The kindness, generosity and curiosity of the people we have encountered on this journey has been a gift, one that we will not forget nor do we take lightly.
Our way of thinking and understanding the World broadened and evolved. It is often said to learn more about your own country, go to another. It was revealing to hear the views Europeans have of the US, some good and some not so good. Many of the stereotypes we have of the Swiss are true, very private and punctual. We also discovered the softer side, having been invited by neighbors to their homes and festivals, seeing the grace they show with all of the foreigners (Geneva is 50% expats) is most impressive. It is hard to think of other countries that show that much patience to put up with bad questions and awkward moments created by a transient population of immigrants.
We were able to introduce forty different visitors to the charm and natural beauty of Switzerland.
We embraced the fact that we were so close to neighboring countries. We were able to visit ten different countries, some multiple times. What we never dreamt of visiting in our lifetime, became a reality in three years. We discovered quaint mountain villages filled with character, walked for hours through old towns and saw seaside bays peppered with sun-soaked Mediterranean villages.
We were fortunate to have been able to ski in the Alps and have the girls learn to ski. The girls were able to go from beginners to being able to ski down independently. Our Saturdays in the mountains became our favorite day of the week.
We learned that being uncomfortable is okay, and it actually made us gain confidence. We had to learn to communicate. It is embarrassing to admit, but after three years, we still struggle with the French language (Adalyn is by far the most fluent). Often times we would rely on Google translate or try our best French and make a complete fool of ourselves. We drove on very narrow roads with bicycles, runners and motos on all sides. The girls were put into many uncomfortable situations. The girls are much more open about trying new things because of this experience.
We are leaving with heavy hearts and embrace the adage of not being sad that it is over, but happy that it happened. We could have never predicted how well this decision turned out. We are forever grateful we got to live in this beautiful country and will definitely be back to visit.
Merci Beaucoup! Nous serons de retour bientot!
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