A Few Quick Questions...

When people find out that BK and I are moving abroad lots of questions usually follow.  Here are some of the most common, in case they've crossed your mind too.

Q: What are you moving for?
A: BK's job.

Q: When are you leaving? 
A: Sometime this Spring, depending on when our visas are approved.  A bit about the visa process: we sent copies of all of our legal documents (passports, marriage certificate, employment contract, BK's diplomas, and a couple of other things) to the company legal department; the docs then make their way to the Canton where we'll live in Switzerland, and from there they go to the Swiss federal level for approval; after that they return to the US in Atlanta so that our entry visas can be granted by the Swiss Consulate, then sent back to us and we can go.  It's about a six-ish week process.

Q: What am I going to do while we are in Switzerland?
A: First priority: learn German.  Yes, lots of people speak English, but to really integrate into society, I need to learn German.  Contrary to popular belief, not everyone outside of the US speaks English.  Second: become familiar with daily living and how to manage life in Switzerland and in the US.  Third: get involved with the profession of social work through volunteering, learning about social welfare system and figuring out how to get my PhD while abroad.  That's a start, and should keep me busy for a while.

Q: What are you doing with your house?
A: Renting it so that we're not out of the US real estate market while we're gone.

Q: Are the dogs going?
A: Yes, at this point, they're pretty much the only ones who are ready to go.  They get transported by a pet courier company.  No, they don't go on the same plane that we do, and no, we don't have to mess with them in the airport.  They will most likely go on United (A very pet-friendly airline, or most economical, I guess) through Chicago, then to Switzerland.  They don't get to ride above in the cabin, but will be in a pressurized/climate controlled part of the cargo hold.  There is no quarantine period, and they will be dropped off at our apartment the same day we arrive.

Q: Where will you live there?
A: We will live in corporate housing first, then during that time find an apartment.  We have ideas about what part of the city we want to live in, but yes, it will most likely be an apartment.  And yes, we will downsize.

Q: Will your place be furnished?
A: No, we're taking a couple of rooms of furniture, bedding, dishes, art and other pictures.  Yes, we will have to buy some stuff over there to finish furnishing the Swiss apartment.  The things we want to take are shipped, either by air or by sea.  The air shipment is for "immediate" items that are needed and the sea shipment is for everything else.  The air shipment takes around three weeks and the sea shipment takes five to eight weeks.  The shipment company will come to our house and pack everything for us prior to leaving (for liability reasons).  And yes, I think that is kind of awesome.

Q: What language do they speak in Switzerland?
A: They actually speak four languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.  We'll be in the northern part of the country where they speak German.  Note: English is not on this list.

Q: What are you all most excited about?
A: Outside of the obvious answer of being able to easily travel around Europe, we're most excited about a completely different lifestyle.  Specifically, I'm excited about living a lifestyle that less wasteful and more intentional.  No driving every day, more thought about how time is spent and what needs to be accomplished, eating food in season, doing lots of outdoor activity, and lots of other things!

What Makes You Feel at Home?

"What makes you feel at home?" It's kind of a big question, and I would guess that it may be an emotional one for some people.  Is it the stuff that we have around us?  The people?  The house?  The city you live in?  A combination of all of these things?

According to Pintrest: 

• Home is wherever I'm with you.
• What I love most about my home is who I share it with.
• Home is wherever we are together.
• Home is where the heart is.

So, obviously home has a lot to do with who we share it with.  Of course, I love being wherever BK is- he's my person.  We love to travel, but we also love to come home.  Of course our little buddies are coming with us too and will be part of our home as little Swiss dogs.

But, beyond the people, what make you feel at home?  BK and I have had to think hard about this, specifically related to what we want to take with us on this journey.  When we first found out that we were moving, I was all about not taking any of our furniture and starting anew over there.  We've moved past that, and have decided to take one bedroom, some of our living room furniture, dishes, bedding and those sorts of things.

I've also discovered that taking the art and pictures displayed around our house is important to me.  More than being familiar, nearly everything that has a place on our walls holds a memory of meaning to us.  

For example, the small painting from Hawaii of the place on the beach where BK and I got married- our parents bought it for us while we were all on the trip together, and it has hung in our bedroom since then.  The travel map with pins marking all the places we've been- both together and apart. Not only is this one a great conversation piece, but it is a visual reminder of how fortunate we've been to see the world around us, both near and far.  There's also our most recent addition- a piece of art by Kelly Sullivan that we found when visiting Sullivan Winery.  Not only is it from Napa, one of our most favorite places, but it is also the first real piece of art we bought together, for me, signifying how far we've come together.

It will be interesting over the next couple of months to see how much our home is transformed and how we make ourselves feel at home.  We'll be in a new apartment, new city and new country; but we'll be together and making a go at living far away from all the people who make us feel most at home.  Hopefully these small things that help make our house a home now will help us feel at home no matter where in the world we live.