One of my rituals in Chicago was to get a Starbucks – usually every day. I would always get the same thing – soy chai latte. Made my day, every time. When we first moved here, I was really nervous about the things I would have to give up. I didn’t know what to expect except that everything in Zurich was expensive. Well, thank the Lord, there is a Starbucks on my way to the train station every morning, and even better – the soy chai latte tastes exactly the same. It’s amazing what a difference having that drink makes.
The other day I came home from work very sleepy. I was ready to sit on my rear the rest of the night, and I flipped on the TV to toggle between the only 3 English, British channels we have at our disposal. I noticed, though, that the stations had changed. They weren’t at their original positions. So I kept scrolling higher and higher and noticed the channel count had also increased. Finally, I reached the first station which was showing some lame British comedy show (I hate British humor) and I kept going. I started to realize, however, that the English channel count was now growing. Not just 3, but, wait…10! 10 English channels! And even, better, two of them were American – one even featuring the Simpsons! Hallelujah!
I never even used to like the Simpsons, but just to hear American accents was enough to put me in a great mood.
The next day at the office, we had a casual office meeting, and HR purchased a bunch of pizza. Well, I am not going to say that the pizza here is as good as in Chicago – that would just be silly. But it was really tasty, and I ate about 5 pieces like a pig. It had been 31 days at that point since I had had remotely yummy pizza, so I was exceptionally excited. I was even able to bring some home for Tony and I didn’t mind the silly looks I got – “Of course, an American and her pizza” – I know what those Swiss were thinking.
I have been missing home more lately, so these two small things made me feel very warm and fuzzy, and not as lonesome.
On Monday, after I experienced my first snowman explosion, I walked around taking in the smells and sights, even partaking in the eating of sausage. Tuesday morning I woke up to the horrible news of the Boston marathon. I thought of the night before, big crowd, big explosion, but it was a much more peaceful and warm celebration. I was thankful for that, knowing that there are places in the world that can celebrate without the threat of terror. But then again, the amazing and joyous cheers the Boston police force received on Friday/Saturday might not have happened here. It was a great reminder of what it means to be an American, and I felt proud.
Today, Tony and I met some new friends for lunch and then for coffee. The smell of the restaurant, the foreign language, the ability to walk across a lovely lake and view the Alps in the background – I loved the feeling of just being here, being European, living a European lifestyle. And it felt even better to start making friends.
One of the things I am learning while being in Zurich, aside from patience (we are still living in pretty small quarters for the time being) is to appreciate the small things. Tony was pointing that out to me this week, that he loves how people here can just sit in the park all day and that is the best thing in the world to them. For me, tasting a yummy sausage for the first time in a long time is a small pleasure. So is cheering with the rest of America at the capture of an evil-doer. A slow Sunday afternoon with new friends and delicious coffee is lovely, and a Starbucks makes everything better.
It’s true when people say, “it’s the little things” – for me, they are making a big difference in making Zurich home.
Leave a Reply