Stina Auer: Almost one month

So time flies, we've already made that clear. Almost one month has gone since I came here and the most common question I get is; "are you happy"?
But you know what, I hardly have time to think about my own happiness with a small toddler around having as much energy, curiosity and serenity as life itself. I mean, of course I'm happy most of the times, something else would obviously occupy my time enormous. There's nothing more time consuming than being unhappy and depressed about whatever it is in life. I've learned to be very active in my own happiness and to changes myself, my life, my mind and thoughts or whatever the reason is when feeling so. No one will turn a bad feeling around, unless yourself. Perhaps that's also why I seldom regret things, because at the time, it was probably exactly what I wanted.

I see this as an adventure, one wonderful opportunity to live in two different countries and explore and use the best of both worlds. Sweden has so many things I love. My family and dear friends most of all, but also my career and my work over there which I gave a good couple of long years to develop, indulge and love. Sweden is so much more family friendly and so far beyond when it comes to fathers combining a well going career with fatherhood and mothers are being allowed to stay home for a proper amount of time with the child and still have her job waiting for her when she decides to return. ?That's something Switzerland should be very ashamed over, both concerning men and women. It's absurd to see how three month babies are put to some kind of "kindergarden" just because of the fact that mothers, in best cases, have about 6w-3month of motherhood and the fathers non. A lot of the mothers I meet here are stay at home wives/mothers for the simple fact that It was impossible to combine motherhood and job.

I've never liked the Swedish weather very much and I'm allergic to rain. In fact, weather and nature wise I am more attractive to everything not Swedish, like lushy green nature with palm trees, never ending sun and long beaches. Not even Switzerland can offer me that unfortunately, but Switzerland has somewhat milder temperatures which I appreciate.
I like the more present international feeling I have here and how the city is build more pretty and thought through in a architectural way which looks more residential. People is less "over-the-top" trendy here and not everyone wants to be seen and noticed as in Stockholm - it's very refreshing. What I do notice here it some sort of segregation between absolute "no sense of fashion what-so-ever" and a much more high end, elegance which I love to adore. Classy has got a new term since I came here. It's very appealing and very inspiring to see the real fashion, the more classical and timeless way of dressing walking the streets.
Not to talk about the shopping! I mean we have almost all the important brands here in Zurich and although I can't walk around shopping all day, it's fun to know that I can if I want. Just window shopping is fun here and also for the fact that I always find a new store, restaurant, art gallery, flower shop etc I'd like to visit.

The hard things is the language though, you would think that everyone is as fluent in English as in Sweden, but as soon as you come to a less international store, like the supermarket, people has extremely little knowledge in English and making myself understood is sometimes very hard and in the end very frustrating. I was trying to find coconut milk the other day and tried with body language and English make them understand, but absolute no response. They took me to baby milk and by then, I just gave up. The Schweizer-dutsch is also quite far from German which normally would be easier to understand for ?a Swedish person.
It's also a lot of rules here which drives me a bit insane sometimes, the country itself is more "square" if you know what I mean, but in the same way, Sweden also has its personality, both good and bad.

But as an conclusion so far, I like it. It makes me grow as a person to do this journey and you need to dare more in all aspects of life to melt in, see all the positive things and live in a different country. I've made some new friends which is of large importance and finding myself around pretty good I have to say, both with car but mostly by walking or with the excellent tram system.
As soon as we're more settled in with the new apartment and so, I hope we will find time to go up more in the mountains, renting a nice Chalet and have some time for some wonderful skiing in the magnificent nature. I would also love for M and me to be able to take mini weekends to Milano, Paris, Como and other places that are as close as some hours in car. Another great thing with living in the smack middle of Europe.

And when we now found a very kind Nanny for Alexis a couple of hours per week, I'm sure that M and me will also explore more of the evening and night life in Zurich that both haven't had the time to enjoy due to the fact that he is working so much and I'm with Alexis.

So, a little "so-far" conclusion in the end of October.

Have a great weekend!

(at hotel Baur Au Lac)

Source: http://awomanalifeablog.blogspot.com/2012/10/almost-one-month.html

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