We Are Officially Here...

We Are Officially Here…
So, now that the months of preparation are almost behind us and we are now officially (we’ll not officially – we don’t have Visas or work permits yet) living in Switzerland, what do we do now?

Day 1 – Get the Swiss Bank Account
With some franks in our pockets, bills to pay and the thought of running out of money soon, we decided to open our Swiss bank account. So, dressed as if we were attending an interview, we made our appointment to open our account. The meeting went well, the service was impeccable and within an hour’s time, we were granted the account. Now we just wait for the info to arrive in the mail so we can begin to buy all of those expensive and nice Swiss things…like driver’s licenses, city maps, “free” library cards, groceries, chocolate, visas, resident permits and of course, gas!

Grocery Shopping – An experience of its own
In Switzerland, most people go to the store once a day. This is much more frequently than our once a week trip. In addition, we have realized some of our favorite staples are non-existent in CH so if anyone is up for sending us a care package…this is what we can’t find – Tom’s of Maine toothpaste – crazy as it sounds, we love the natural stuff, almond butter (unless you want to spend CHF44 per container), pancake mix, Goji Berries, Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, Salsa.

Salsa in Switzerland means spaghetti sauce – makes for a nice fusion of Mexican/Italian meals!

Wine is plentiful and cheap – stock up!

The Swiss don’t really do peanut butter – what do children eat for lunch?

Bring your own bag – the Swiss are amazing when it comes to preservation of the environment. You are expected to recycle almost everything and excess is not their specialty. This is a refreshing change for both of us!