Letters From Switzerland: The Scribblings of a Corporate Dropout

The Swiss Trains are really amazing and are a treat to travel with. They are very punctual and very comfortable. In many trains there is a dining car, with a waiter or waitress, serving drinks and light meals. If you are traveling somewhere, it is nice to take a break and enjoy some moments in the dining car. It really breaks up the trip.

Yesterday we traveled to Bern, Zurich to the German consulate. The train ride home to Zurich takes about 1 hour. We started the trip with a coffee in the dining car. After enjoying that, we found a seat which looks something like a small, curved sofa with a table next to it. We relaxed on the sofa, and nearly fell asleep. Before we realized it we were in Zurich.

Before you think otherwise, we do not travel first class, we travel economy. Stress-free travel is such a luxury that most people probably just take for granted. But many things in this country are simply amazing.

We are watching the US Emmy awards, and the strange thing is that we know very little about what they are talking about. Oscar awards are easy to follow, because movies are international. But it is strange to watch the Emmys because the TV shows that are being discussed, shows such as Grays Anatomy, American Idol, Desperate Housewives, we have never seen. Not even once.

On the other hand, I doubt we are missing very much.

What is the worst part about living abroad? Doing official, difficult stuff and trying to struggle through in cultures and languages that are not your own. Getting accounting help, assistance with tax issues, going to a doctor, etc are never fun. But it is much harder to deal with difficult issues in a foreign country. While I speak German well, there are some things you naturally prefer to discuss in your own language. Usually, you can find someone to help you, but it may be more expensive. But more importantly, you do not want to choose your doctor based on language skills.

We did it! We watched the weather reports for the Tessin region almost daily and a couple of days ago we found a patch of good weather. We called the Swiss Diamond Hotel, just outside of Lugano. The Swiss Diamond had made an interesting offer on their website that included an upgrade to a lake view room upon availability. To be sure we would get a nicer room, we called to ask if they had enough vacancies. The answer was yes. We booked our room online and headed for the train station. By 11:30 am we arrived! Only three hours to paradise.

Such a treat! The Tessin, the Italian province of Switzerland, seems worlds away from the German part of Switzerland. The culture and climate are so different it is hard to believe that they are in the same country. In German Switzerland, people are more reserved and the culture is more structured. But in the Italian part of Switzerland, there is a feeling of freedom and relaxation. Everything reflects the differences, including the landscaping and the architecture. The weather, as promised, was perfect and it was the ideal way to wrap up a wonderful summer.

While staying at the Swiss Diamond, we took a walk into the nearby village of Morcote. Isn’t it funny, how the best experiences are almost always accidental? We hadn’t done our homework well, so we did not really realize how beautiful Morcote would be. Naturally we had heard about it, but it was more charming than we expected. The city is old and well preserved with pretty arcades, filled with nice restaurants. It is a short 15 minute walk from the Swiss Diamond hotel. A visit is highly recommended if you are coming to Lugano, as it is only a 15 minute drive.

The Swiss Diamond is a charming, 5 star quality hotel, though not without its flaws. We have described it in detail in our TravelsWise website. To read the review Click Here.

The neighborhood where we currently live in Zurich, like many neighborhoods around the world, had a community fair yesterday. There were many little stands where local people and companies sold and displayed items such as pastries, antiques, clothes and things that they made. In addition there were stands that sold traditional food. Some types of foods for sale included Raclette, which is melted cheese and vegetables, crepes, which is pancakes with different fillings, as well as traditional grilled sausages. In addition, there were all kinds of activities for the children such as face painting, pony rides and dance exhibitions. It is interesting to feel like a foreigner in a community and yet to experience such a day. It gives you a moment to see inside the culture and to feel, for just a moment, like you are somehow part of it.

Found a nice toy which plots the countries you have visited. This shows that I have seen quite a bit of the Northern Hemisphere, but nothing of the Southern Hemisphere. Hope to correct that one day.



create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

Last night was beautiful. My wife and I took a walk to Bauschaenzli, one of our favourite ‘restaurants’ in Zurich. (To see other restaurant recommendations for Zurich, click here)I use the quotes, because some might not even consider it a restaurant, since the food is self serve and very simple. We typically get sausage and beer, a traditional Germanic treat.

It is a very special little place, built on an island where the Limmat river meets the lake of Zurich. Open only in the summer, on a warm evening it is delightful. If you are lucky you will get a table near the water and have one of the best views of Zurich. From there you have a close up of the Quaibrücke, the bridge that crosses the Limmat nearest to the lake, and the lake itself. The lights on the bridge are very romantic and highlight the beauty. The swans in the lake are like out of a dream and give the lake life and grace. In the evenings, there is usually live music, typically from the 50’s or 60’s; usually waltz, swing, foxtrot and other styles that we do not know. But the older set dance, couple style. It always feels like such a treat to enjoy this special atmosphere. We know that summer will soon be over and we will have to say goodbye to this spot for nine months.

Such a nice day! Already at the beginning of August it seemed to be getting cold. Summer seemed to be over. But today it is beautiful outside and I do not feel like working! I have no boss watching over me telling me I have to work. So, sometimes we take a break, go for a walk and enjoy a few hours of sun. Overall, we work much harder than we would if we had a regular 9-5 job. But I have the flexibility that I never had before. If the weather is particularly nice, we can even take a few days off and travel. In fact, we want to make our third trip to the Tessin sometime in the next weeks and we are watching the weather and looking for our chance. The Tessin is so beautiful. It has a feel and charm of Italy, but it is still in Switzerland. Only three hours away from Zurich by direct train. As long as we have access to internet, we can work from anywhere. Life is good.

My objective for this blog is to give others an idea of the life of a hard-core Expat. Expat, according to Wikipedia, is "someone temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of their upbringing or legal residence".

When I started out, I thought it was temporary. I thought I would live abroad for one or maybe two years. Now, it sure seems like it might be a permanent thing. In fact, somewhere in the middle, in the late 1990's, I returned to the USA for two years. I had a corporate job in New Jersey and hated it. I constantly dreamed about returning to Europe: enjoying a coffee is a sunny European cafe or jetting off to the Greek Islands or Paris whenever the urge called. So, when a job offer bekoned me back to Europe I jumped at it; eventhough it meant taking a vicious pay-cut (salaries over here are not the same as salaries in the USA). When that company reorganized and relocated, I had a tough decision to make. Do I return to the USA, to a corporate job and a life that is not meant for me? Or do I strike out on my own?

I tried to find a job in Europe, but it didnt work out. Either I didnt have the right work permit or I didnt speak the right languages or I wasn't the age range they were looking for (in Europe Ageism is not yet politically incorrect. Job profiles frequent state prefered age of the candidate).

So, I created my own company. With the company, I was granted a couple of residency permits. First I got a residency permit in The Netherlands, where I was located when my last company reorganized. Then for a variety of reasons (maybe I will tell you later) we moved it to Switzerland. Here we are now, trying to make the company a success. And it is successful! Sort of succeessful, almost successful, marginally successful. But we have our dreams, hopes and plans. And for now, it gives us the hope that we can stay here for the long run.

Some would consider me blessed, other perhaps insane. Either way, I am certainly taking the "path less followed". I left my home country and my corporate job and have been living a kind of fantasy life since then. I live, for now, in beautiful Switzerland. I just turned fifty. I don't own a house, a car, an entertainment center. Yet in many ways I am richer than most people that I know. I feel like my life is a holiday every day of the year.

What do I have? A wonderful wife, who loves me and is my partner in my life and business. Our small company, that is growning but does not quite support us financially. A few dollars saved for a 'retirement' or emergency that I hope will never come. And the opportunity to decide on a daily basis, what I will do for that day. Do I want to work? Do I want to write? Do I want to travel? Every morning, I wake up and make this decision. This blog will record the life of a modern day Peter Pan and his journey down the path less followed.