Leaving India for Zürich: My Expat Journey

 Introduction:

I am an Indian expat who moved to Zurich, Switzerland last year around springs, with my husband for his job. It was a over-whelming time leaving the loved ones behind for this new endeavour but I knew it would be the right thing to do for the betterment of our future.



Leaving India

Saying goodbye to my family and friends was the hardest part of leaving India. I had lived there my entire life, and it was the only place I knew as home. I was also nervous about moving to a new country and culture.

While leaving India was difficult, I was also excited about this new chapter in my life. I had always dreamed of traveling the world and experiencing different cultures, and now my dream was coming true. I was also looking forward to starting a new life with my husband in Zurich.
I made sure to focus on the positive aspects of the situation, such as the opportunity to travel and experience new cultures which kept me motivated during this transition.

Zurich: A Beautiful City

When we first arrived in Zurich, we were amazed by its beauty. The city is surrounded by the Alps and Lake Zurich, and it is full of lush forests and rolling hills. The city itself is clean and well-organized, with beautiful buildings and a lively culture.

Switzerland is a very peace-loving nation and they are prone to the culture of being quite sophisticated and portray well gestures.

Adjusting to Swiss culture:

The beautiful city Zürich offers a bit of challenging times talking about the culture as they are well know for being reserved and privacy-loving folks.But I have found that the Swiss are also very friendly and welcoming once they get to know you.

One of the biggest challenge that I faced was learning German language as Zürich has rich traditions of speaking swiss- german in most parts of the country. Swiss people hardly speaks english its not that they arent well-versed with English but if you initiate a conversation it has to be german/deutsch at first, which formerly I did find a bit challenging.

Swiss culture and traditions:

Swiss is a mix of german, french, Italian and romansh influences.These folks love nature and maintain a decorum to keep it clean too.Swiss germans are very strict in terms of keeping high level of noises at bay.They prefer quite surroundings with peaceful environments.Perhaps here in switzerland its a strict rule not to be loud in terms of anythings after 10 PM at night.And on Sundays the city prefers to spend time with family in their homes barbequeing food.

Most of the shopping centres / grocery centres are closed on sundays on the contrary.You only find restaurants, Kiosks or emergency stores serving on sundays. Gradually we are adapting to it and we schedule our days accordingly for shopping and stuff.

Some of the most popular Swiss traditions include:

  • Fasnacht/Carnival: Fasnacht is a carnival that takes place in the weeks leading up to Lent. During Fasnacht, people dress up in costumes and masks and participate in parades and festivals.
  • Swiss National Day: Swiss National Day is celebrated on August 1st. On this day, the Swiss celebrate their independence and their culture.
  • Christmas: Christmas is a very important holiday in Switzerland. The Swiss decorate their homes and businesses with Christmas lights and Christmas trees. They also enjoy traditional Christmas foods and drinks, such as cheese fondue and raclette.

Our experience as an expat in Zurich:

One of the things I love most about Zurich is its international atmosphere. People from all over the world live and work in Zurich, which makes it a very vibrant and cosmopolitan city.

I am still adjusting to life in Zurich, but I am grateful for the opportunity to experience this new culture. I know that we will make many happy memories here.

Conclusion:

Moving to Zurich has been a challenging but rewarding experience. I have learned a lot about myself and about Swiss culture. I am grateful for the opportunity to live in this beautiful city.

Presently, I am awe-struck by the serenity of the heart of Europe and still adapting to what all this beautiful country has to offer us while we keep India in our hearts forever. <3

-Surabhi 



Comments

  1. Priyanka5 October 2023 at 02:27

    Amazing blog👌

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5 October 2023 at 04:48

    Great to know about the swiss traditions

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5 October 2023 at 05:04

    Useful information about Swiss culture 👍

    ReplyDelete

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