Six Months Later

You can never stop missing a place like this.

It really doesn't seem possible that we have been back for six months. However, while there are days where it seems like just yesterday that we were living in Zurich, more often than not now it seems like it was a lifetime ago that we lived there. I watch as many of our expat friends have recently returned or will return soon to the U.S. as well. While some are more ready to return than others, it is clear to all of us that there was something very special about living in Switzerland.

There are many things I still miss, but many things I have come to appreciate being back in the states as well. We gained and continue to gain a new appreciation for how we want to live life and raise a family. We realize that there are many things that that the United States has to offer and does well, but there are many things that the Europeans, and Swiss especially, do well, and we liked their way too.

Coming back to good friends and a good
church are more than worth it.

As simple as it is, I realized last night one of the things I miss most about Swiss life: leaving the windows open at our house. Yesterday, was a gorgeous 70 degree, low humidity day in St. Louis. They don't come often. We are beginning to emerge from the terrible winter that most of the U.S. has experienced this year and I fully expect it to transition into a hot, nasty humid summer in St. Louis, exactly what I did not miss. I loved living somewhere with little humidity, not many days over 80 or 85 degrees, and so few bugs that we left our windows wide open (and without screens) for many months of the year. Yesterday, I opened the windows on our St. Louis house (with screens) and it was magical and brought back many wonderful memories of Swiss summer evenings. Unfortunately, I anticipate it will be one of only a handful of days here where I do that.

What else do I miss? What else do I find strange about being back? Little silly things. Little silly things that add up to making a big difference in life.

I miss Zuri sacks. Zuri sacks were our ridiculously expensive trash bags that we had to use in Zurich. Instead of paying for a trash service, we paid per trash bag we used. They taught everyone to be good recyclers and taught me how to fill a trash bag to its maximum capacity before I threw it out. And let me just say those were STRONG trash bags. I only ripped one once (and you don't want to know what was inside as I was halfway outside our building as it ripped), but American trash bags I rip all the time as I find myself trying to fill them all the way up still before I take them out and they are not nearly as strong. Steve still has to remind me from time to time that we can throw it out before its completely full since it doesn't cost the $2.50 per bag that my Zuri sacks cost.

While shopping anywhere isn't always easy
with Emma, you can't deny Target is a pretty
cool place. Emma looks happy post-Target
shopping doesn't she?

And let me tell you about shopping carts. Those shopping carts at Target and the grocery store are large and unwieldy. I think I'm finally getting good at driving them again (along with getting better at driving my car again). But those first few months were strange. While a few Swiss stores did have shopping carts I never used them (and they were considerably smaller to begin with) since I always knew I had to be able to carry home whatever I bought and I didn't want to overbuy.


While I am getting used to driving a car regularly and putting Emma in a car seat when we go places everyday, I don't like it. I miss the public transportation and just keeping Emma in a stroller and not having to take her in and out of her car seat if we make several stops out shopping. While its not completely terrible to limit a meltdown to the confines of our car, I would trade a few of them if it meant I could keep Emma in her stroller everywhere and not fight her tantrums when she does not want to be buckled or sit down as I transition her back and forth from the car seat to a shopping cart.

However, on the positive side, I must admit I do enjoy being able to converse easily with people when we are out and about. I often forgot or disregarded how "quietly" I led my life while out by myself in Switzerland due to my lack of Swiss German. Its great to be able to easily ask a question about an item on a menu, or talk to the cashier at the store, or not have to tell another mom at the park that "I don't speak German well" when she tried to strike up a conversation at the swings (although let's admit that didn't happen often since the Swiss didn't go out of their way very often to start a conversation with a stranger).

I also realize now how much I enjoy living in a house where we control our hot water usage. While we lived in a nice apartment building in Zurich, it seemed that more times than not by late evening our hot water supply dwindled and when Emma had kept me from having a shower all day and I looked forward to finally getting a nice hot one in after her bedtime, it usually turned into an ice cold one. The other night I realized as I got into the shower at our house here at 10 pm that our water was still just as hot as it had been first thing that day, and it was amazing.

And on the positive side for both Europe and the states is food. In Switzerland I learned how much I appreciate fresh food and a more simpler, natural, from scratch approach to cooking. While here in the U.S. I must admit from time to time I appreciate knowing how many different types of grated cheese I can find in the store for when I'm short on time to prep a meal. Yet, I also miss knowing that the most inexpensive form of many foods in my Swiss grocery store "Coop" or "Migros" was of a much higher quality and I didn't have to stress about trying to read the label so closely to know what was really in the foods I was buying that I feel I must often do here.

It's impossible not to miss going on a hike like this as
a last minute Saturday afternoon plan...

While it's obvious that I miss so many of the BIG things... the Alps, the clean, safe Swiss city streets, the proximity to other European countries and the many trips that resulted from it... it's easy to underestimate these seemingly small and trivial things. Yet, the list could go on and on of these little things and they are truly what adds up to making your daily life so very different from place to place.


And while I miss so many things both big and small, I continue to get reacquainted to our U.S. lifestyle and things that I love about being here. While we continue to ponder what we want most with our life as a family of three in the states, day by day it starts to make a little more sense and I realize we will get there. We will continue to evolve and learn from our experiences, to make the most of our time, our friends, and our family, so that each day we can look back fondly on what we have done and where we have come from proudly, and look forward knowing that exciting days and experiences are ahead that will shape our lives and hopefully impact others around us for the better as well. I may no longer live in one of the "happiest," "safest," and "best quality of life" countries to live and raise a family. I hope I have at least brought back a few pieces of the puzzle with me to ensure I can live a life like that no matter where I am.

I will always be thankful for having these two together in St. Louis. Seriously, how could you not?