It's our Swiss Anniversary

Today marks the one-year anniversary of living in our apartment! We actually arrived in Switzerland on July 29th, last year, but spent the longest week of my life in a hotel before the movers came with our stuff. So, today is the anniversary of when we offically started living in Switzerland.

We sure have done a lot in one year! I think we've all grown "up" and have become more brave and independent. We've pretty much learned a new language, we've made new friends, seen tons of new places, and had experiences I never imagined having. I've explored new career possibilites, while putting my "real" career on hold. I've spent more time with my kids, but have had less time to myself. I've taken language classes and online classes about writing and teaching. I've finally gotten over the shock of Zurich prices (but I still get a little nauseous at the checkout!). Jason has made a good name for himself at work, but we don't know if the company will be around long enough for that to really matter. I've taken up running and have hiked mountains and ridden more trains than I can count. The kids have become so worldly and have friends from all over the world. They enjoy learning new languages and have become more independent and willing to try new things. They have learned to go with the flow and are seasoned travelers. It's been a BIG year in many ways!

But, we do miss the good ol' U S of A. I haven't seen my friends in 8 months! It was nice having our families visit, but we miss them again now that they are gone. The kids often just want to go to Pattone's house, or Mamaw and Papaw's for dinner or head to Greenfield Village or the Hands-On Museum. I miss Target and Macy's and the Gap. I miss the variety and cheapness of eating out in the US. I will never mind paying $4 for a grande Carmel Marvel at Beaner's again after paying $7 for a small latte at Starbucks here or drinking the Swiss swill coffee. As much as I like not having yard work and a mortgage, I miss having a bigger house that I can decorate as I want. I miss being able to go out shopping after dinner or on Sundays. We all miss Maddy.

I have mixed feelings about our anniversary. I really love living here in many (most) ways, but the uncertainty of how long we'll be here puts a big gray cloud over that enjoyment. It's like walking on eggshells, just knowing that one of the eggs will crack at any minute, but not knowing when that moment will be. Every day, we wait to hear about the fate of the company and what that will mean for us. Do we have 1 month left here, 3, 6? Is there any chance that we'll make it to our 2nd anniversary? It's all up in the air! And, as a girl who likes to plan...this is not an easy thing.

So, we are cramming as much in as possible while we're here. That's why we've been traveling so much the last few months. I've been really trying to practice my German so I can take a proficiency test and be able to come home with a certificate that may allow me to teach German back home. That's why I've been trolling the real estate sites back home and weighing the options of buying vs. renting. I've been taking online courses so that I can jump back into teaching when we get sent home.

As much as I enjoy not working, I do miss it. Plus, I've been reading this book "The Price of Motherhood" by Ann Crittenden and it has me a bit freaked out about how much women give up (current and future earnings, societal appreciation, societal status) when we take time off from work to do the most important job of all: raising kids. The book has reminded me exactly why I decided to work half-time (at least) rather than quitting when the kids were born and why I'm on leave now instead of quitting. That's why I've signed up to be on the sub list at Aidan's school and why I'm trying my hand at a mini-career of writing. (It's really a good read for all moms, but I wish the men of the world would read it and "get it" too!)

So, happy anniversary to the Swiss Family Barnett! I'm looking forward to milking this thing for as long as we can, but also planning our move home in the back of my mind. I'm going to enjoy being a stay at home mom of kids in school and take some time for myself while I can get it. I've got a lot to look forward to until we're kicked out of CH: Vice President of the Parent's Association at the kids' school, starting to play tennis again, running a 5K next month, taking a pottery class, a few more vacations in the works, Erin coming to visit, subbing at the International School, seeing more of my articles printed in the magazine...these are the things I'm going to focus on now. The uncertainty of life will always be there, but I'm trying not to worry about what's next. We're all going to live in the here and now for a while. And right now, the here and now is Switzerland.