Guest Post: 5 Great Things About Being an Expat in Switzerland

by Chantal Panozzo

In honor of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I’d like to talk about some stuff that’s pretty great about being an expat in Switzerland.

1. The Swiss know how to integrate nature with city life. This means a hiking trail is never more than 5-10 minutes away from just about anywhere. I love that. Now if I could just hike faster than the retirees, everything would be perfect.

2. The country is beautiful. I mean come on, even the garbage cans shine. You just don’t see this kind of thing in other countries. Not to mention the lakes that are so clean you can swim in them. Even the dogs here smell nice. Oh, and my gutter is so shiny from my neighbor’s gardening boot camp that I can drink out of it. Talk about a beautiful life.
   

3. You don’t need a car. The train connects to the bus that connects to the cable car that connects to that perfect little mountain restaurant in the middle of nowhere where people are having an energy drink and a bio yogurt. Just don’t get used to it or you’ll find yourself in other countries completely pissed as to why you can’t get to that little farming town of 500 via public transport.

4. Location, location, location. Central Europe. You’re in it. I’ve seen most of Europe now, and I love revisiting the places I’ve been again and again. Because then instead of coming to a city all American style with a checklist of things to see, I let the cities come to me.

5. Nice work, if you can get it. Those of us that have jobs (or used to have jobs—but don’t worry, unemployment pays too) know that Swiss salaries are good. When you can make as much money at a part-time job that you made working full-time in the States, well, let’s just say it’s going to be hard to leave.

Chantal Panozzo is a writer and blogger. Besides keeping her own blogs, One Big Yodel and Writer Abroad, she also blogs for a new expat community blog. This blog offers affordable calling cards in Switzerland as well as information about living abroad in Switzerland and many other countries.