Alls Well That Ends Well.....Part 2

With our plans for ski & snowboard instruction set, we were excited to try our next ski resort, Brunni on Sunday morning. It is about a half hour from our house and substantially smaller than Flumserberg...perhaps THIS mountain is actually the Vernon Valley/Whitetail/Cascade of Zurich.  It was a lot easier than last week getting out of the house - we all knew what to wear, and where it was, and everyone was more confident and less nervous than before.

So, we get into the car, turned the key....and its DEAD. UGH! It would just be nice for something to be easy....
So, J&I scrambled for a bit, realizing everything is closed (except ski resorts!) on Sundays. Who do we call? I remember meeting a nice woman from the kids school who lives closeby and she sent me a text this week inviting me to "call her if I need anything"....anything?...as in a Jump on Sunday at 8:15am?! So, again, I entered into my discomfort zone, I called her, surely waking her (ugh!), and asked if she could offer advice. She laughed as this had just happened to her a couple weeks ago, but not on a Sunday....she could not offer to jump us as she has a very small car which would not be powerful enough to jump the RR. She suggested we call a taxi...yes, Taxi cars will Jump a battery. We heeded her advice and sure enough a taxi showed up 15 minutes later, jumped our car and we were good to go....and made it to the lessons on time!


The Brunni Resort was MUCH SMALLER than Flumserberg and was much easier to maneuver with no cable cars. We just pulled up, parked, and walked to the ski schule. K&J took a ski lesson with Riko and the boys went to a beginners snowboard group. K&J made great progress, and after an hour on level ground, they progressed to the Tbar slope. J hadnt been on skiis in 20+ yrs and said it was tough. He added  that the Bunny Hill was bigger than any mountain he had been on before and it was quite intimidating. He & K had some laughs as they fell into each other getting off the TBar. J cracked up telling me about how R taught him to ski down the hill - R was  backwards and holding J's hands.  He was very relieved when he worst fear was NOT realized - he hadnt barrelled into any groups of ski schule kids and knocked them off the mountain.  K told me later how much she loved it. She loves rollercoasters and said that going fast down the mountain felt like being on a rollercoaster. J said that she made great progress and I was so happy for her!

Since I got everyone off to their lessons, I decided to try my luck at Swiss Skiing. I was a bit nervous, I must admit, but I felt that this was my best chance to try it, alone, without having to worry about 4 other people. I am  not a great skiier, but I enjoy gliding down the mountains, slowly and carefully. I realized I was the only one without at helmet...darn...why hadnt I bought one ? I ran to the rental place which was as busy and hectic and confusing as the floor of the stock exchange, further complicated by the fact that everyone was speaking German. I muddled my way to renting a helmet....it must have been some kid racer helmet, as it had a large #28 on the front. I felt silly, and was glad I didnt know anyone. I think I looked like Speed Racer. Next, I had to figure out how to get the lift ticket. In America, you get a sticker to attach to your zipper pull. I was surprised they gave me a credit card type thing and with all writing in German, and everyone speaking German, I wasnt sure what to do with it. I jumped on the queue and started watching everyone carefully. They seemed to wave it in front of a machine - so I followed suit, got on the Tbar lift and sailed up the mountain - just to the first station. It was fun, and the scenery was beautiful. The weather was gorgeous with a clear blue sky and the bright beautiful sun shining, it was wonderful.  There were several restaurants just sitting on the mountain amidst the trails...cool! Then, I smelled something a bit pungent and familiar....and sure enough there was a farm with a bunch of cows along these trails...interesting. I had only time for 2 runs, but it was lovely, and difficulty. The slopes were very steep, hilly, and icy. I was glad to have completed them in one piece.

We gathered after lessons and put our equipment in the car, and started to choose a ski lodge/.restaurant for lunch, we put our key in the ignition and .....it was dead again. Bummer. Good thing I had anticipated this possibility and had backed in. I went to the First Aid station for help and J managed to find a good samaritan to jumpstart the car. He jumped it for us, and we drove home, and worked out a plan for Monday.

We spent most of Sunday night researching garages in the Zurich area that work on British cars. After a lot of internet searching and email sending, we stumbled upon a garage....in our neighborhood ! We called them at 7:30 am, they sent 2 apprentice mechanics to jump the car, but it would not start....completely kaput ! We left them our key....they said that they would return with a new battery and install it at our house...no tow truck needed.....wow!

Hmmmm....now we were in a pickle. How would we get the kids to school?  J took the train/bus with A to get him to school. I called a new friend....and what an angel, she was kind enough to drive us to their school. Whew ! I then took the train/bus back home. 

It was 11am I was on the bus, waiting for it to discharged/pick up passengers and we were across from the garage whose mechanics were working on my car. It occurred to me that the garage would likely be closing for their lunchtime (did I mention most businesses and schools close from 11:45- 1:15 or so each day?! seriously...). I became concerned that if they didn't already have the battery, it might not be done in time for me to use the car to get the kids at school. ugh.... So, just as I was staring at the garage, I saw the mechanic passby driving my car. I know it was my car because it is the only silver RR I've seen in town, and the hood was not fully closed as he sped by. I was SO happy !! Its running !

Sure enough, I called them when I got home. They were finishing some additional diagnostic work to ensure it was only a dead battery and not some bigger problem. It looked fine. I was free to pick up the car after 1:30, which was perfect since I had my German class at 2pm. whew!  Das ist gut !

Alls Well that Ends Well

One aspect  of this adventure is that sometimes things don't go smooth and according to plan. I think many people realize this, and fear it, and it is what keeps them operating only in their comfort zone. I strive to be organized, adventurous, independent, and optimistic. Everything has always worked out for me and that's what keeps me going when things get tough....

Yesterday was a good example of this. I had a rigorous morning planned and needed everything to go smoothly. The plan was to get the kids to their school and, get deep into Zurich, meet up with Jason for our 9:45 appointment at Immigration for our residency visas, stop at a specific bookstore for my German class textbooks, and return to Thalwil Banhof (trainstation) to get my car and attend the Parent luncheon for School by noon.  Now, you may think that the luncheon is a frivolous option, but really... the walls are starting to talk back to me....I need to meet some people and start our social life.

As usual, I added a few other critical activities. I woke at 5:40 to work out with my sole Jillian Michaels Shred DVD until 6:40, shower, blow dry, hair straightening iron, decide what to wear (not too dressy, but festive, but sensible as to walk thru Zurich a ways to the Immigration office, etc), remember my tortellini salad (the lunch was a potluck), get the kids up & fed, and kitchen tidied. We were out the door 8:10, dropped A at school, then drove 7 miles south to the younger kids' school, dropped them, jumped back on the highway headed to the Thalwil Banhof,  and all was going according to plan until the car dinged "E" as in empty. (*&($#@#$  This Range Rover is such a gas guzzler !!!

So, I had faith, made it 7-8 miles away to the station, figured I'd deal with the Empty tank when I returned, parked the car (in the US there would never be a parking place available at 8:45, but there is here in Europe as most people walk to the stations). Parked...had to figure out the parking payment machine, hoped I did it right (we'll see when I return), jumped on a train (it seemed to be heading the right way), and made it to the right station. 10 minutes to find J, and we were off, got a tram to the Immigration office and made it there just in time.

The Immigration office seemed to have 5-6 clerks waiting in their booths. Two other customers were there. J & I approached an available clerk and offered our documents. He asks " Do you have your invitation letter?" "Ummm, no, but we have an appointment." "No Letter?" "No, we have an appointment." I began to wonder whether he was going to turn us away ?!  There were 3 empty clerks....we have an appointment!  Don't tell me I'm going to have to go thru this exercise again. Then he graciously acknowledges,  "Ok"

So, we do the "biometric" visa stuff, electronic fingerprinting, photos, etc. and then we're off again, on our way. Next stop - the bookstore. We were supposed to go to Orell Fussli's German bookstore, but it was too far out of our way. So we stopped at the ONLY English bookstore in Zurich Orell Fussli's BookShop. So, we walked around till we found it. Upon entering it, I could feel my brain relax. It was wild to see everything written in English. WOW! It was such a switch and I can only describe it as relaxing. There was a table of English/American foods - from vegemite, to poptarts (a bargain at $9), chocolate chips, reese's peanut butter cups ($2.90 for a pack), Dunkin Hines cake mixes, etc.  J stopped in awe and looked thru the selection.... very surprisingly, I plowed right to the Language section, but didn't find my books and instead had the clerk order them. I could hardly take my eyes off the books; I would have loved to grab one and sit on the couch and turn off the world for awhile, but obviously, couldn't do it....life beckoned. We didn't buy any goodies either, but made a mental note for future reference.

J got me to the train back to Thalwil at 11:00, great timing. I arrived fine in Thalwil, and there was no apparent parking ticket on the car, so I must have done the parking machine alright, depite the German wording. Knowing that the next order of business was to get gas, I programmed in "Gas Station" inquiry into the GPS, and saw there was one within  half a mile. Great. I pull out of my spot, and immediately see in my rear view mirror a Polizei car right behind me. I drive up to the planned gas station and there is not a gas station there - it looks like a garage. I can not take my hands off the steering wheel as it is the law in Switz that you always have 2 hands on the wheel, therefore, I can not do another search for the next gas station. I am driving around on E with a cop behind me, not knowing where to go.  OY! I began thinking that that the Range Rover's a red flag...I'm obviously a foreigner, and he's waiting for me to make a mistake. OY OY OY! I keep thinking - do I have all my documents with me?. Do I know all the car documents? Registration? Insurance? Do I know J's work phone #?  Should I make a preemptive strike and put on my blinkers, pull over, ask for help finding a gas station? I just kept driving straight and slow, approaching a construction site that brings this " hardly 2 lane" road to "barely one." I learned how to do this last week - I stop at the sign. I let the oncoming cars pass me, and guess what - I hear a little boom and realize that one dinged my car !! I watched the cop in the rear view - no reaction. I am not about to make a fuss about anything, I'll deal with that later, and I continue driving a bit further, getting very worried now about running out of gas, and then I see another train station, pull in, the cop continues on down the road. Thank HEAVENS!

I again search the GPS for a gas station. Another one is a mile away. Can I make it? I dont think I have a choice, but to find out ....so I drive there. It is now a Honda Dealership...yes, the on a plot the size of a gas station (Honda's are fairly rare  here, as are Toyotas, I'm finding. There are way more European cars here). So, I GPS search another and make it there. Thankfully, it was in operation. Of course, I have to learn how to use the "automatik maschine" and with a little help from the mechanik I get it done.

Note: fuel is sold by the liter, approx $1.73 per liter, or roughly $6.50 per gallon, $175 to fill the tank. I'm lucky if it lasts 5-6 days : (

Ahhh....I could finally breathe. I change from my sensible shoes to my fun boots, reapply my lipstick and make it to the luncheon by noon. Since it is a European private school affair, wine is offered, and after this morning ....I couldnt resist. Everyone seems very aware of keeping it to one glass, as, apparently, that is the law for driving.

I had a great time, sitting with several British and Australian women who I met from K's class. We had an interesting chat about the horrible Australian floods, the vegemite eating challenge/fundraiser the day before that A participated in, as well as  the outrageous price of goods in Switzerland, ordering goods online, traveling, where everyone else has lived (the Aussie met her British husband in Houston, moved to Singapore, London, Paris, and Switz for several years - I'm such a slacker!), as well as the children, school ...normal things.  It was nice to have "normal," if only for an afternoon !

This day was a bit extreme...most days are not usually so hectic, but usually contain such moments of  nervewracking craziness/frustration.  I find it quite mentally exhausting to be outside of my comfort zone all the time, and constantly confronting unknowns day in and day out, without a safety net. It really takes a lot of my energy. I am exhausted at night, and so, please forgive me that I don't blog daily or call you in the evenings! As things get more familiar and easier, I am sure I will have more stamina....and ever the optimist,  I am so grateful that everything has always worked out for me, for us.

The Omnivore's Dilemma

I knew the food was going to be one of the toughest adjustments. First, I will confess...I'm a foodie. I love to eat, and cook at home most of the time - nothing fancy, but more of an emphasis on healthy hearty meals. We RARELY EVER ate fast food - seriously, once a month would be tops.... ok, ok, I exaggerate...I am sure my husband would occassionally sneak them off behind my back whenever he had a craving for a big mac or whopper, and I would take them to Subway a couple times a month, and I was a Dunkin Donuts coffee fiend and would buy the kids an occasional donut.

In general, I've been a bit particular about what my family eats. In the US, the kids were good eaters; they ate well balanced meals with plenty of vegetables, whole wheat breads and pasta, low sugar. I avoided high fructose corn syrup, and sought natural products without additives and all that gross unpronounceable stuff. I never serve processed meat/sausage or "cheese products." In the morning, I've always cooked them good breakfasts with a substantial protein source. My kids always prefered to bring lunch to school, and their US school only allowed fresh fruit and vegetables for snacks. My eldest son's 5th grade teacher used to crack up because he would eat edamame as one of his snacks. The kids often helped me cook, and we ate dinner at the table every night and largely limited desserts to weekends only. That was then.....this is now.

Adjusting to the food has been a process. The first few weeks we lived here, we ate mostly carbs. We discovered the most wonderful white breads...buttery croissants, and these amazing big soft warm pretzels, delightful rolls, donuts called 'Berliners,' and sweet breads. We've discovered other naughty delights such as nutella, Rosti, and nutty Swiss cookies. The stores have dozens of types of yogurts - and wierd combinations and flavors: caramel, apple-mango, chocolate, and unusual berries. And Muesli -sweet dried fruit with nuts, seeds, and some kind of granola type flakes. How I love muesli in my yogurt. Before I picked up the kids at school, I would often stop at the store and pick up some nice big warm pretzels for them (and me!). It was on one of these trips that I had an epiphany, and came to my senses: I read the ingredients: white flour, and butter, salt...and some other things. Butter was the second ingredient? Oh dear ! I realized that we could not continue down this road. I had to introduce meat and vegetables.



When I first arrived, and walked thru the stores, I felt sad. Between the exhorbitant prices, and the lack of variety, it seemed that all the fun had been sucked out of grocery shopping. This is the antithesis of the big fun Costco shopping experience. Really, just the bakery section is fun, interesting, and appealing. The produce department does not have the variety and I feel like we are continuously buying the same fruits and veggies every week: bananas, apples, grapes, clementines/oranges, iceberg lettuce, carrots, onions, the trio of peppers, and tomatoes. Also, the produce in the US is picture perfect - nicely packaged, shiny perfect apples, and unbruised bananas. Here, the apples are not pretty (unless you buy the $4per pound beauties), the apples are still in their boxes half the time and a bit bruised. The onions are very small. They all seem to be the runts of the litter.



There's a variety of factors contributing to why Europeans shop every day. They have very small refrigerators (although I have an enviable American Size fridge!!!!), they don't have storage space nor pantries, and the don't use preservatives so things don't "keep" very long.



I found I was shopping every day, but for other reasons. The packages are so small for my American-appetite family; we've used a jar and a half of sauce for pasta. The Applesauce jar barely has 4 servings for us - no seconds! Different stores carry different products (cottage cheese, beans, cream cheese, whole wheat bread, hummus), so there is no "one stop shopping." I would think about a product that we would like (such as cream cheese, or hummus) and I would go to a couple stores and comb the shelves seeking it.



Speaking of combing shelves....a "big" grocery shopping expedition takes about two hours for me. Since we all grew up in America, we are so familiar with the stores and products. We know the brands we like, can easily read labels, To try new products, friends share information about products they like, or we listen to the advertisements and get the scoop on something new, or we received a coupon as incentive to try something new. For me - every single item was new, and I had no coaching or incentive to differentiate one from the other. I must look like an oddball, as I stand very close to the shelves and look at each item to figure out what the item is by looking at the picture. When something looks appealing, I pick up the box and scan the ingredients. Since I only know a few words in German, I look for any familiar words, but mostly I understand the prepositions..."and' "with" It is very time consuming. I also use my common sense, if a box has 50 ingredients, it likely is highly processed and not something I prefer us to eat. I know you are probably thinking," why don't you just use your translation app or German-English dictionary." If you recall, I can not get an Iphone here yet, until my residency permit arrives (again - requires an entire separate post, but suffice it to say that it is very far out on the horizon, thanks to a change in laws), and really I can not use my dictionary to go thru all the ingredients on everything I pick up - I'd be there for 8 hours instead of 2.



Another thing that I have to consider when I am examining the boxes is the preparation process. English is not an official language in Switzerland, so none of the words on the boxes is written in English. The words are ususally written in German, and some cooking instructions are oftentimes in German, Italian, and French, but never English. Sometimes there are pictures and I find that helpful so I can see whether it is a stovetop item or an oven, or a microwave item. This was critical in our first few weeks, if you recall, as we could not use our fancy oven/convection oven and high tech combination steamer (?)/ microwave/convection oven (?) (we still don't know) because the operating manuals are all written in only German. (I know...you are thinking," why dont you just order them in English?" We have, our realtor has, and our landlord has....several times. Apparently only the Installation Manual is in English....its a German Product. We're still working on it)



Meat....I still haven't really mastered the meat and the various cuts. Here are the few things I understand about the meat. They have a picture of the animal on the package so I can readily tell if I am looking at pork, beef, poultry, or horse. They note the country of origin on the package as the Swiss greatly prefer the quality of items from their own country as opposed to the clearly labeled "imports." I still can't guage the weight very well - as its all in Kg.

I can confirm the rumor: the stores all carry an extensive aisle of chocolates, but only a handful of cereal items. Its true, every store will have -no exageration- 50-100 items of chocolate, but maybe 20 types of cereal. I have recognized some familiar cereals, Special K, Rice Krispies, and Frosted Flakes....none of which we normally ate. We were big fans of Life and Kashi, and enjoyed Kix and Cheerios, none of which I have found here. Another thing they don't sell is instant oatmeal....bummer. Good thing we stocked up before we left.

The two larger chains offer some "ethnic" items. There are some Indian foods products, Thai food products like ramen-type noodles, and Mexican items - which is basically a handful of bright yellow Old El Paso products like taco kits, refried beans, tortillas, and canned jalepenos. I miss fresh jicama, and Chicago's Fresh Salsa. I managed to find canned corn on a bottom shelf in a nondescript can. Someone gave me a tip: there is one store that carries hummus in its refrigerated Kosher section. I buzzed over and picked up 2 containers for $15 - a bargain! Despite the fact that it is just plain hummus, not the garlic variety, nor roasted red pepper, nor my favorite spicy hummus, I was so happy! An added bonus of this store's ethnic section was that I found black beans....the REAL black gold. At another store, I managed to find a british biscuit/cookie that is similar to graham crackers and white (pink and blue colors are more common here) marshmallows. Although the marshmallows are more sticky, more taffy- like, they leave a powdery white residue when melted...I know this because I have made about 8 batches of Rice Krispie type treats for the school bake sale and classrooms for Valentines Day.

Once I picked out a cartful of items, I would have to check out. In the first few weeks, I would consistently hold up the line for a good 5 minutes while I quickly tried to pack my items into my reusable grocery bags, and figure out the money. I always carried around a few hundred dollars with me every day, because I didn't have a Swiss credit card, or ATM/Debit card, so cash was the only way I could pay. The Swiss make good use of durable, heavy coins in their currency. There are coins for 1chf,(symbol for Swiss Franc $), 2chf, 5 chf, as well as the little amounts .05, .20. 50. So, when the cashier would give me change, it would be quite heavy after a few days of accumulation! Sometimes, I would be a little more savvy and count my coins before I went shopping so that I would know how much I have and could try to pay in coins to lighten my purse. This however, would really cause me to hold up the line at the cash register. Everyone was always patient, thankfully.



I have to leave quite a bit of time to work on dinner. Once I figured out how to sort of use the oven (after a great deal of trial and error as it requires 2 buttons to operate and none of them is as simple as "on, off, bake or broil"), I could convert the temperatures to celcius and attempt cook things in the oven. I was frightened to use the microwave(? - at least I think its a microwave - certainly some sort of fast cooker/popcorn maker) at first, but somehow figured it out too.



Convenience things turn out to not be so convenient. I have to boot up the computer and input the preparation instructions into the Translation site and take it from there. Its pretty tough to input unfamiliar words from a foreign language into the site - you don't know if you have a typo because all the words are strange. Also, German uses a lot of compound words, so sometimes they don't translate readily. I usually can get a good handle on the preparation, although there are always a handful of words that don't translate and I am fairly certain our foods don't always turn out as the manufacturer intended. Because these are new food items that my family has never eaten before, they have no frame of reference as to how it should be prepared, or look, or taste, so it is all heartily accepted, despite the flaws.

Suffice it to say, in the first few weeks, we supplemented the delicious bakery items with a lot of cold items... it was just easier. Dinners soon evolved to include stovetop items ( as it took me about 2 weeks to figure out the oven-type thingys.) Our first dinners generally involved a variety of pasta- ravioli, spaghetti, rotini, accompanied by meatballs from Ikea, or a variety of deli meat. I branched into Rosti, rice, sauteed shrimp (with lemon and just a bit of garlic), and pouletbrust (chicken breasts). Grilled cheese and soup is another old favorite, albeit a bit more challenging as there is not a wide variety of canned soups and No Healthy Choice All Natural varieties. I've enjoyed making my own soups in the US, but it is a bit more difficult here as they do not sell chicken broth....just high sodium bouillion cubes : ( .

One thing I miss is the variety of premixed sauces and seasonings. I managed to find Worcestershire sauce, and Barbecue sauce ($10 per bottle), sweet and sour sauce, curry sauce, taco seasoning, and salsa. I miss the Newman's and Lawry's marinades, Terriyaki sauce, Caribbean Jerk seasoning, Lemon Chicken. I miss Newman's Salad dressings...they largely sell only an Italian, a Balsammic, a white French dressing that is very watery. I did pick up some sort of Wasabi sauce/dressing, but haven't translated it yet to know exactly what it is. I miss fancy dressings like Poppy Seed, Champagne, Ranch, lite Ranch, Vidalia onion, Thousand Island....green goddess. I don't actually miss eating them ( I don't personally care for salad dressing), but I miss the possibities that they offered. I miss being able to set them out when we had a special dinner, or guests. I know I can make all these things - there are loads of recipes on the internet, but I just miss having them at my fingertips; they are fun and convenient.

There is a site that many Americans have described as a lifeline: American Food Avenue www.afoodave.ch . This is a business that imports and sells American food favorites that are not available here otherwise. They sell instant soups, instant oatmeal (10 packets for $10), some cereals, cake mixes ($5 per box), and ready made frostings (not bad at $4), brownies, bread crumbs, Kashi cereal ($10 per box), small box of poptarts ($5.50), Mac Cheese, Cheerios (2 bags for $16), Froot Loops (2 bags $21), gravy mix, stuffing, hamburger sliced pickles, mexican seasonings, Goldfish, pancake mix, decaf coffee, etc. The good news is if you spend over $175 (easy to do!), you won't get charged shipping. There are a few stores that do stock a few of these items at similar prices...or more, such as the English bookstore in Zurich. Some of the British gals shop occasionally in Germany and France (1.5hrs away) to pick up some British goods, groceries and toiletries for cheaper prices, particularly meat. I suspect I will be joining them one day, just for fun.

The Gemeindehaus

When we first came to Switzerland for our "Orientation Tour" in May, our relocation agent gently approached the topic of "The Gemeindehaus." The Gemeindehaus is the town hall in the town in which you live. These local authorities are responsible for monitoring us during our duration in Switzerland.  I was surprised that the town halls could have so much control. My relocation agent replied, "that is why Switzerland does not have the problems that America has. We know who we have living here, who vouched for them, where they work, that they pay taxes, what their story is...."

The town hall in most comparable small towns in America is the place where the mayor's desk is and where ceremonious keys to the city are bestowed upon deserving citizens. Here in Switzerland, political power is very decentralized and the Gemeindehaus is the keystone. Our residency visa application originated at the Gemeindehaus in the little village where we decided to rent a house. Once it was approved here, at the local level, it progressed to the Canton (County or State level), then onto the Federal level, and then to the US Embassy announcing its approval. In the US, all visa approval is done at the Federal level. The Swiss localize many decisions via the Gemeindehaus, effectively determining whether you can live here. Once that was approved, and we flew over, we were given a temporary one-entrance-only visa....that is, if we leave, we can not necessarily come back into the country (this knowledge came in handy when I was invited to go shopping in France last week, and realized I may not be re-admitted and may trigger an international incident!).  Also, if you move to a different village, or town, or city, you must un-register and prove your next residency....and go thru the process again at that next location. Needless to say, I am not planning to move for the next couple years.

The Gemeindehaus required we register within 2 weeks of our arrival. We registered immediately, at opening, on Monday Morning Jan 3. We showed up looking bright eyed and bushy tailed although we were really weary with jetlag. We had all of the necessary documents - passport, entrance visa, marriage license, birth certificates, work documentation. J had to meet with the Tax man to assure him we understood our tax obligations. We also had to prove we had health insurance. We also had to declare whether or not we were joining a church so that we could pay that tax fee if needed. We received the forms to fill out for our radio and tv licenses so that we could pay our fees for having these services. The children had to be present also so that they could ascertain we brought who we said we would. They made copies of all of our paperwork and it is kept on file.  All of the information we were given was in German, as that is the official language. Finally, we were granted a letter of permission to reside here temporarily....until our PERMIT is cleared.

With the Gemeindehaus lettter of permission, we could legally rent our haus, get a land-line, cable service, and buy our car...which we did approximately 2 hours later.

The PERMIT/PERMISSION is another big step. We had to provide letters validating our good character and clean criminal record from our IL police department. We have an appointment this Friday to go to the Central Police Station in Zurich for fingerprinting. They will finalize with a government background check and hopefully we will be cleared to officially reside here. Only when we receive this PERMIT/PERMISSION can we leave and return to Switzerland, and can sign cell phone contracts. I don't exactly understand why they require this for a cell phone contract .I was told by someone that perhaps it has to do with restricting terrorists from getting cell phones, and by another person that they want to be sure you can pay your bills before allowing you to have a phone. Its puzzling because they allowed me to rent a haus and get a land-line, but no iphone.  So, in the meantime, I am winging it with a cheap pre-paid phone.

So, getting our Permits is an ongoing process that will hopefully wrap up in time for us to getaway for ski week next month....or at least Spring Break Weeks in April.

I'm not an astute political scholar, but this process and the relocation agent's comment ("This is why we don't have the problems that America has") has made an impression on me. It is interesting that the US is so" free;" so free about letting people in, staying when their visas expire, not enforcing immigration laws consistenly, not knowing who resides where/when, etc. It is just a bit of a guessing game until some tragedies ensue and we are all left scratching our heads wondering "how did this happen?" (Of course 9/11, and last year's Times Square auto bomb are the first things that pop into my mind). I must say that as big a pain this process is, it actually provides more freedom in some ways- more security, and peace of mind. There is extremely low crime because the authorities know who is living where, each person is accounted for, and someone/corporation has vouched for them, the emigrating people are employed, have health coverage, their children are registered in school, etc. Another aspect of my stay here, is that all the official documents/signs, instructions, cooking instructions, menus etc are all in the official language - German. It is always OUR responsibility to get them translated. Finally, as a foreigner living here, I have to always carry my "paperwork/Permission letter" with me ....at all times. If I were to not have them, that could indicate a threat to the country and I could be subject to the law. Police can pull over any one/driver without cause, and I have to be prepared for that.  I understand ...I am a foreigner living in someone else's country, and I need to abide by their rules....those rules that are designed to benefit their citizens. I hold no grudges, and wish that our country could be so well organized, decisive, and firm as to protect its citizens.

Skiing at Flumserberg

The Swiss LOVE winter, Love their gigantic mountains, LOVE the snow and everything that comes with it. It is amazing to see people- both young and old-  hiking all winter, camping out in the snow, carrying snowboards and skiis thru the city of Zurich.  I like skiing, but am definitely more of a summer person, and more comfortable at 1,000 ft elevations, expecially when the location involves sand, and water. But....when in Rome...

We decided to embrace our new surroundings and try our luck at skiing/snowboarding on Sunday Jan 23 at a local ski resort called Flumserberg. This would be the Vernon Valley of the East Coast or the Cascade Mtn of the Midwest. It is an hour from our home. We had the option of taking the train to the mountain or driving. Since it was mostly highway (easy for me now!) we decided to drive.

I had booked an instructor for my boys who are new to snowboarding, and a group lesson for my daughter at Bobo's Kids Klub of the Sweisse Ski Schule. We awoke early in the morning to prepare for the adventure. We were all a mix of emotions - me trying to remember everything we needed to bring in terms of equipment, and warm clothes, and planning the drive, the boys were SO excited, my daughter was so scared and nervous for it was her first time on skiis. My husband was rather worried about our boys' safety as he continues to be haunted by the time our older son had broken his arm while prematurely attempting a ski jump, with only a handful of lessons under his belt. It was a glorious moment when we all worked thru our anxieties and finally got out of the haus and on the road.

It was the first time since the drive to school 2 weeks earlier that my husband was in the car with us. We had a lot of laughs telling him about our drives to school, the numerous times we have  gotten lost, our frequent screaching to a halt for pedestrians that dart into the middle of the street, and the crazy drivers. He finally got to see the routes we take and how well we are managing now.  My husband was quite impressed with my greatly improved driving skills, I must add. 

The picture above was taken as we were approaching the mountain. It was so beautiful to see the sun rising and glowing off the mountain. It was just glorious and exciting....and I tried not to get dizzy realizing we were actually going to be skiing somewhere up there....

We arrived at the mountain, and parked at the base near the train station. We saw on the website that we would have to take a Cable Car/Gondola- thing to the ski base. We had no idea how to work all this, lugging the equipment, managing the kids, the crowds, all the signs and instructions being in German, buying tickets, ascending these tall steep stairs to the Cable Car. We were so surprised by how high up this Cable Car would ascend; it was quite intimidating. These mountains are truly unlike anything I'd ever seen before... Massive is an understatement. I kept reminding myself that this is the "beginner mountain," everyone learns to ski here, so we'll manage too.

 To give you an appreciation of the elevation of the mountain, Vernon Valley's summit is 1480 ft, and Wisconsin's Cascade summit is 820 feet. The Elevation of Flumserberg is  7290 ft. and Vertical Drop. 2697 ft. It's a looonngg way down:

Here's the view from the Cable Car.There are some villages at the base of the mountain, by the lake, and somewhere down there, about the size of a dot, is our car.  These evergreen trees are massive, but appear so small from our height. The upper right shows part of Walensee (Lake). If this Cable Car ride had been a ride at Disneyworld, I am not sure I would have ridden it! We were wondering how the engineers managed to design and build this amazing, sturdy system all the way up this mountain. The ride took about 15-20 minutes. Thankfully, it all worked out smoothly and it certainly affirmed our confidence in the precise Swiss Engineering.

We met up with the ski instructors and dropped off the kids for their 2 hour lessons. The boys liked their instructor and are SO glad they took the lessons. They learned a lot, and also learned how inexperienced they are at snowboarding ! K had a tougher time. I am very glad we put her in the childrens ski school. She was clearly the oldest ....probably oldest ever in a kids klub lesson as these Swiss start their kids YOUNG.( I am  not kidding when I tell you I saw a baby skier with a pacifier in his mouth.)

I'm glad that this is how she started, because the lessons went very slowly, and just worked on the basics....walking, balancing, going down a slight decline, getting up from falling. As basic as it was, it was still very frustrating for her, realizing how difficult learning to ski can be.  Her next lessons will be individual private lessons so she can begin to ski.

The boys:

After the lessons, we sat at a nice lodge restaurant and had a nice meal. The kids ordered chicken and pommes frites (french fries), Jason had a Hawaiian Toast (ham & cheese - yummy), and I  had a cup of Hungarian Goulash (beef stew). We treated ourselves to Coke Light and Sprite ! The kids told us about their lessons - the boys dissin' each other about who was worse, and K, having recovered from the trauma/drama of her lesson, agreed to proceed with private lessons....with her dad :)

Some other sights I noted:

* Dogs - I need to write a separate blog about the dogs in Switz. People bring them everywhere. I dont think there is any place you can not bring your dog. I saw one at the ski mountain (no pic), on the public trains, in RESTAURANTS!. The dogs are so well behaved here - I recall only hearing one dog bark. Its amazing!

* Babies skiing - seriously 3 yrs old. As I said, one kid had a pacifier in his mouth.

* parent holding a baby while teaching older children to ski

Then we headed to the cable car, amazed again at the view down the mountain. We enjoyed the drive home, and are looking forward to our next ski outing.

There's a first time for everything....

hello friends, so glad to see you! I have been eager to update you on our happenings, but have been consumed with unpacking, and getting settled. In the evenings, I am so tired, that I just don't seem to have the energy to update my blog. So much has happened in the past 2 weeks or so....or does it just seem so because everything is so new?

Let me try to start chronologically....so I left off with my first driving experience. The next day, our Sea Shipment arrived, which was a joyous occasion. There was a crew of 7 movers who delivered our furniture, clothing, housewares.  The American movers we used were young guys in their 20-30s who really hustled and almost killed themselves with this backbreaking move. This crew was German and very nice, precise and efficient, middle aged, and didnt seem to break a sweat the way the Americans did. For example, it took 2 American guys to carry my big ornate cabinet, while the Germans used 4 or 5 guys to carry it....hmmmm.
They were wonderful, not in a rush, took 2 days to deliver everything, and enjoyed the benefit of our elevator. It was an exciting time - happy to see that most things arrived safely, joyous to make this haus our home, lovely to sit on our own furniture and be comfortable, and good to begin to feel settled again.

A couple things did not arrive in good shape. Primarily, our cooking utensils did not arrive at all. I am thinking that the packers overlooked it entirely. Bummer....  An umbrella stand was smashed in a zillion pieces. A glass door to an Ikea wardrobe closet I bought in the US was shattered... which leads to my next harrowing experience. The movers were going to assemble this big wardrobe closet with glass doors but with one of them broken, I had to go to IKEA Switz to pick up a replacement. I was dreading this. There are 2 Ikeas - one requires me to drive thru Zurich, and the other is 30 mins northwest, enroute to Germany. A 30 minute drive does not normally overwhelm me in the least, but really, 30 mins away in a foreign country by myself is a bit intimidating. So, I reluctantly set off with my 2 trusty aids....the GPS and my navigator 12 year old son (poor thing.) I glanced at the map on mapquest and had a general idea where we were headed. We took off on the highway, and went thru a series of tunnels. I was surprised by how long these tunnels were but what really shook me was that the GPS lost the signal....I didnt know where we were going, what exit or roads we were seeking, and wondered what this tunnel system was under - lakes? rivers? Zurich ?Germany? Also, the road markers here DO NOT use North, East, West, or South for directions....they use towns for direction. I have since learned to head south, you would head toward " Chur, " to head north, you go toward " Bern and Basel". That makes perfect sense, right?  Anyway,  I started to feel a bit panicky so I quickly ausfahrted (exited) somewhere - wound up in a small rural looking village. I was so glad to have my big boy with me, but felt sorry for him - he didnt sign up for this and need this kind of concern. I wanted to cry, but managed to keep it together since I didnt want to scare him. I didnt have a cell phone (the Swiss dont give you permission to get a phone for a while - more on that later) nor did I have anyone to call. My husband was at home with the other kids and even if I could call him - what good would it do? We dont know anyone to call, and we dont have another car. I really just wanted to quit and be back home...wherever that is. I realized I needed to figure this out by myself...and by then the GPS regained consciousness, and I wrote down the directions and we got on our way.  Upon arriving at Ikea, I treated my big boy and me to a yummy vanilla cone and looked for the replacement piece. This Ikea actually did not have the necessary piece, but the other one, on the other side of Zurich has 18 ! They offered to deliver it to me....in 3 weeks. So, all for naught....we did some more shopping, and headed home hours later.

 Next to Ikea was a Burger King. I can not even remember the last time I ate BK in the US, but after this tough experience it looked lovely to me. We ordered 5 sandwiches and 2 fries for $50. I didnt care how much it cost, or how wanton the nutritional content....I wanted to get home and have dinner served. We managed to order it thru the drivethru - causing us to hold our breath as our car is so big compared to the garages, lanes and drive thrus here. It all worked out and we were very glad to make it home uneventfully.

The next day, we had our first visitor from the US. Hubby's friend and colleague was in town and we had a nice afternoon with her. We had lunch at a little restaurant, showed her our haus, and took a walk thru the local Wildepark/Zoo. It was nice to have a familiar bit of America with us !

Monday, Jan 10, the kids started school. A few nights before, we realized that the kids were still a big jetlagged, staying up with us until 10 or 11:00. They would need to awake around 7 for school, so we dialed back their bedtime to 8/9. It was still hard for them to fall asleep at first, but they quickly adjusted.

The kids were so excited to start school. They were anxious to be around other kids and have their structure and social connections. We were equally excited and curious for them. The big morning finally arrived - we were packed and ready by 7:40 to drop the kids at 2 campusses - the Middle School 10 minutes away and then the Lower School 10/15 minutes south on the highway.Should be a piece of cake, right? Its a good thing we left plenty of time to get to school because the GPS directed us to a dead end street, then to a road that is bike path only...hmmm... This GPS gets a bit frustrating.... We finally dropped off the big boy with dad, and somehow got to the Lower School fine. The kids loved their new school right away. It was sweet to see them introducing themselves. I met their teachers and was offered a brief tour. At the end of the day, I picked them up and it was amazing. They were all so happy; each one said that they had a "great" day.  My youngest raved about his school - he thought it was so nice and was amazed at having classmates from Australia, Spain, England, Switzerland, etc.  My daughter enjoyed her teacher, and friends, and going to dance class during lunch recess. My big boy was very happy as well. He said," Mom -this is such a small school - EVERYONE knows 'the new kid'. I asked "Is that good?" He smiled and said "Yeah...sorta!" He was very impressed by the kids being allowed to listen to their IPODS in Art class, getting assigned a computer tablet (wait till he gets to the HS where they are assigned a computer 24/7 and are completely paperless), and they had recess which he LOVED (his prior Middle School did not give any recess). So far, 8 days in, they are all still very happy with school, and  making friends.

I made another trip to Ikea with an expat friend, K1  who brought along and introduced me to another American I will refer to as  K2.  I drove to Ikea since I had the biggest car and we had some large items to haul. This time, I had the benefit of their experience and support. We had a great day together, and I gained much more confidence. K2 spent the Christmas vacation in Egypt. It sounds like an amazing trip and something I would love to do. My daughter is in the same grade as K's daughter and on their own, have become friends, and have played together ! Its so nice to have such normalcy after being unsettled for so long.

 My driving has greatly improved as has my navigational understanding. I have confidently driven the 120 KM on the highway, although every once in a while I treat myself to a little break and get behind a slower moving truck going about 100 km, and stay there.

I attended a new parent orientation at the Middle School and a welcome coffee from the Lower School. It is such a lovely school and the kids are given so many amazing opportunities. The school is very understanding about the effect of moving on the kids and earnestly care about the kids' adjustment and that they feel settled and are happy. I met some other new moms from this school. It is really surprising how international things are here. One of the first things people ask are "Where are you from?" they then comment," oh, this is your FIRST international assignment?" We must appear to  be so quaint and naiive!  Many people here are truly global...that is, they have lived in other places, mainly having spent time/years in London, Dublin, Asia (Shanghai, Thailand, Hong Kong), and some Europeans from the US. There are also several Canadians, Sout Africans, Chinese, Japanese, Brazilians, Spaniards, New Zealanders, and Australians here. I also met a American woman who just moved here from Bermuda. The women all seem very nice and if I had to characterize them, first impressions, that they are so refreshingly down to earth. They seem to enjoy traveling and adventure, resourceful, and quite independent...I think I'm in good company.

I attended my first book club. Another expat had invited me into her English speaking book club. I read the book in Dec before the move and was looking forward to the discussion. It was a lovely mild night, so I walked to my little town's Bibliotek (libary) where the meeting was to be held. It was a nice group of women, perhaps 12, some native Swiss desiring to converse in English, some from the UK, one from NZ, and a couple of Americans (2 of whom are married to Swiss and here permanently).  The host brought cookies and treats and wine. It was a nice discussion of the book, Beyond Chocolate, which, so timely, discusses the Swiss Culture. The major points of discussion concerned the societal characteristics of Privacy (the Swiss only share personal info with close friends and family) whereas Americans are very open and freely discuss personal matters. The Author compares this to a Coconut (Swiss: hard public exterior, sweet personal interior), vs. Peach ( Americans: there's only a thin skin/distinction from our public and personal life).  The author describes the RULES - how the Swiss basically enact rules/laws to ensure courtesy - you must phone before visiting a Swiss, they dont readily invite people into their homes, the term "Friend" is very powerful. They actually use other more accurate terms in describing other people " colleagues" 'neighbor" "Classmate" " book club acquaintence" whereas in the US we would refer to someone as a "workfriend" " friend from college" etc. They use the term" friend " to refer to those whom they have known a very long time and whom they share confidences. It was eye-opening to read this book, and gave the indication that they Swiss are a bit standoffish, but I have actually found everyone to be quite helpful and caring...although I have been careful to not be too personal or chatty with non-English speakers.

Speaking of the small distinction of one's personal and public lives....
I may have explained that our house is very large by Swiss standards. Our entrance floor was historically occupied as a business office, and the upper floor an Apartment with a kitchen, living room, bedrooms, etc.  We are renting the whole thing as one HAUS. So, the entranceway still resembles an office, but once you enter you can see it is a home. So, one morning, I returned home from driving the kids to school and came upstairs to make a cup of tea and start my day of unpacking. I heard a ding dong and realized it must be the door.  I scurried to the entranceway only to be completely startled by a very tall  man standing inside my haus, wearing  bright yellow and black motorcycle garp including the helmet. I almost screamed but quickly realized it was a postman. He neeeded to verify my name and have me sign for a letter. In his haphazard English he conveyed that he thought that this was an office and and I believe I conveyed in my non-existent German this is now a haus only.

Another intersting facet of life here is the existence of horseback riding on public streets. I was shocked the first time I saw a person riding a horse down the street while holding a leash connected to a dog who was walking alongside. The kids and I thought it was hilarious ! I have come to see that this is a daily occurrence. Every day we see horseriders along the street, clipping/clopping along despite the traffic, speeding cars, busses, trucks... and sometimes they are riding on the sidewalks.


Afraid I must sign off....time to retrieve the kids from school. Sending you all much love & misses !

The Excursion

Today was a day I was most dreading...driving the car. When we realized it was not cost effective to bring our sedan from the US to, we decided to buy a used car in Switz. I drove a van and didnt care much for the low to the ground, squooshy sedans, and since I would be the primary driver, I decided on a small SUV. Hubby and I dreaded schlepping around to Swiss car dealers, spending the weekends looking for a car, negotiating with salespeople who largely speak German, and signing agreements in German. It made perfect sense to purchase a car from someone from our English speaking network. Low and behold we came across a family who was moving back to the US the same week we were arriving, selling their Range Rover. Although I initially had a smaller SUV in mind, this seemed like a better idea since we wanted something comfortable for our family, as well as something that could handle the ice, snow, and rough terrain, and be readily maintained.  It proved to be a wonderful opportunity for all of us...it was well cared for, in my price range, and of course the transaction was done simply with a cyber handshake (that would be via email, and the wiring of funds).We were thrilled. Well, I finally met the car yesterday and must admit, its a lot bigger than I envisioned. But, there are loads of RRs here and if other people can drive them, than so can I!
I gave it a little test drive yesterday and was terrified. The street signs are so different, and there's so much to watch out for and the car seems monstrously large on these narrow windy roads.

We were also invited to the home of one of my children's classmates for this afternoon. I was very nervous about driving on the highway. I reviewed some websites offering driving tips, and explaining the rules of the road, and traffic signs. Armed with my Swiss GPS, and my able bodied 12 year old, I thought I was ready. I explained to the kids how nervous I was and asked them to take a vow of silence for the excursion. No talking, no arguing, no touching, no music... just breathing in the car while I'm driving. They eagerly agreed as they were so excited to meet other kids and play with someone/something other than their Itouchs.

My son did a great job helping me with the GPS and telling me the various speed limits. There are only 4 speed limits in Switzerland 30km/hr for villages, 50 for Towns, 60 on major roads, and 120 for the highway. I found it difficult to distinguish a village from a town and even when the road thru a town became a major road. It was very confusing, even when the signs were posted. The streets with giant intimidating names like Schweindenstrasse, and Muhletobeistrasse....I couldn't understand what the German accented GPS voice was saying and then my trusty navigator would  try to pronounce it more phonetically and we'd be quickly approaching it just as I figured it out. Adding to the confusion is the vast amount of Roundabouts and when I'd ask my son, "ok - which way now?" and he'd answer something akin to " This way" or "That way?" what does that mean....left or right or straight?! I can't criticize him...he did an amazing job looking after me, and the speed limit signs and my speed limit ...all displayed on the GPS. After driving for 5 miles, we had to get on the highway ...which actually seemed the easiest place to drive...no pedestrians, no special signs, no bicyclists, no stop lines or signs, no cross traffic. However, I just couldnt bring myself to drive at 120 km/hr. Really...100 seemed fast enough. The kids were so amused when everyone was zooming past us. They were cracking up, just wanting to bust out laughing....and I knew what was so funny. I let them know...I just cant drive any faster. Through their tears of laughter, they were "but mommmmm"ing me, "everyone's passing us." So much for the vow of silence... "Not everyone, there's someone right behind us..." tailing very closely I might add. My elder son, who should be facing forward, helping me navigate, looked to see who could possibly be slower than his mom,"Yeah but its an old lady," who then promptly whipped around and passed me.  We were getting the hang of it, the tension eased by the Maria Andretti grandma, when we rounded a curve and caught an amazing spectacular sight: Lake Zurich with the magestic Alps towering over it. It was, as my daughter said," looked just like the pictures." I gasped... It was a dream come true sight and for a moment I reflected on how fortunate I was...The kids caught my stare... which caused them to scream "Mom - watch the road!" 

The rest is history...it all went smoothly. We arrived at the classmate's house and had a lovely visit. The kids hung out and I was fortunate to chat with the mom. She is British and has lived in Switzerland before, and China, and the US as well, so she's quite well versed in the expat life. She was so kind to share some info and offer some good tips on dining, resorts, skiing, the school, shopping.

Then, we had a largely uneventful trip back home...except for a wrong turn which lead us to take a more circuitous route home...no biggee...just an opportunity to see another part of the area....thank heavens for the GPS...I couldnt drive without it and dread driving without my trusty navigator. I told him that he'll probably be late for school every day since I will need him to navigate the route to the younger kids' school.

After we returned home, we were delighted by visitors. I am fortunate to have been in contact with one of my older son's teachers' wife who live in the same town we do. She stopped by with her son, and we were later joined by her husband ! It was so nice to meet someone who also has been so kind and helpful to us. We had a nice talk and it was great getting to know her and gaining more wisdom from her on doctors, the school, trips, the town we live, skiing, transportation, walking trails, where I should take German language lessons. She was so kind to bring us 3 cakes - one is like cake of a funnel cakes, and the other 2 are King Cakes, as tomorrow is Little Christmas celebrating the 3 kings visit to Jesus. The cakes have a little trinket baked inside and when we eat them, one slice will contain it, and that person will be king for the day. Fun!

Tonight, we called the younger kids' classes back in IL. Just hearing the class of kids yelling" hi" and "bye" in the background made me weepy. They are so sweet and it reminded me of how brave my kids are. They have never complained, nor given us any heartache about leaving their friends. I know it must be hard on them, because its hard on me. I am so excited for this adventure, have no regrets, and know it is the right path for us, but still can't help missing the people we had to leave.

So, this is the ongoing problem of jet lag:  My clock tells me its 1am, but my body is telling me that its only 6pm. I must sign off and get some sleep. This is a big day....our sea shipment arrives. Hooray !

The Ugly Americans

After the peaceful Sunday morning spent at the house, we became a bit undone by evening....

Having just a few hours sleep, and so much excitement, we were all exhausted and ravenous by afternoon. With it being a Sunday, and a holiday to boot, there was virtually nothing open except for the grocery store. We grabbed a bite to eat at the cafe, but I believe the kids were even to sleepy to eat. Despite the freezing temperatures, the kids began to melt on the seemingly long walk home....one by one, they were dragging their feet, in tears, crabby, grouchy....it was all I could do to keep it together, fighting my own exhaustion and crabbiness. When we returned to the house, we all went to our separate corners, the boys in their rooms with their legos, and the remaining 3 of us crashed and asleep on various spots on the hard wood floors. Had someone walked in, they'd have thought they stumbled upon a crime scene.

The nap took a bit of the edge off things, but we were all in a  fragile state by evening. We went by train to a Chinese Restauran where we found it very surprising to hear the asian waitress speak to us in German. Wow ! We enjoyed our food, and had some laughs. Mostly we stared at the large TV screen showing a German Handball (Rugby?) Match.  Still exhausted we returned to the hotel. I looked in the mirror - I looked like I had been run over by the train that returned us to the hotel. Everyone was in full blown crabby mode.....with a little sleep aid, we were all in bed by 9pm, asleep by 9:01,  until hubby woke us as 8am.

That's the ugly truth of night 1.....

Welcome Home !

Whew....what a whirlwind the past 2 days....no make that 2weeks....no make that 2 months....nevermind...

As you know we left IL on Dec 18, just after the kids finished school on the 17th. The weeks before had been a frenzy of sad goodbyes, farewell festivities, holiday concerts, parties, field trips....not to mention  the final throes of moving to a hotel and shipping our remaining household items overseas. It should not have been a surprise that when we awoke on the 18th, we were all still completely exhausted, and my younger son complained of a terrible sore throat. We took off anyway, excited to see our family & friends waiting for us in MD & PA, only to pull over in PA and take said child to CVS minuteclinic for the dreaded diagnosis: Strep Throat which was further confirmed by his throwing up in the store....anyway, what's another night in a hotel ? It should also be noted and not surprising that the other 2 kids contracted the illness....bummer. Hope we didnt share it with anyone else who was so kind to have us over !

So, that's how our nomadic 2 homeless weeks began..... We journeyed to Maryland where we visited old friends, and had a great time in between jaunts to the minuteclinic. I had a fantastic ladies night out with the playgroup gals whom I met when my first son was born and it is just so amazing, touching, and meaningful to me to continue to enjoy their company, and be able to laugh so hard with them after all these years! Then we visited family for a very meaningful time as well. In addition to celebrating Christmas, we were so thrilled to be together to celebrate the baptism of our godson, and share in my FILs big birthday celebration, as well. We enjoyed our time with family and were spoiled with gifts by Aunt Christmas (whose gift giving rivals Santa !)
Then we hit the road again, headed to PA for a couple days to visit with my amazing brothers and their families who braved the Northeastern Blizzard to meet up with us.  The fourteen of us had a nice time at a great place in PA that offered swimming, BINGO!, a bit of snow for outdoor play, and an amazing Carnival for the New Years Week celebration. Cousinfest proved quite fun ! Then, we returned to Maryland for one last goodbye dinner with our amazing dear friends, final round of haircuts and shopping, car care/storage, and farewell to the grandparents. Its always hard to say goodbye, but we know we will return to MD this summer.

Oh my ! While in the hotel in PA, we ran into a couple we know from Zurich - it was surreal....just such a serrendipitous occurrence. It was hilarious and still makes me smile.

The kids have been so amazing. I never imagined how excited they would be for the adventure. They could not wait to go to Switzerland and on the last day in the US they were counting the hours and minutes until we were picked up for the airport. We had a great time driving to the airport, stopping for one last Dunkin Donuts on the way, and laughing and reminiscing about our life in the US. Although I must confess, I need to avoid talking of our IL friends and our pet we had to leave behind as they both still bring me to tears.... : (
They were so cooperative and helpful in the airport, helping to juggle our 10 luggage items, yes, 10 +  4 carryons! ....alright I admit I probably overpacked, but in my defense, we had holidays, the baptism clothing, gifts, snow gear, swimwear, and I wasnt sure how fast our airshipment would arrive. Anyway, our airport maneuvering was comical. Hubby and son 1 would move 4 items of luggage to the desired spot, while the younger 2 and I stayed back with the remaining pieces, then he'd return and take another kid and 4 more pieces, etc. It was a battleworthy approach.

We all enjoyed the flight and reveled in having our own tvs and movies, and yummy food. We all wished it had actually been a longer flight! I also wish we would have slept more....we all hardly slept more than 2-3 hours. I guess we were too excited.

Once we landed, we went thru customs, and immigration without a hitch. A driver picked us up and thankfully fit all of our baggage in the car. We made a few stops, picking up our  housekeys, and a few items hubby stored at his office. The kids were so excited when we finally pulled up at our house. It was a great time - there were snow flurries drifting in the air, church bells were clanging loudly and the kids were cheering. They were overjoyed, and flew into the house and sailed thru every room, and staked their claims on the bedrooms.

We had a few surprises waiting for the kids in the new house. Hubby had managed to drop off some Lego sets, and new clothes, etc earlier in Dec. The kids were so happy....it became a normal Sunday morning : The boys were building their legos, hubby was untangling and figuring out computer wires and sorting mail. I was reading the Christmas cards and pictures that had been forwarded to us from the US - it warmed my heart for me to see them ! My daughter and I were discussing some furniture placement ideas.....just such a normal weekend morning for us.  It was so peaceful....and it felt like home : )

The Week In Review....

You are probably wondering why I hardly call anyone back nor respond to emails and seem like I've gone AWAOL. Please allow this week's weekly marathon to speak for itself:

Saturday - baby cousins visit - hooray ! Sold  Car- hooray, ran errands with dear daughter trying to use up old gift cards (tough life, right?), shopping - returned tight hiking boots and bought snow boots and  another pair of hiking boots. When I brought said boots home I realized I brought home 2 left feet. How did that happen? Did I try the left shoe on twice? Duh!  Then onto lunch, playdates, sent hubby to exchange my hiking boots, he & big guy went to see The Social Network, and came home and collapsed.

Sunday - Farewell for the boys and friends at Laser Tag. Fun, but hard to say goodbye. It was interesting to see my big guy say goodbye to his friends - they seemed to use a lot of zany handshake type movements. Little guy seemed a bit oblivious to the finality....good thing.  Watched Mean Girls with the kids (yes, the movie rating is PG13 but I am on hiatus from rule- following for the moment, aren't I?) Sent out change of email address notices. Hubby packed for his quick jaunt to DC for Mon/Tues. Collapsed.

Monday - school, errands, hubby out of town, kids home/homework/Boy Scout Court of Honor where my big guy reported for kitchen patrol, helped cook dinner, and received his First Class Award. Home late. Collapsed.

Tuesday - breakfast farewell with a special friend, followed by much needed hair appointment. Pick up kids, last dinner in rental house, pack up clothing for luggage and rest of house for Air Shipment. Hubby home. Collapsed.

Wed - 6 am workout, Rental house remains are packed up and taken for Airshipment, bring hubby to rental car place, clean the rental house, put final stuff in storage, return Comcast modem/Dvrs, etc, contemplated getting an x-ray of my sprained (?) ankle that hasnt fully healed in the 2 1/2 weeks since I injured it, change of address at post office, ship Thomas train sets to baby cousins, pack the luggage, retrieve kids from school, dabble in homework, dinner with friends and lots of laughs, little guy's Cub Pack meeting where he received his Wolf Badge in a cool ceremony, check in at hotel - feels so luxurious compared to rental house airmattresses. Collapse.

Thurs -  Hard to get out of hotel bed...so comfy. Got kids to school, breakfast with a dear old friend, dropped our dear lizard pet off at friend's house, got to daughter's school for surprise farewell party, then to little guy's school for holiday party, picked up gift cert for friend,liquid lunch (coffee), picked up kids from schools, hotel for a little R&R, ordered Chinese food for dinner, and returned to daughter's school for Holiday Concert....collapse.

Friday - 6am Spin Workout. What a surprise - my workout pals decorated the room in a patriotic American theme, with balloons on my bike, which was also draped with a scarf, flags with special messages, etc. Just so incredibly sweet. Breakfast in hotel, got kids to school (including Daughter early so she can make the morning announcements), threw laundry in washer at rental house, coffee/breakfast with the girls for a final hug, Village Hall to attempt to pay water bill, switched laundry to dryer, visited a sweet friend to say goodbye, little guy's school for Holiday Concert, said goodbyes in his school, picked up big guy and paid for his missing textbook, picked up his records, he cleaned out his locker, picked up laundry from rental house, picked up daughter and enjoyed a bit of her holiday party, and then picked up my little guy, went to hotel for a much needed rest. Dinner at Francesca's - yum ! Blog needed a little attention. Paid some bills. Collapse.

The fabric of our lives....

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....it was our last week in IL.
I approached our last week in IL with mixed feelings. I had a lot of final farewells scheduled and was torn between wanting it to pass slowly to savor every minute;  to etch every memory into my heart once more....and yet, I wanted it to speed by as it was so difficult...painful... to say goodbye to the dearest of friends.  I shed a zillion tears these past few weeks, and realize that they weren't tears of angst, or regret, or fear for the future, but rather tears of gratitude.  I have come to know such nice, wholesome, wonderful, earnest, fun, amazing, interesting, and generous people here and I am so privileged to call "friends."


We have spent eight years in IL, building friendships and intertwining the threads of our lives with others. Following our interests like threads, whether it was volunteering, playdates, beach dates, lunch dates at Chubbys, pool parties, classroom activities, field trips, stamping and scrapbooking together, working out, discussing books, going AWOL together on Moms Nights Out, jewelry parties, evenings at the Catlow, Brownies, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, bowling, soccer, swimming, SBC, YMCA, summer school, etc.we have found friends whose lives have woven in and out of ours, and formed a tapestry with us...a beautiful tapestry. I'm afraid I frayed and unraveled my portion of the tapestry a bit this week. My tears seemed the only way to express the words that escaped me:  I  am so grateful to have you in my life, and I wish we could stay in each other's daily lives.

The good thing about a tapestry is that it is filled with all different threads that are woven for a bit, then knotted, and set aside, to make way for a different thread that contributes to the work's beauty, and the process is repeated. It's time for me to knot my thread, and pull off and see how I can contribute to another tapestry. I will always be part of your lives, and you, of mine. I am so grateful for you, friend.

Relocating 201: Offload the House

Once I could envision what life would be like in Switzerland, we had to figure out how to transition from this life to that one. The first major issue was what to do with the IL house. We decided to "sell" it....a term we use loosely in the dire midwest during the 3rd yr of a horrible economic recession.

Selling the house wasn't going to be easy. We decided to start by cleaning out the house of its contents.  We cleaned out the entire house during the month of July - from Attic to basement Storage room. Not one drawer or hiding space went unscathed. It was brutal, ugly, icky, tiring...no, completely exhausting. Every day, I dreaded reporting for duty, but was highly motivated to do so because my 3 car garage looked like something dreadful from the TV show Hoarders.

I was constantly balancing in my head a small Swiss home with NO storage with my sentimental attachment to things. Here's the thing that I learned about STUFF: It jogs memories and help you recapture the feelings/experience of when you received it. For example, one of the zillions of stuffed animals that I had to determine the fate of was a cute little dragon from Disney World. While playing games in Dinoland in Animal Kingdom, each family member had won a toy except for one, sibling 1. After another game, sibling2  had won another toy and promptly gave it to sibling 1. Sib 1 was so happy - he held it all day, rode the rides with it, and fell asleep with it in his arms that night, and each night thereafter. Coming across this little stinker (and a zillion of his counterparts) gave me reason to pause, count my blessings, and remember such a remarkable time of joy. I ask you, ladies and gentlement of the discarding jury - what would you do with this dragon ? Hopefully, he's sleeping in someone else's arms by now...

Anyway, it was a difficult, long process which culminated in a garage sale in the bearly bearable July heat on the asphalt driveway that I can only liken to being an ant under a magnifying glass. The garage sale was quite lucrative and fun thanks to some dear friends who kept us company, despite the heat. After the garage sale, I was so SICK of looking at all the stuff and sentimentality that we took carloads over to donation. Whew ! So glad that was done....

With the house largely cleaned out, we listed the house for sale. I desperately wanted the house to sell. I knew we would never feel entirely at peace in The Move and carefree in Switzerland if we were responsible for the IL house. I turned to God in the sale of our house and proposed a sort of "Division of Labor." I prayed,  "Please bring the RIGHT people to our house, and  we'll  do whatever needs to be done on our Earthly end." I vowed that we would not get hung up by greed, nor pride, nor money, nor timing, nor any other petty issues, etc. Our goal was simply to sell the house by the end of the year when we would leave for Switz. Well, thanks also to the hustle of our fab realtor, and realistic flexible pricing in this market, a family came to see our house on Day 12, fell in love, and we had a contract for our house by day 15. Still to this day, whenever I drive by a FOR SALE sign (and there's zillions here in the midwest), I whisper my thanks to God.

We agreed to settle on our house in mid October, which would require us to move to a short term rental from Oct- December when we left for Zurich.  I spent the month of September packing, packing, packing. If it wasn't nailed down, I wrapped and packed it. I wasnt even sure what I was packing for - I didn't know where we were going to live from Oct to December, nor from January - 2013. I didnt know where we would be living in Switzerland, what we would need, or want to bring. I just wrapped packed, and labeled everything.

As in the fabled Harry Potter Series, my packing evolved into a Sorting Ceremony, another tedious and long process: There were things we knew were going to come to both the rental house and to Switz (Group A- beds, dressers, etc), things that we didnt know whether they were going to come (Group B - kayak, canoe, firepit, desks, hockey equip, etc) and things we knew were NOT coming and were going to long term storage (Group C dining room furniture, Holiday decor, stereo equipment, sentimental items).

The buyers needed to move into our house in October, which meant we needed to move to a short term rental until we left in December. With the abundance of vacant housing in our area, you would think it a piece of cake to rent something short term. Well, I've come to realize that short-term renters are considered bottom feeders in the real estate market. Noone wants to rent to a short term renter, not even for a premium on the rent, and especially if it means they have to re- list the house for rent in January. So out of the zillions of vacant houses in our area that are for sale, our realtor managed to find one that was available for us to rent short term. Fine....we had a place to live.

Relocating 101: The Orientation Tour

Once we realized we were going to relocate, we started working on "The Move."  Anyone who knows anything about mass production knows that "division of labor" is essential to effective use of resources. Anyone who knows US knows that we employ a "division of labor" approach to our life: my hubby manages his work and I manage the homefront. In other words, I would say, "He makes the living, and I make the living worthwhile," while HE might say " I earn it, she spends it."....nonetheless, what's important is that everyone contributes by doing what he does best, everyone is happy with his assigned duties, and everything runs smoothly. Sorry, I diverse.... so, due to our clear cut division of labor ideals, The Move, (excluding his work issues, of course) falls under "homefront," and thus, my realm.

I wish there had been an instruction manual guiding us, step by step, how to relocate to Switzerland.  Paraphrasing Donald Rumsfeld,  "There's things we know, things we don't know, and things we don't even know that we don't know." My knowledge of relocating, and Switzerland, etc. fell under the latter. Although I had been to Europe three times, I would have been hard pressed to accurately locate Switzerland on a map, had no idea what the currency, temperatures, culture, languages, foods were like. I might have well been relocating to the moon. Clearly, I needed information.

Fortunately in this age of technology, everything is on the internet. I began to search the web for information while the kids were in school. Initially, I searched tourism websites for the Zurich landmarks, history, activities, geography, weather, travel ideas, and the International Schools where our children might attend. I was fortunate that we had a couple work-related friends who have done assignments in Switzerland and I was able to ask them about their experiences as well.

Early n the process, I was invited to Switz for the "Orientation Tour." I continued my internet research, shifting my search more from a perspective of "What is Switzerland like" to a more personal level,  "how does a family relocate overseas?" I needed information on the social support network, living conditions, and on the logistics.I blogsearched for "American Family, ExPat, Switzerland, Zurich."  I found several, but one struck me as having some similiaries to ours and I contacted the blogger! Gasp...a complete stranger. One of her posts described moving overseas as living without a safety net... that there was noone to rely on, but yourself. Like the feeling you feel right before the rollercoaster starts, it is both terrifying, and exciting, and I completely understood the feeling.

 I contacted her and explained our situation and was comforted by her reply and offered a wealth of information and insight. We have continued to correspond, and I visited her on both of my trips, and I have come to think of her as a friend.  I am so grateful for her and would probably still be staring at the Map of Switzerland if it hadnt been for her.

Once over in Switzerland, I scrutinized everything as a potential resident, not as a optimistic tourist on holiday. I took copious notes, noting things about the customs, simple language phrases, grocery store (100 types of chocolate, and only 20 types of breakfast cereal, albeit no brown sugar, baking powder, nor chocolate chips!), clothing (what do the kids wear, where do you buy it, ee gads - it costs how much ?!),  housing (quite the opposite of the US - few homes, escalating prices), locations, etc. I was fortunate to visit with my blogger friend and she and her husband gave us insight into their relocation process. Preliminary haushunting gave us a guage of the housing options: small apartments and houses with spectacular views of Zurichsee (Lake Zurich). Most Americans and English speakers live in the vicinity of the English Speaking International Schools.

 Perhaps it was my jetlag/ sleep deprivation, but the first day in Switz I felt very aware of amusements that our kids would be missing out on. I didnt see any mega 30 movie complexes, no Laser Tags, no bowling alleys, no Chuck E Cheeses/Gameworks/ESPN zones, no roller rinks, nor Science Centers, etc. I wondered if I was just doing The Move for hubby and me. Were we really thinking of the kids' best interests? 

Visiting the International Schools on the second day was informative, and put my mind at rest quite a bit about the kids' adjustments.The International School was filled with ExPats from various English speaking countries: South Africa, England, Canada, Australia, Ireland. Americans comprise about a quarter of the student population, and the School appears to be the Center of ExPat family life. The children were all happy, chatty, confident, bouyant....very American seeming in their dress and behavior. I loved watching them play on the playgrounds, hanging out in the cafeterias, spying on the MS science lab, and creating impressive works of art. During our visit, the elementary students were studying Economics and they had organized a global market day. From what I could gather, the students made items to sell (baked goods, etc) and had prepared advertising, and  pricing strategy, and were selling their goods during our visit. It was very fun and impressive and I liked the hand-on teaching approach. The school's setting seemed so cozy and familiar as it is a small community with just 60 kids per grade. Like many schools in the US, they have a very active Parents Assn that organizes many activities  and supports the curriculum. Although we were in the heart of Europe, the atmosphere seemed oddly "normal." Well, let me throw in the exception: the cafeteria was quite different than its American counterpart. There are huge baskets of fresh croissants and breads, fresh fruits, yogurts, and the entree of the day was Chicken Curry. Living in Europe would definately stretch their minds...

We left with a fair understanding of what our life in Switzerland would entail. I digested all of my information on the long flight home....along with decadent chocolates and Swiss wines. : ) 

Switzerland, you had me at Gruitzi!

Moving to another country is a major decision. It impacts not only you, but all of those around you...the children, the friends, co-workers, extended family. It is a balance among pursuing your own interests, with the interests of others. Once my husband was approached about the  new job opportunity in Switzerland, we began to seriously think about it and consider the widespread and deep impact.  My main concern was whether we were doing the right thing for our children.  Hubby and I both grew up in close families, with family members who still live in the towns we grew up in. We already moved our family once while the children were basically babies, 8 years ago, to Chicagoland. It was hard on my eldest...and harder on me. I lost my support network... distance divided me from my dear friends, and our families. Holidays and milestones lost a lot of their charm and tradition. Suddenly the occasions which once were the highlight of our family life felt so lonely; they became similar to any other day with it being just the 5 of us. When we would spend holidays/vacations with family, it was an exhausting, and expensive endeavor:  packing up the 5 of us and flying or driving 12+ hours or some combination thereof to the destination. Inevitably, one,  or several, of us would come down with a stomach bug (always a horrible experience when you are staying at someone else's house!), which we would generously pass on to our hosts. I wondered, what is the effect on children of removing them from the only home and culture they have ever known?  Will the Swiss culture feel confining for my boisterous family? Will we adjust and make friends easily? Can we afford to live a great life there? How can we walk away from the great life we already have? Why fix what is not broken? If we are examining new opportunities, should we just relocate back to where we came from? How and when will we see our family?

On the other hand, we were once perfectly happy in Maryland, and now we were perfectly happy here in IL. It was heartwrenching to leave our loved ones, and best friends,  in Maryland, but we did, and survived, and thrived. We have met so many amazing, kind, fun, interesting, dear people in IL and love our life here. Raising our children in the heart of the midwestern values has been a joy.  It occurred to me, that had we not upended our life by moving here, we would have missed out on the opportunity to know these people, live this life, and know this part of the USA.

As time passed, my concerns abated as I learned more about the opportunity. I read blogs about American families living abroad and found myself swept in their adventures. I began to understand the "ExPat" culture, and the various English speaking connections and commeraderie that abounds in foreign cities. I began to warm up to the idea of living abroad, but it was still very abstract, as our opportunity was not yet set in stone. I wouldn't let myself  worry about the decision until the process began and the details were ironed out. I connected with another ExPat blogger to get the inside scoop, "what's it like?,""are the kids happy," "what do you do for fun?, "" what do you miss?"

In May, I was invited to Switzerland for an "Awareness Tour." Hubby and I went and were taken around by a Relocation Agent. With her assistance, we checked out the International Schools, grocery stores, book stores, department stores, some housing options, and of course some lovely restaurants ( "All work and no play...", you know). The excitement of my previous European trips came flooding back....there's just something about traipsing on centuries-old cobblestones and looking at ornate guilded architecture, and magnificent historic churches with vivid stained glass that takes my breath away. I love the distinctive European look - long lean legs, narrow pants, narrow suit jackets, scarves all year round, and the BOOTS! Oh my....how I love the European boots.  I found the Swiss people to be very charming, caring, diligent, and helpful. The International School was swarming with interesting and adventurous ExPats who gently put my fears to rest,afterall, they had each been in the position we were in....kindred spirits. The schoolchildren all looked so American, so happy, laughing and playing on the playground, proudly showing the fruits of their labor, and the school buildings were beautiful and cheerful.  Switzerland, you had me at Gruitzi...of course we'd relocate!