A Mr. & Mrs. trying to live with the Swisses: "The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival."

This weekend we celebrated John's successful survival in Switzerland for two years.We celebrated with a sweaty walk down by the lake, our favorite part of Geneva. John even said that he is glad that we moved here, and he doesn't hate me for it. All in all, success!

This is John's top 10 list of things he will miss about Geneva. Note there is nothing there about spending so much time with the wife. But, it's probably true that the chocolate trumps wife.

1)    Transportation – It only took me one week to get annoyed at the traffic in Seattle. I wouldn’t mind higher taxes if I could easily take a tram, bus, or train to work over sitting in a car.
2)    Cheese – Living in a country known for its fondues has its advantages; really good cheese being one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I think that cheddar is a great cheese for Tex-Mex but there are other unique amazing cheeses out there to try and enjoy.
3)    Britney Spears – Not the pop artist but our friend Carolyne who is the sweetest and nicest person. She has helped both Danielle and I adjust to life in Switzerland and we hope that we can return the kindness when she comes to visit us in the future.
4)    Weather – Did you know that the weather can change on an hourly basis or that clouds don’t always mean a constant drizzle of rain? Funny how perception changes when you move outside the constant gray sky of Seattle.
5)    Chocolate – We’re not talking about Hershey’s, we’re talking about the good stuff. Light milk or super dark chocolate that tastes like you have died and gone to heaven. Just need hook the Europeans on peanut butter so we can make peanut butter blossoms and bars.
6)    Farmers’ Market – All year ‘round and always fresh produce. I feel like the market is where Europe not only beats the US but annihilates in the choice and quality of any super market found in the US. If you want to experience the European lifestyle you must visit and try the produce from a market.
7)    Travel – Danielle and I have been to Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Lake Como, Lyon, Southern France, Paris, Luzern, Basel, Zurich, Munich, Stockholm, Tallinn, Budapest, Mykonos, and Santorini. All of these places are within two and a half hours away from the Geneva airport which is a 10 minute walk from our apartment. I should also mention that airport security takes 10 minutes at most to get through.
8)    Hot Wine – If wine and hot cider decided on having a child this would be the result. Adding a little Christmas cheer has never been this easy. If you ever have the chance to go to Strasbourg for the ‘Largest Christmas Market in the World’ be sure to purchase a 12oz cup of hot wine (vin chaud) for about three Euros.
9)    Snowboarding - $70 per person may seem about right for a lift ticket until you realize it also includes transportation from the center of Geneva to the French Alps. That is right folks, $35 for a lift ticket for the day! As an added bonus we will be boarding above 7000ft which does not see above freezing temperatures during the winter season and has the most breathtaking views.
10)    Caramels – I’m eating one right now as a matter of fact is a product Danielle and I purchase from the Farmers’ market. It is much different from the caramels you buy in the store which tend to be more sticky. These caramels crumble just a little bit and should probably be combined with Swiss chocolate to make the most satisfying experience.