Reflection on the last year

We are approaching our one-year anniversary of living in Switzerland. In many ways, our time here has gone by fast. But yet we have seen and learned so much in the last year. I am also approaching another turning point in my life: I accepted a full-time job here in Basel, and start working on September 1. I'm excited to return to work and return to everything associated with having a career. I am also extremely grateful for the time that I've been able to stay at home with my kids. Of course, the transition back to work will be one for all of us, but we feel that the timing of events has worked out very well. But more on that another time.

I thought I'd use this blog entry to reflect on our last year with a list of some of our unique experiences. There have been so many great places and experiences, but these events are definitely ones that I would not have experienced in the U.S., are lessons learned, or just evidence that we've settled in here.

1. First, this blog has been a very fulfilling experience for me. I haven't yet written about the background of the name "Swiss Miss": "Miss" is a family nickname for me. And "Swiss Miss" rhymes nicely, but it is also the name of a hot cocoa brand that is sold only in the U.S. No, you won't find this convenience food here in Switzerland (how could they compete with real Swiss hot chocolate?).

2. Learning a new language is an ongoing experience. The first time that someone responded "genau" ("exactly") to me when I was speaking German -- it made me proud. This meant that I said something in the conversation that was exactly right on with what the other person was thinking. I thought to myself: "I can communicate!" A baby step towards really feeling comfortable here.

3. The language has also sometimes forced me to go out on a limb and try things that I may not have done otherwise. A very simple example is the interaction I have with my coiffeur, or hairdresser. I ended up with highlights that were lighter than I expected and also had my eyebrows threaded for the first time. Perhaps this is a reflection of my lack of language skills, but I'm glad that I took the chance, and I'm noticing improvement along the way.

4. Being a tourist in so many places is memorable. One unique experience was getting our picture taken with Korean tourists when we were at Schilthorn peak. Instead of having us take their group picture, they wanted a picture of us. It was a funny experience for us; I guess we were part of the tourist attraction!

5. On the other hand, it's comforting to find reminders of home here. It could be an Esso gas station that looks just like a U.S. Exxon station or seeing an American movie in English, but it's something that feels familiar. Bob and I went on a date last weekend in Basel to see "Larry Crowne" under the stars in the Münsterplatz. Movies are shown in their original language with German and French subtitles. It was such a fun summer experience and absolutely something that I would recommend.

6. Biking has transformed into a mode of transportation, rather than just an activity. Bob has become addicted to biking to work, which is quick and great exercise as well. When we're with the boys, biking is still something to do after school or on the weekends, but I think we'd like to use biking more and more to get places.

7. Hiking has also become a favorite outing as a family or with friends. The boys are becoming pretty resilient when it comes to being in the woods or on trails for the good part of a day. Hiking in Switzerland is popular, and I'm glad that we can take advantage of the prevalence of trails while we're here.

8. If we're in Basel or around town, there's a good chance we'll see someone that we recognize -- friends or neighbors. This makes living here feel more like home.

We're looking forward to many more experiences like this over the next year as well!

Auf Wiedersehen!