Why I Created A New Resource Website For Expats in Switzerland

Let’s start by admitting that moving to a foreign country was WAY harder than my daydreams led me to believe. Of course I envisioned the long European coffee dates and strolling around the adorable downtown of Zürich. I pictured becoming an amazing skiier and breezing through the Swiss Alps and, let’s be honest, I imagined I would eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.

Then reality hit. Everything I knew and loved and defined myself by was no longer there. In America, I understood how to take a book out of the library, how to call a doctor when I was sick, how to check my bank account online and how to find the bleach at a grocery store. Luckily, there were websites and social groups to help me answer those frantic “I’m-obviously-new-around-here” questions here in my new hometown in Switz.

But then, I started getting greedy and asking for more. How do I volunteer for a non-profit organization? Where do I find a triathlon club to train with? Maybe I want to pursue a new career path – where can I go back to school? Well, that proved quite a bit trickier to find those answers. Half were in German, natives had no idea how a non-native would approach these things, and most Expats hadn’t found an answer themselves to be able to give advice to the new ones.

The truth is, no place existed that had those deeper answers. Yes, I need to adjust to my life here, but I also need to live here like I live here and not just like I’m a short-term visitor here. Expats have trouble here in Switzerland, integrating into daily life. They often suffer depression and anxiety plus expat wives are the #1 reason expat husbands return home before their international assignment is complete. I’m not blaming or judging, I’m looking at facts. What can we do to make ourselves happy here? What is missing that we had in our previous lives?

And that’s the problem that GettingBusy.ch solves. We’re not just a social meetup that keeps you busy on a Tuesday night. We’re a bunch of problem solvers who help you find out how to pursue your passion here in Switzerland and make the most out of your life here every day. Love your life! Wake up excited because you are in control and know how to look for a job, find an organization to volunteer with, or coach a children’s sports team. The possibilities are endless once you have the resources and know where to start looking.

Here’s my welcome letter I have on the website that explains a bit more:
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“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

 A big hello to all my fellow English-speaking expats in Switzerland!

I’m so glad you’re here. No, really! You see, we have a special bond that nobody else in the world can truly understand. Nobody else will laugh quite as hard about a cow joke as we will nor will they understand how frustrating it is to be just 30 seconds late and face all those disapproving glances.

I know, it’s not easy to move to a new place, not knowing the culture or the language or having many friends. But while the road is challenging, we can all support each other as we grow, both personally and professionally.

I created this website because, when I moved to Zurich in July 2011, it was tough to find information for many of the basic questions that I had. Of course there are tons of resources out there for how to pick a school for your kids or learn the cultural norms of the Swiss or figure out what the word for broccoli is in the local language. There were also networking and meetup events that provided fun entertainment for an evening, but no sustainable ideas of how to fill my time with something that left me satisfied. I think it is critical to happiness and integration in a new place to find activities that fill your time and fill your soul while you’re here. You want to wake up every morning excited and energized about what you’re doing.

So, I hope this website helps you in your search. If you have any ideas or would like to see anything new here, or even if you just want to say hello, email me at Lisa@gettingbusy.ch.

Thanks for sharing this beautiful country with me,

Lisa

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People asked me why I made the website. I just made this to help other people in need (remember my 2012 New Year’s Goal). Simple as that. Want to inspire people with your good deeds? Leave a comment below and tell thousands of other readers what good you’re doing in the world!

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Radio Silence Means I’m Intently Studying My German!

That’s right, folks, I’m back in my grueling routine of 4 hours of intense German classes every day. It’s my fault, really, for having taken so many breaks and then lackadaisically hopping back into the German routine pretending like it would be easy to catch up after months of not practicing. Weird that learning a foreign language isn’t like riding a bike. I mean, I didn’t ride a bike for 10 years and it was no problem to hop back on one in Copenhagen. So, German, why don’t you make sense to me???? I think my husband summed it up best when he posted this on my Facebook wall:

Reflections During My Honeymoon = Big Changes For This Blog!

Ok, so you guys know I just spent a month on my fantabulous honeymoon. (sneak peak picture included!)

In between the action adventure, hiking, sleeping, sleeping some more, seeing 10,000 viking museums, and eating burgers, we also had almost a full month of no distractions. That means I was provided with tons and tons (and tons) of free time to blabber on (and on and on) to Florian about all of my feelings and reflections about living here for the last year. So, prepare yourselves for a super deep blog post! I’m not sure if my ramblings will be quite coherent enough to explain what I discovered, but what the hell, I’ll take a shot at elaborating. They all tie together and are sort of stepping stones on each other, and they’re all pretty private revelations so you’re getting to peel another layer of my onion (did that sound creepy??).

1. Florian unconditionally loves me. This was the hardest revelation to come by and obviously the most important. I always thought in any relationship you had to make sure you were offering the other person enough that they liked you and wanted to stay with you. When you hear people break up, they give you reasons about what the other person didn’t do enough of (ie, not giving enough support, not pitching in their fair share of chores, whatever). And, sidenote, of course I knew Florian loved me, I wouldn’t have married him otherwise!!!, but of course it’s hard to trust in unconditional love between a married couple because you so rarely see it in America. But something further and deeper came from this trip. Florian doesn’t care if I work or don’t work. He doesn’t care if I cook or clean or ever learn to iron. He doesn’t care if I put on makeup (frankly, he probably doesn’t even care if I shower that often). He doesn’t love me because I do X or Y for him. He loves me because he loves me and he wants me to be happy. In fact, all he’s done this whole year is try to find ways to make me happy. And all I’ve done this year is be miserable thinking I’m not giving him enough. Turns out, if I just stop being miserable, that’s enough for him. Because he really, really loves me.
2. Switzerland is a magnificent and wonderful place: I had a bit of a rough transition, which of course got better with time and patience, but after this honeymoon I really feel different about my new home. I used to hate living outside of the city but now I am really enjoying the quiet and the nature I’m in. The simple beauty of the land here just makes me smile when I look around. And I have come to embrace the anonymity that Switzerland provides. I can do what makes me happy and not constantly have to worry about the pressures I felt in America. 
3. I don’t love Marketing: Stupid thing for someone to say who built a career in Marketing. I always thought I loved it! But being so far removed from America has helped to realize what I really loved about it (and it’s hard to admit because it makes me sound like a jerk). I loved having an important job, working for an important company, being recognized for being smart enough to have an important job and an important company. It didn’t hurt that I made above-average salaries and got treated to fancy dinners and special parties and events. And I loved the fun strategy sessions, the brainpower to come up with creative solutions. But the office politics? The finger-pointing? The constantly covering your ass? No thanks. And unfortunately, that’s what Marketing jobs entail in reality.
4. I’ve been so upset/mad/sad about not finding a job because I took it as a personal reflection that the Swiss didn’t think I was important, smart, or worthy: which is and it isn’t true. The thing is, the Swiss don’t believe in coddling everyone and telling them how great and special they are. I felt so special in America because so many people patted me on the back all the time for doing simple things. I had to get over so many of my narcissistic tendencies I learned from being a Gen Y American to realize that everyone doesn’t need to constantly tell me I’m special and great to have any self esteem. Leading to realization #3…
5. I often do things that I think are praiseworthy/I don’t know how to enjoy something just because I enjoy it: when I moved to Switzerland, everyone told me it would be great to have so much free time to spend on my hobbies. Er, except I didn’t have any hobbies. I worked obsessively, took training and educational classes – those were the kinds of hobbies I had. The ones that made me look great on my resume. I hadn’t ever had a specific hobby as an adult which had intrinsic value to me that I enjoyed doing it just because I enjoyed it. I didn’t bike or run or race cars or build tables or make craft things.  I never took the time to really learn to surf, or knit, or play tennis, or cook because I never saw the strategic value in them. I didn’t want to invest precious time and energy in items that didn’t further me in some way. Hence not having a hobby, and hence feeling completely let down when I relied so much on the praise of others and when that praise didn’t flow freely in Switzerland. 
6. Now that I know all of this about myself, I don’t have to be this way anymore: I think really, for the first time, I will look at my future lifestyle and hobbies not just as something else I can be good at, but something fun I can do to enjoy life. Florian and I were bike riding in Copenhagen and I LOVED it! Now I’m super stoked to get a bike and just casually bike down to the lake. I don’t have to be competitive, join racing teams, or anything. Just simply enjoy the weather and the wind in my hair. And when you see me cook I’m SO much less stressed now. I mean, it’s such a relief to not pressure myself into thinking I should be Julia Child when I’m first learning how to poach an egg or something. 
7. I don’t have to define myself in the same ways that I used to in America: I let my work and talents define me in America. Here, I’m free to be me) ironic since America is the land of the free!). But that was also part of what was so scary in this transition – who am I if I’m not the good worker, the loud mouth, the confident girl, etc. Here, I don’t have to have a tidy description of “housewife” or “American” or anything. I am “Lisa”. And I like having a working definition of what that means instead of a concise and concrete definition. I want to define myself as more than a housewife. I want my blog to reflect the same. 
8. I want to always live the honeymoon life: Florian and I had an amazing, spectacular, wonderful, mind-blowing honeymoon together. We spent 24/7 together for 4 weeks and didn’t get annoyed or sick of each other. We cuddled and snuggled and gave each other kisses and held hands and talked about how much we loved our family. We talked about how great the family business is and how I might start my own business in the future. We remembered the natural beauty of Switzerland and were awed by the amazing beauty of Scandinavia. I know people say the honeymoon phase in a relationship doesn’t last but I really want it to!!!! I’ve never been happier in my entire life.

And that is now the focus of my life. How to appreciate and love what I have, and strive to live the honeymoon life always. Okay, okay, let’s be honest, I’m already living the honeymoon life! I just have to figure out how to maintain it 😉

With that said, I am happy to announce that I’m going to be officially changing my blog name to The Honeymoon Life! 

You can follow me at http://thehoneymoonlife.blogspot.com/. And please don’t forget to add my new blog to your RSS feeds and blog follow lists (like Bloglovin’). I know it’s a pain to make the extra effort and I appreciate that you’re so interested 🙂

Reflections During My Honeymoon = Big Changes For This Blog!

Ok, so you guys know I just spent a month on my fantabulous honeymoon. (sneak peak picture included!)

In between the action adventure, hiking, sleeping, sleeping some more, seeing 10,000 viking museums, and eating burgers, we also had almost a full month of no distractions. That means I was provided with tons and tons (and tons) of free time to blabber on (and on and on) to Florian about all of my feelings and reflections about living here for the last year. So, prepare yourselves for a super deep blog post! I’m not sure if my ramblings will be quite coherent enough to explain what I discovered, but what the hell, I’ll take a shot at elaborating. They all tie together and are sort of stepping stones on each other, and they’re all pretty private revelations so you’re getting to peel another layer of my onion (did that sound creepy??).

1. Florian unconditionally loves me. This was the hardest revelation to come by and obviously the most important. I always thought in any relationship you had to make sure you were offering the other person enough that they liked you and wanted to stay with you. When you hear people break up, they give you reasons about what the other person didn’t do enough of (ie, not giving enough support, not pitching in their fair share of chores, whatever). And, sidenote, of course I knew Florian loved me, I wouldn’t have married him otherwise!!!, but of course it’s hard to trust in unconditional love between a married couple because you so rarely see it in America. But something further and deeper came from this trip. Florian doesn’t care if I work or don’t work. He doesn’t care if I cook or clean or ever learn to iron. He doesn’t care if I put on makeup (frankly, he probably doesn’t even care if I shower that often). He doesn’t love me because I do X or Y for him. He loves me because he loves me and he wants me to be happy. In fact, all he’s done this whole year is try to find ways to make me happy. And all I’ve done this year is be miserable thinking I’m not giving him enough. Turns out, if I just stop being miserable, that’s enough for him. Because he really, really loves me.
2. Switzerland is a magnificent and wonderful place: I had a bit of a rough transition, which of course got better with time and patience, but after this honeymoon I really feel different about my new home. I used to hate living outside of the city but now I am really enjoying the quiet and the nature I’m in. The simple beauty of the land here just makes me smile when I look around. And I have come to embrace the anonymity that Switzerland provides. I can do what makes me happy and not constantly have to worry about the pressures I felt in America. 
3. I don’t love Marketing: Stupid thing for someone to say who built a career in Marketing. I always thought I loved it! But being so far removed from America has helped to realize what I really loved about it (and it’s hard to admit because it makes me sound like a jerk). I loved having an important job, working for an important company, being recognized for being smart enough to have an important job and an important company. It didn’t hurt that I made above-average salaries and got treated to fancy dinners and special parties and events. And I loved the fun strategy sessions, the brainpower to come up with creative solutions. But the office politics? The finger-pointing? The constantly covering your ass? No thanks. And unfortunately, that’s what Marketing jobs entail in reality.
4. I’ve been so upset/mad/sad about not finding a job because I took it as a personal reflection that the Swiss didn’t think I was important, smart, or worthy: which is and it isn’t true. The thing is, the Swiss don’t believe in coddling everyone and telling them how great and special they are. I felt so special in America because so many people patted me on the back all the time for doing simple things. I had to get over so many of my narcissistic tendencies I learned from being a Gen Y American to realize that everyone doesn’t need to constantly tell me I’m special and great to have any self esteem. Leading to realization #3…
5. I often do things that I think are praiseworthy/I don’t know how to enjoy something just because I enjoy it: when I moved to Switzerland, everyone told me it would be great to have so much free time to spend on my hobbies. Er, except I didn’t have any hobbies. I worked obsessively, took training and educational classes – those were the kinds of hobbies I had. The ones that made me look great on my resume. I hadn’t ever had a specific hobby as an adult which had intrinsic value to me that I enjoyed doing it just because I enjoyed it. I didn’t bike or run or race cars or build tables or make craft things.  I never took the time to really learn to surf, or knit, or play tennis, or cook because I never saw the strategic value in them. I didn’t want to invest precious time and energy in items that didn’t further me in some way. Hence not having a hobby, and hence feeling completely let down when I relied so much on the praise of others and when that praise didn’t flow freely in Switzerland. 
6. Now that I know all of this about myself, I don’t have to be this way anymore: I think really, for the first time, I will look at my future lifestyle and hobbies not just as something else I can be good at, but something fun I can do to enjoy life. Florian and I were bike riding in Copenhagen and I LOVED it! Now I’m super stoked to get a bike and just casually bike down to the lake. I don’t have to be competitive, join racing teams, or anything. Just simply enjoy the weather and the wind in my hair. And when you see me cook I’m SO much less stressed now. I mean, it’s such a relief to not pressure myself into thinking I should be Julia Child when I’m first learning how to poach an egg or something. 
7. I don’t have to define myself in the same ways that I used to in America: I let my work and talents define me in America. Here, I’m free to be me) ironic since America is the land of the free!). But that was also part of what was so scary in this transition – who am I if I’m not the good worker, the loud mouth, the confident girl, etc. Here, I don’t have to have a tidy description of “housewife” or “American” or anything. I am “Lisa”. And I like having a working definition of what that means instead of a concise and concrete definition. I want to define myself as more than a housewife. I want my blog to reflect the same. 
8. I want to always live the honeymoon life: Florian and I had an amazing, spectacular, wonderful, mind-blowing honeymoon together. We spent 24/7 together for 4 weeks and didn’t get annoyed or sick of each other. We cuddled and snuggled and gave each other kisses and held hands and talked about how much we loved our family. We talked about how great the family business is and how I might start my own business in the future. We remembered the natural beauty of Switzerland and were awed by the amazing beauty of Scandinavia. I know people say the honeymoon phase in a relationship doesn’t last but I really want it to!!!! I’ve never been happier in my entire life.

And that is now the focus of my life. How to appreciate and love what I have, and strive to live the honeymoon life always. Okay, okay, let’s be honest, I’m already living the honeymoon life! I just have to figure out how to maintain it 😉

With that said, I am happy to announce that I’m going to be officially changing my blog name to The Honeymoon Life! 

You can follow me at http://thehoneymoonlife.blogspot.com/. And please don’t forget to add my new blog to your RSS feeds and blog follow lists (like Bloglovin’). I know it’s a pain to make the extra effort and I appreciate that you’re so interested 🙂