the world…you have to answer the invitation that is present to you at this very moment…you have to respond with “Ja bitte.” (Yes, please)

“The greatness of man lies in his will whereby he is able to give himself in love and attaining the pinnacles of heroism. It is on these resources that the irrepressible aspiration of man is founded: the aspiration toward truth – this is the life of intelligence – and the aspiration to freedom – this is the breath of the will. Here man acquires his great incomparable stature which no one can crush underfoot, which no one can mock, which no one can deprive him of.”

– St. John Paul II