How to Make Expat Life in Switzerland Feel More Like Home

By Chantal Panozzo
January 8th, 2010

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Ok, so you’ve arrived in Switzerland. It’s fun. It’s exciting. But it’s not quite home yet. So how do you go from outsider to insider? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Start a Blog and/or Join Swiss Expat Bloggers

I don’t know how expats living in Switzerland survived 20 years ago. Even in the last four years, the number of blogs written by expats in Switzerland has grown to epic proportions. Besides just being great for information and empathy, expat blogs are also a great way to feel a part of a community. By joining the Swiss Expat Bloggers, which was started by Jessica over at Swiss Story, you can easily meet your fellow blogging colleagues.

Get a Job

Ok, this may be easier said than done in this economy, but working in Switzerland is probably the easiest way to not only learn about the culture, but also to meet people. Check out my post on how to find a job in Switzerland and you’ll be well on your way to making Switzerland yours.

Learn the Language

The more you can understand about what’s going on around you, the happier and more at home you’ll feel. While my fellow expats in the Swiss-German speaking areas of Switzerland will find this challenging because the dialects are so different from the written and spoken High German, it’s still worth it to learn as much as you can.

Know Your Neighbors

You don’t have to become best friends, but if you know your neighbors and can count on them if you have a problem, you’ll feel better about where you live. And that will make living in Switzerland less stressful. For example, when we had no hot water for a few days, my neighbor took charge of calling the landlord and dealing with the repair guys, since she knew our German was basic.

Anything I’ve left out that has helped you make Switzerland feel more like home?

Chantal Panozzo is an American writer living in Switzerland. She writes about expat life at AffordableCallingCards.net and on her personal blog, One Big Yodel. She also blogs about the international writing life over at Writer Abroad.

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