Playground Party

We've got such great neighbors here! Last night, all of the ex-pats that live in our apartment complex got together for an "apero", which is a Swiss word for something like a happy hour. My Australian friend and I were talking about how nice it would be for all the families to meet earlier this week, so she decided to put notes in everyone's mailboxes to meet at the playground on Friday.

It was such an international mix! We represented the US and the other families were from, Australia, Argentina, Sweden/Spain, Austria, and Norway. Everyone who came spoke English, but there were lots of mini-conversations going on in multiple languages. The kids, who ranged in age from 5 months to 7th grade, all got along really well and had tons of fun playing together. We all ordered pizza from the local restaurant and brought our own drinks and snacks and chairs.

It was amazing to find out how many countries these people have lived in! We are the only ones to have come directly from their home country. The Norwegians just spent 3 years in China; the Swedish/Spanish family had lived here previously, in the US, then most recently in Spain; the Austrians lived in Boston for a few years; the Aussies lived in the UK and traveled extensively in the US, and the Argentinians have lived in Italy and London. I can't believe how many languages they speak too! The Swedish/Spanish family speak 4 languages fluently!

It was just such a nice night. It wasn't the same as being with people I've known for so long, but it was a good step towards making Switzerland feel like home right now.