Whenever I visit the US (where I am from), friends and family always want to know how much longer I am going to be living in Switzerland.
The original answer was three years. But now, almost six years later, there is no answer.
My fellow Americans don’t understand how I can have no answer to this question. But when I ask them how long are they are going to live in the Chicago suburbs, they don’t know either.
So finally, we move on to another question: what is the best and worst part about living in Switzerland?
I could say the best part is the cheese or the chocolate. Or having no clue when it is Superbowl Sunday. Or being able to hike in the Alps on a whim.
I could say the worst part is the expensive restaurants. Or the lack of smiles. Or the endless fog.
But actually, the best and worst part of living in Switzerland is being a foreigner.
Being a foreigner is bad for obvious reasons: it gets annoying always being labelled as different.
It gets annoying to have everyone stare when I request High German instead of Swiss German in meetings. And it gets annoying to have to renew my B-permit every year.
But being a foreigner is also the best part about living in Switzerland. When you are a foreigner, you are special.
Being a native speaker of English qualifies you for work in ways it never would at home. And many people - back home and in Switzerland - find you interesting because you have something they don’t: guts to move 5,000 miles from home.
It’s because of this duality that makes it hard to know where I’ll be living five years from now.
Because there are some days, like when I have to run around Baden and pay SFr30 ($32.70) for a piece of paper that states I have no debts so maybe I’ll be considered for that elusive C-permit at some point in my Swiss life, that bring out the bad side of being a foreigner.
And there are other days, like when my Swiss neighbour invites my entire family over for fondue and we laugh in three languages trying to understand each other, when being a foreigner is the best thing in the world.
What do you think is the best and worst part about living in Switzerland?
Tags: foreigners, Life in Switzerland, Swiss
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I have lived in Switzerland for over 25 years now. So, although I haven’t got a Swiss passport, but a British one, I suppose I’m more Swiss than British.
Best thing about living in Switzerland, I think, is the quality for food. Not talking about chocolate oder cheese, but food in general: vegetables, fruit (in the summer and autumn), bread, meat. It’s expensive, yes. But it’s just good.
Worst thing is that the Swiss authorities expect me to apply to become a Swiss citizen. And then pay them. I think they should get in touch with me.
Hi,
I am a citizen now after many many years, so like a good swiss we spend most of our time in Mexico. It is rather nice to be Swiss in Mexico. Not like a yank or canadian, my other nationality.
I am still not used to german keyboards and when i changed it back to an american keyboard I could not use it anymore.
Prices are frightful but the swiss franc is sure nice elsewhere in the world. I enjoy mail on saturdays, knowing my post lady. I reported a crime once and the police had everything on me on the pc. They double checked if I still had the same phone number. Eerie that part.
I am not speaking to my swiss neighbours again. Over the cat. It went into their house and scared her highness, the mean wife wwhile she was resting. Our cat would not hurt a fly. His tree is hanging a bit over the fence. we will have to fight about that next year.
I hate liquid fertilizer. I love fresh cherries and apples and food that you know is safe and good and where it is from. My doctor phones me now and again asking if i am fine. Doctors make house calls.
I hate Oskar Freysinger and all of that svp garbage. I write to the editor in english and usually get published. I like buying stuff. you get credit automatically and eventually you get a bill in the mail. the mail always works and the phone and the support services. Im mexico nothing works. That is good too. I hate the gun shooting on sundays. my dog hates it too and hides under the bed. He sometimes needs tranquilizers or he runs away. the police are nice when they bring him home.
I can’t say what is the best part and the worst part of living in Switzerland because I have never been there. I enjoyed reading your thoughts. Thank you for sharing.
excellent write up. very entertaining and oh so true
I miss living in Switzerland. Out is better than the USA. I liked the mountains, farmers fields, really old buildings at the street’s edge. I like the pedestrian only zones - no cars in city centers. I like the cobble stone roads. I loved the train system. Lake Neuchatel is beautiful, both to walk around and swim in. It is the center of Europe and all it’s great cities and sites. There is so much to like. All of this is in close proximity to you. The USA has a lot of these things to, but they are a thousand miles apart. I’d give up a lot to return to living in Switzerland. Don’t move back Chantal. Stay and live a beautiful life. You can always visit the USA. Siggghhhhhh.
I’d say the best are the mountains and the chocolate and the very best are those Toblerone Chocolate Mountains on your picture
Thanks, everyone for sharing your thoughts. I also love the quality of the produce here. In the U.S., most produce has no taste and is way too large and way too waxed.
Close proximity of things and people (easy to run to the store, having to share a washing machine) is both good and bad, but overall I like not having to drive to things like forest preserves. Nature being integrated with city life is a definite Swiss plus.
I’ve lived in Andover Massachusetts for 4 years and have been back to Aarau, Switzerland for almost 8 years now.
here are some of the things I really like and dislike about life in Switzerland:
Pros:
+Quite multicurtural, especially in bigger cities like Zürich
+Educational options
+Nature, Mountains
+public transportation system
+quality of all kinds of products
+the different swiss-german dialects
+you are OFFICIALLY an adult with 18 with all that goes with it
+people are mostly friendly
+downloading movies and music for free is legal as long as you don’t upload
Cons:
-some people just don’t think outside their own little box
-stores are closed on sundays
-everythings expensive…especially Zürich (ex. SFr. 18.- for one cuba libre)
-stores are only opened till like 7 PM
-no mountain dew code red in big bottles…
-no fridays (Oreo madness….mmmmmh)
-martial arts schools are mostly out for the money
I think that’s about it…I could probably make these lists longer, but I think that’s enough!