Better in the U.S. or in Switzerland?

So after living here exactly four months I have accumulated quite a few opinions as to what is better in the U.S. versus what is better in Switzerland. Although my list might lean in favor of the U.S. in terms of size, I might say the quality of things on the list in Switzerland is better... take a look for yourself and then come visit and decide for yourself!

Switzerland

• Outdoor Lifestyle: It simply cannot be beat - mountains, lakes, rivers, and adventure sports abound in this country of the Alps. Not to mention I think I can say that the weather is more reliable. I'm not saying that the weather is always better, but I can guarantee you that the temperature will not range 40 degrees in one 24 hour time span.
• Public Transportation: One word, amazing! It runs on time to just about everywhere you could want across the country. If it is late (which is very rare), there is usually a notification to tell you when it will arrive. The down side - you better learn how to be on time to your stop because the tram or bus won't wait for you!
• Proximity to the rest of Europe: Switzerland is pretty much smack dab in the middle of the continent, which gives it amazing access to every other country. Although Switzerland doesn't have the history of some other countries, you can reach another country that does in any direction within just a few hours. It is the perfect jumping point for exploring so many diverse cultures, histories, and traditions - something the U.S. simply cannot compete with.
• Food: I'm not about to claim that Switzerland has the best food, because I don't think that they do. Especially in Zurich where there is a heavy German influence of meat and potato based foods. However, what I will say is that when the Swiss choose to focus on a certain food they certainly do it well. Here are my favorites:

Cheese - seriously was there any doubt? They have more varieties and ways to prepare it than I ever thought possible. However, they could work on adding a good cheddar cheese to the line-up.

Chocolate - once again, a no-brainer. Good thing I'm pregnant and have a good excuse to eat it.

Bread - many different possibilities here, but butter bread and pretzel bread top my list.

Rosti - you probably haven't heard of this before, but let's just say hashbrowns were never something I would eat regularly before, but the Swiss have found the secret to making this form of potatoes taste better than ever!

United States

• Deodorant: It really is a simple concept - people in the U.S. understand how to wear it and they also sell good brands. I know I'm in for a royal treat come summer and the temperatures get a little warmer, but I've already gotten more than a whiff (or rather lack of it) at the gym.
• Super Target: Or just a regular Target, Walmart, grocery store - you name it. Simply a place that you can buy several things at the same time. Not to mention the ability to drive a car there and buy as much as you want in one trip.
• Trash & Recycling: Trash really isn't too bad in our apartment, but at some apartments you're not allowed to take the trash to the dumpster until the pick-up day, talk about smelly! However, I could do without the $3 garbage bags I have to buy. Also, I miss the good ole American recycling process where I could just put all recyclable materials in one bin and push it to the end of my driveway once a week. Instead I sort it meticulously (which isn't a big deal), and then take glass and plastics to two different drop-off points in my neighborhood, or I wait for the designated paper pick-up day (every other week) or cardboard pick-up (once a month). And let me just say when you're moving into a new place waiting a month to recycle your cardboard it can certainly pile up!
• Gym Attire & Opening Times: In the U.S. for the most part you can wear what you want at the gym. I like this concept - wear what you are comfortable in. At my gym in Switzerland there are two main regulations (although luckily I've noticed they're not as enforced as they could be, just strongly recommended). First, no tank tops and second, wearing pants or shorts that are knee-length. Really? I never even made an attempt at following the shorts rule. And as I've noticed as the temperatures rise (and there is no a/c in most buildings here), I think I will abandon the tank top rule. Oh how I miss wearing what I wanted at 24 hour fitness, and not receiving a dirty look if I went to the gym in my workout attire, not to mention going at any time of the day I wanted. Only two days of the week here does the gym open before 9 am. Oh and finally, why do the Swiss have rules on what you can wear to workout in if before and after they are just going to walk around naked in the locker room for as long as they feel like anyways?
• Owning a house: This one probably isn't fair because I could own a house here, but I'd have to be a millionaire first. So in that respect I'll say that owning a house in the U.S. is better. I miss a good walk-in closet (enough of these wardrobes). And I miss not having "quiet hours," so that I might be allowed to do laundry, run the dishwasher, or my flush my toilet and shower whenever I pleased without being worried that I would "in trouble" with my neighbors.
• Speaking English:What can I say I like being able to understand what people are saying to me? And don't get me wrong I'm learning German, but the problem here is that there are countless numbers of Swiss German dialects and it's more than just having a southern drawl, words and phrases are completely different. And it is just about guaranteed that for every different city or town you go to the language will be slightly different. It's no wonder the Swiss are quiet people - they can't understand one another!
• The Dollar Store: Funny thing is I never really shopped there. However, I miss knowing there is somewhere I could go to shop where prices would be dirt cheap - this simply doesn't exist in Switzerland. In case you missed it, the newest rankings came out a couple months ago and Zurich topped the list of most expensive cities to live in the world!