PROS AND CONS

On the whole, this place is amazing.  What an opportunity this is!  There are many things I love about Switzerland.  This is a safe country, and I love that the boys get to experience a couple of years that are much like life was when I was a kid...days are mostly focused on playing outside and hanging with their brothers and friends in the neighborhood.  It is a very safe city (all kids walk home from school), very family-centric and nature oriented.  Right up our alley!  I also love that we don't have a TV.  We haven't missed it a bit...except for Man vs. Wild...although I might have to buy a few episodes on iTunes to let the boys get some good ideas for our hikes through the Alps.  I feel like we have time to slow down here, and really enjoy our boys-exploring the outdoors, playing games with the kids (now that Luke is grasping strategy and competition-games are REALLY getting fun), reading chapter books out loud for entertainment, and avoiding the over-scheduling that seems to come naturally at home in the States.  


Things that are taking more of an adjustment: the language barrier.  It can be so frustrating to not be able to communicate with another person.  Not being able to read the pancake mix is not fun on a sleepy saturday morning with three-no, four-hungry boys.  The cost of living here is astronomical!  Swimming lessons alone are "crunching our bottom line", not to mention food, transportation, and parking (see previous posts).  And then, there's the grocery store.  I'm not a fan of the daily visits, and am still adjusting to the limited selection.  Hey, I absolutely think that America has some issues with consumerism, who needs 35 varieties of ANYTHING to choose from? But here, it's just the opposite...you get one, maybe two varieties of any given product to choose from.  And, produce is generally only seasonal, and oftentimes furry by the time you get it home...hence the daily trips to the store.  It has certainly changed my approach to cooking!  And finally, and most annoyingly, everything closes by 6:30 at night, and nothing is open on Sundays.  Or holidays.  Nothing.  It sure makes being organized and planning ahead a necessary habit to get into.  Looks like whatever procrastination my Mom couldn't convince me of avoiding, Switzerland will!