Happy New Year
Happy New Year - Frohes Neues Jahr
A New Year's Greeting to our friends and family - near and far.
Looking back on 2019 and the decade - I am trying so hard to summarize it - but I really cannot find words. We have had an amazing adventure thus far, filled with wonderful people, opportunities and memories. We have also had great loss, made mistakes and felt pain. However, no matter what has come our way, we have faced it, albeit at times wary of what was next - but we always pushed through to finish.
Perhaps the word that summarizes it all best: Change
Change is not always bad - except for climate change. There is nothing good about that... Climate Change lives deep and heavy in our hearts. As a family, we try to take major changes and smaller changes as well. We are constantly looking at the items we buy and think - if we can buy less or in a different manner. We have been purchasing more of our grocery needs from Zero-Waste stores. Our favorite is Chez Mamie at HB. (Sandrine, the owner is lovely and extremely helpful). We have also focused on the regional foods available to us, rather than reaching for something that maybe familiar, but the transport costs outweigh our need. We have also been giving things not needed and looking for things on the resell or free sites in Zürich. We are not 100% perfect - but if more folks did it imperfectly versus a few doing it perfectly - we would be a lot closer to solutions.
It is tempting to get on a cheap flight and jet around Europe since we are living in such a convenient location. But we have resisted. Our main form of travel inside Zurich is public transport.
When traveling outside of Switzerland - we have been able to mostly do so without a car. Even for an Austrian family wedding in September -we were able to find a hotel walking distance to the train station and rent a car for the actual celebration and still be without a car for 2 of the 3 days. We love the different countries train systems. Switzerland has an amazing system and we have slowly been exploring it - our 2020 plan is to expand our Swiss destinations.
And along those lines of travel and climate change... one big change in our spring plans. Initially, K was going to do half her senior year abroad and the other half at CHHS. We would all be traveling back and forth (quite a bit) and apart from M and Stephan for much of the year. K is really enjoying the school abroad, working hard on her German (20 hours a week) and plowing through her final 3 course requirements. She has decided to stay focused on the courses she is doing and return only for the final quarter. Which means she and I will only be in the US starting at the end of March and staying through graduation. 12 weeks instead of 6 months is a big difference.
Many factors came into play: separation from Stephan and M were the biggest. The idea of 6 months apart from them and away from our new home felt very unsettling. Less air travel back and forth to reduce our carbon footprint was another major player. 1 flight per family member vs the additional trips back and forth (reducing flights from 9 to 4).
K plans after graduation have also solidified since moving here. Though it was talked about - now she is confident in her decision. She is gearing up to spend next year (possibly 2) at the Universität Wien (University of Vienna) focused on her German. After that - well, the plans are not 100% set in stone - but it looks like continuing her education there is becoming more and more the plan.
So for our US friends and family - our time in the US will be brief in 2020 and we will try to connect - I will be up for walks and coffees as I make final decisions on the items we left behind (going to cram selling off items, donating and figuring out how to get a few items we forgot to take to Zürich - know anyone looking to buy a car in June? let me know! :)
To our Swiss friends - keep my spot at the Stammtisch warm.