Warm Adventures: What I miss or don't miss

Since our return and even while we were in the States people often asked me what I like or didn't like about Switzerland and also what I miss from the US. The entire experience was still a little new and I was still a bit shell shocked from the cold wet winter. But I have been giving it some thought.

Just like Daddy - Rock Licker

Of course I miss my family and friends, no real surprise there. There is something unsettling about not having people you love close by. I worry about the 'what ifs' something happens to them or to us and we need to be back in the US quickly. I miss meals with family and friends. And now that we have Alison and another on the way I really miss sharing my little munchkin with others. I am afraid of her missing out on quality time with the grandparents. As well as getting to know and play with all her cousins and Aunts and Uncles. There is always Skype/Facetime but it isn't quite the same.

I miss my girlfriends and just hanging out in a relaxed environment with them. I have made friends here but I am talking about hanging out with friends who've known you for years - some for 30 plus years. You cannot just make those kind of friendships over night as it takes a long time to cultivate those precious relationships. Those are the friends you just feel completely yourself with and are never guarded, who let you say and do anything and don't judge you. The ones who can make you laugh in an instance and know all the inside jokes. You know who you are and those are the friends I miss. OK enough sappy stuff

It is really hard to put some things into words. For example I miss the convenience of decent fast food, and I'm not talking McDonalds or BK type fast food as we have those here and we have yet to eat there (I do miss Chick-Fil-A). I miss good quality convenient food, a simple dinner out, maybe Tijuana Flats, Dandelion Cafe, Pom Poms, Thai Basil, Leftovers. But then at the same time I am proud of my new found cooking skills and the fact that I know exactly what we (at least Ali and I) are eating three times a day. The quality of food here is very good, but I do miss the variety. In addition, I miss being able to know what things are in the store. I can't tell you how much trouble I have had figuring out sour cream from other milk type products simply because I can't read the labels. And I am still confused about the meats and crazy amount of cheeses. But for the most part we are adhering to what is available and I think we are healthier for it.

I miss bagels, I know it sounds weird as they have really good fresh baked bread here but I miss stopping at Panera for a french toast bagel with hazelnut cream cheese. And I really miss the Pumpkin bagels from Einsteins that they serve in the Fall. The Swiss aren't really into pumpkin breads or muffins.

Several commented that most people speak English here and yes whilst that is true let me give you a perfect example as to why that is not always the case. My doctor speaks English very well. At my last appointment I told him I was considering giving birth at the Stork Haus, a local birthing center in Lenzburg because it was close to us and since Alison arrived quickly and all naturally, I was concerned about getting to the hospital in time with the second one. My doctor and I had a five minute conversation about this where I thought he understood. As I was checking out at the reception desk and making my next appointment, my doctor came up to me and said "There is a birthing center in Lenzburg". Like this was something new that I didn't already know. Seriously what we talking about earlier for five minutes? So although they know English it is still challenging to have a conversation if that makes sense. And most of the receptionists and lab workers do not speak English and I feel looked down upon because I don't speak their crazy Swiss German. Our nice landlord speaks some English but he throws in so much German with it, I understand about 10% of what he is saying. And I still get intimidated going to new places with signs that I can't read - I am constantly afraid I am going to do something wrong.

Horrible accident in the kitchen

Most people are friendly and they say things to you on the street when you pass by. I have no idea what they are saying but would like to learn so I can respond. I can take a German language class but really that is only going to help me out a little bit as here they speak a very strange dialect they call Swiss German which is not a written language. For example I was taking a simple on-line German language course and they said the typical greeting is "Guten Tag" which translated means "Good Day". Well Erik tells me I should never say Guten Tag to the Swiss as they hate that. So I give up and with another little one on the way it will be a while before I can take a formal German language class. So I will continue to muddle through.

What I love:

I love that we walk everywhere and I feel safe. I love that it is very family oriented here. Also it isn't pretentious - you don't see lots of plastic surgery or expensive cars. In fact my diamond ring is a bit out of place here. They are simple and I like that. But don't get me wrong, they aren't slobs, you don't see people wearing sweatpants or pajamas at the grocery store - they look presentable - it just isn't over the top if that makes sense.

I like that our refrigerator and freezer are small. It really forces us to think about what we need and what we are eating. I pretty much know everything that is in our fridge and freezer. That means nothing goes to waste and the grocery store is across the street if we need anything.

I like that things are closed on Sundays, you can't go shopping, you are forced to spend time with your family and get out for walks "Wandering". Although the last few Sundays I have spent napping and cleaning the house and doing laundry but that is another story.

Ali in her Sopranos outfit

I love the open markets where I can get fresh bread, eggs and veggies that I know are grown/made locally. I love that there is a local butcher and bakery. I was so thrilled the other day as the butcher recognized me and told the ladies what I wanted (sliced truten = turkey). The quality and taste of these foods are so much better.

Things I forgot to buy while in the US that I cannot buy here (or it is just so expensive):

Maple syrup, certain spices, chipotle peppers, cherrios, honey mustard, Mac n cheese, soft scrub, canned pumpkin, ginger dressing.

I miss having a babysitter/friend/family member close by so I can run an errand without a child attached to me or so Erik and I could go to the movies or go out on a date.

I miss Amazon and Diapers.com. We shipped over several cases of diapers when the movers packed everything up. They lasted a long time but this week we are on our last package of seventh generation diapers and I have been experimenting with other diapers here. They have the typical huggies and pampers but they are quite expensive. I miss having a case of whatever I need dropped shipped to my doorstep within 48 hours. That being said I just miss being able to go on Amazon.com to buy whatever I need at a discount. They have an Amazon Germany but it is hard to interpret and shipping costs to Switzerland are extremely high. I miss Costco although not sure where we would put all the stuff we would normally buy there but I am sure we could make room for our favorite chips and hummus.

I miss knowing where to buy things. I guess we are saving lots of money that way as there really isn't a mall that I know of and see post above but I am still a bit shy about going to new places on my own.

I miss the beach of course - just hanging out relaxing with friends, listening to the waves, or being in it snorkeling, I miss kayaking the amazing scenic rivers in Florida. I miss being tan, I am pretty sure I am as pale as I was the day I was born.

Weekly Update:

Ali and Ollie at the zoo

Nothing really new to report. We are still enjoying the sunny weather. Alison had a strange episode this past week as she had a high fever on Thursday and then a bit of a rash on her chest along with horrible diaper rash. I learned that two of the kids from playgroup were really sick. Luckily she never got really sick, just high temperature and you could tell she was not herself. She was also cutting some new teeth so she had a rough go of it for a few days. That kept us inside for a few days and I am happy to say she is doing better now. We did venture out for our trip to the Zurich Zoo on Saturday as it was her friend Oliver's birthday. It was a really nice day to be outside and the kids really had a good time. In addition, Erik and I went out on a date Saturday night which was really nice. We ended up at a restaurant here in Lenzburg that came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. As of today, I have changed doctors to one locally so we don't have to take the hour long train and two bus trip to Baden anymore. That is a big relief, wish I would have done that sooner.

Erik has Good Friday and Easter Monday off which makes for a nice long weekend but the weather isn't suppose to be as cooperative so not sure what we are going to do. Someone told Erik whatever you do don't go anywhere as apparently it is one of the busiest travel weekends in Europe and one of the deadliest on the roads. So we are staying put and we'll figure out something to do, although everything is closed Friday, Sunday and Monday this coming week. We are still car shopping and hope to have something before the end of the month or at least before our next round of company arrives in mid-May.

Have a Happy Easter - We Miss you All.