Random reflections after 1st Yr in Bern
Posted by Kristen on Aug 11, 2011 in Foreign Service, Switzerland | 2 comments
(the boys a yr ago when we arrived!)
It’s hard to believe but we have been in Bern just over a year. I remember the day like it was yesterday. We got to our new home, jet-lagged and adrenaline rushing for the new adventure. The house was empty, lacking the temporary furniture we had arranged for. We had our 8 suitcases and a packnplay…oh yes, and a curious toddler and an overtired, out of sorts 7 month old. We had made it through the weeks of chaos surrounding Seth’s German exam and our pack out. We had survivied the trip and now we were “home” .
Our social sponsor had picked up some basic groceries for us and made us a meal. She drove me around to different groceries stories and introduced me to our store just up the hill. We didn’t have our car for the first few months so my calves muscles quickly trimmed in the pursuit of groceries, laundry soap and entertainment for 2 little ones. The temporary furniture was delivered along with our small shipment of necessities. I did my best to settle the kids into a routine and get my barrings straight. Coming into this move I thought it would be a piece of cake, well, maybe not a piece of cake, but I anticipated it would be more “dessert-like” than Bogota. Bogota was not a bad post but there were safety restrictions and other factors while we were there that made life more complicated than I had hoped. Especially with a small child.
The first week rolled into the second here and the weeks into months and I woke each morning with the goal of “getting us settled”. I soon realized this was taking longer than I had hoped. Logistically speaking everything went smoothly and all of the ducks were in a row. We had been super organized and I had made lots of contacts before coming. I could be organized and line the ducks up but I couldn’t write the script of our time in Bern. Our first year has been one of discovering so many new things about the culture and beauty of Switzerland. I can honestly say looking back that I have had more culture shock here than I had in Bogota. I naively thought being in Europe would mean that things would feel much more like what we were accustomed to. Instead, we have found the Swiss to be unique in their social interactions and privacy. We are even still often baffled as we try to navigate the social climate here. And while in Bogota we could rely on the Embassy community for our social outlet we quickly discovered that Bern, in addition to be a small post with less people, is generally more disconnected socially. Who needs social events when you have the Alps’ to hike and all of Europe out your back door? A year in we have made some friends and have settled into a routine. I have discovered that some people who have done the Foreign Service/Expat life are able to jump into friendships because they know they can’t waste time and others have been weathered by the coming and goings and enter into friendship with great reserve. As a second tour family I think we are still finding a balance with this. I am typically one to invest deeply and with little reserve but I find myself feeling more reserved here. I often long for social settings back home when I didn’t come home exhausted from navigating the cultural stuff. Building new friendships every couple of years feels a bit like a full time job and takes so much energy!
We have seen amazing beauty in the mountains and scenery here. The views are breathtaking. We have thoroughly enjoyed having a river and woods so close by. I never knew that little boys have an intrinsic need to throw rocks into water and collect sticks. Switzerland has been great for our boys in providing them the great outdoors! Spiders galore! Although restaurants are not kid-friendly there are many parks and wide open spaces to run!
Our boys have grown and matured so much this year. I will remember our first yr in Bern as a season of getting to know Owen’s sense of humor, watching learning to walk, talk and really become an active little family member. And I will remember watching Jackson navigate a new country, school and friends. I will remember hearing him miss his home that he knew but still waking up each day enthusiastically asking me who we would meet and where we would go. He has taught me a lot about making the most of it. He never stops!
We have had the priviledge of hosting so many friends and family in Swiss Chalet Kolb. Visits from friends and family get us out to explore new areas of Switzerland. They also give us an excuse to have lots of fondue and chocolate! If my math is correct by the end of September we will have hosted 24 people in our home (not counting the repeats of visitors from germany :)) this year to stay and many more local people for dinners, etc. The guesthouse is hoppin! October begins off season around here. We will have some time to catch our breath focus on keeping up with 2 on the go boys!
At the end of the day as much as this is an amazing place to live, it really is just normal everyday life as I have said before. We have pediatrician appointments, lots of rainy days, run out of milk and bread kind of days just like you do in your home. Being in Switzerland isn’t all postcards and pots of fondue. We feel blessed with the opportunity to be here and we have enjoyed sharing it with all of you via visits and the blog.
With less than a year left I can feel the months beginning to fly by. We are making the most of our time here and enjoying as much chocolate and fondue to last a lifetime doing Gillian’s 30 day shred to make sure we don’t come home 30 lbs heavier!
whew, if you made it through this reflection post you are none the wiser! The title warned you it was random!
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