We've been home in California for a few days now and already back in our usual routine. Oddly, the thing that was the hardest to adapt to in Switzerland, the lack of commercialism on Sunday's, is the thing that is giving me the biggest reverse culture shock. The car dealer was open late on Saturday night to purchase a car and again on Sunday when I would pick it up. Movers came on Sunday to move our things from storage into the house. Our landscape contractor visited us on Sunday to discuss what needed to be done in the next week. Large chain stores along with the tiny mom-n-pop corner grocery were open at 8 a.m. All these commercial activities that nobody blinks an eye at on their sacred day off. The rat race has begun and our old routines have been restarted.
Already our adventure in Switzerland feels as if it were a dream. There are so many things I'll miss: the honor system of the Passabene that tallied your goods as you shopped and whizzed you through checkout, the landscape, children who cried "les loups" at the dogs, the landscape, the traffic circles (yes they really do make sense), the quiet mountain trails, our Sunday walks to Morges for pup cups, the landscape, tiny villages with barely soul in them, the endless farmland hikes, the landscape, complaining about "Swiss Efficiencies" such as the ridiculously small parking spaces and tiny freezers, "bonjours" to the passerby, the landscape, the cows and donkeys, the sunrise and moonrise over Lac Léman, the scent of fresh fertilizer in the spring, the landscape, the standard Swiss 3-kiss social greeting and even those silly government required black trash bags. But most of all, I'll miss the pace of life. Oh, and the landscape.
Our life there was so different from our life in California, that it feels surreal. Each day the memories will grow more hazy and dreamlike. But the country's impression, its attitude and life lessons, will never be forgotten.
Once in a Lullaby, November 2012 Masthead
WELCOME HOME !!! Let me know when I can stop by and see you !! I am only 2 minutes away !
Welcome back to California! I hope the adjustment isn't too much of a shock. The photo is just amazing--my dogs are not that well trained. Thanks for sharing your life abroad. 🙂 Gina
Nothing says "happy" than dogs doing zoomies! Love, love the video.
Man what is it with that version of that song, it makes me cry every time I hear it!!
Glad your all home safely, good luck dropping back into the rat race, dont let those memories fade too quickly 😉
Great to see the zoomies, not many things can beat that 🙂
Welcome home! You sure have had the trip of a lifetime. Thanks again for sharing so much of it with us!!!
Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Julie! Thanks for sharing your amazing adventures in Switzerland! Looking forward to more. 🙂
Man, time flies.
V
Welcome back to the US of A! I enjoyed all the beautiful pics from your time abroad and am sure you will find more in Cali, too. Can't wait to see "les loups" in their native (well, sort of) habitat.
Well I, for one, am glad that you finally live someplace where you don't have gigantic mountains obscuring the scenery. 😀 If businesses operating on Sunday ever start to freak you out, come visit Utah - other than grocery stores and Home Depot, there's a whole lot of nothing open on Sundays... 😉
-Dr. Liz, who is compiling data. Woo. And hoo.
Love the new header. That picture is beautiful. Welcome back to the USA. We are all glad you made it back safely and hope that everyone adjusts.
Hi Julie,
glad to see the trip went ok. How did the dogs react to their "old" home? How was Mr. Wilddingo first day back at California "school" 🙂
We had snow in my village this morning and they are already installing the snow poles along the road.... winter is surely coming ...
Warm regards to you 4
Emmanuelle
Ah...your return is bittersweet. But, I'm glad you're back. Like Liz, I was getting pretty tired of all those stupid mountains in your photos. Not!
Welcome back to the US. It feels like just yesterday when you departed. I'm so happy that you had such a wonderful healing time.
Just getting around to catching up on posts - love the video (I <3 Brudder IZ) . thanks for sharing so much of your adventure with us, we'll miss the villages, Lac Leman, and all the amazing landscape you trekked through with the dogs, too. Looking forward to many new adventures!
Jack & Moo
Yikes, that was fast! Welcome home! At least you've got the winter for everyone to get used to the climate change. Sometimes when you come to a fork in the road of life, you don't realize it until a long time after you've chosen/stumbled onto the new road. You're lucky you know CH was a fork for you so you can appreciate it that much more.
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