Mindy Carlson

It’s official. We only have 6 months left in Basel.

Sad. That doesn’t quite cover it. Bereft is a better word.

I didn’t think I would love it so much here or that Switzerland would seem more like a “home” than a “2-year vacation/experiment.”

But I do love it here. I love the ease of the work-life balance that seems to incredibly hard to achieve in the US. I love the quest for Quality over Quantity and that things and houses are Built For A Lifetime.

I love that my children have the freedom to become independent. That we are raising children to be small adults when they are teenagers with a sense of purpose, a belief in their own competence, an expectation of forethought and moral behavior, and some conflict resolution skills that will carry them into a society that is becoming ever more conflict-filled.

I love that our meals here are simpler. A cheese platter with raw fruit and veggie sticks have become a favorite meal in the house. The children actually cheered when I put together a cheese platter after a week in Scotland. Our meals don’t get much more complex than a roasted chicken served with lettuce salad and dinner rolls. Even a beef stew isn’t that complex.

And I love that in Switzerland spending time doing something with your family, or even doing something alone, is a top priority. To go outside and hike up a mountain or bike along one of the hundreds of bike paths in the country is seen as a worthy and even necessary part of life.

Switzerland is beautiful. Europe is lovely. Since we’ve been here we have traveled to 9 countries. We’ve seen things we’ve only read about in books.

In the next 6 months I will be trying to live “in the moment.” To enjoy and wallow in where I am right now. That is a challenge for me, a natural-born planner.

So to satisfy that need to plan I will be thinking of specific things and behaviors that I want to bring back from Switzerland. Like prioritizing family time, hiking regularly, and eating simply.

I will also be experimenting with recipes for Swiss dishes that I’ve come to love like rösti, schoggiweggli, and Bircher Museli.

We also have several more trips planned! Mark’s quest to visit every canton in Switzerland is almost complete. Just 4 more to go!  We are also contemplating trips to Paris, Athens, London, and Iceland.

It’s a lot to pack into only 6 months, but let’s see what happens, shall we?