“Say You, Say Me”

Overall, the adjustment to living in a new country has been minimal. Switzerland is beautiful beyond words, and the people have been amicable. During the first week or so, the everyday activities have caused the most anxiety during the first week or so.

For example, going to the grocery store.

Let me preface this by telling you a little bit about our village in which we live. We live in the village of Worb, Switzerland. (In American terms, it is a suburb of Bern, the capital of Switzerland). While most stores in the city can accommodate English-speaking patrons, shopping in the village of Worb is a different story.

From parking, all the way through paying at the cash register, shopping for groceries has been one of the most intense experiences of my life.

Parking in Switzerland for most stores can be found in the parking garages underneath the stores. You have to get a ticket while driving in and then pay for the ticket before leaving the store at a kiosk. Of course, we had to stare and spy on the villagers to understand what they were doing because we had no idea what the signs were trying to tell us. (That being said, Google Translate is awesome with its camera component. You can find my wife and me at most stores franticly steadying our phones up to packages so that we understand what we are buying.)

Speaking of the parking, the parking spaces seem like the size of a twin bed. It usually takes me at least a 4 point turn to get in, and a 3 point turn to get out. And there always seems to be cars coming in behind me when I try to get in!!

Once inside the store, it is trial and error with what we are buying. We are just now getting into a routine as to what foods to buy from what stores. Some stores have what we are looking for, while others don’t.

Then there is the checkout line. I am still breaking out in cold sweats, thinking about the first time going through. Putting the food on the conveyer belt is not very different than what we were used to at home. Also, separating the food from those in front and behind you with the metal divider gave me no problem. It was the 20 questions from the very friendly AND PATIENT cashier that made me sweat profusely. To this day, I am not sure what she was asking, and I am not sure what I agreed to.

Also, to add to the anxiety, while the questions in Swiss German are being asked, the food is quickly going down the other side of the conveyer belt, which is divided into two. The person in front of me was still there on the left side bagging their groceries while my groceries were being piled up on the right side. (You bag your own groceries with your own bags that you bring with you.) I was so confused and red-faced over the questions I was not preparing my bags which were all nicely folded and snapped together. Needless to say, I was that American guy holding up the line that was now growing by the minute.

So what gave me comfort in this moment and all of the other moments like this since? Whitney Houston, Bryan Adams, Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, etc.…

It seems that no matter what stores we go to, we can hear the familiar sounds and lyrics of not only home but of our childhood. (Btw, I love my 80’s music). There is something about being connected to the familiar sounds of our youth. Sounds that bring us back to when we felt safe and comfortable.

In a way, listening to Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me” in the midst of social anxiety is a form of prayer. It is an openness to a place that brings me peace and comfort. It is an openness to something that reminds me of home.

And it is within this desire for a connection to home, no matter where we live, that we might discover a desire for a home much greater than a country on this earth.