My family moved from the US to Switzerland for the life we ​​wanted

I hoped for a lifestyle where he would see his father most nights before bed, and one day I would return to my career as a designer and art director.

Nowhere we went in the US made sense for our lifestyle

Once in the Bay Area, we struggled to find a home, landing in an outlying suburb where Lynn’s commute from Marin County became congested and long. Trails surrounded us, but the lack of sidewalks made car trips unsafe for children. We had little time for careers or to leave home after we decided to homeschool our oldest because of an exclusive preschool environment and parenting community that outside experts said was damaging.

After eight years in California, Lynn took a job in Connecticut. We moved again, hoping that Fairfield County’s sprawling lawns, award-winning schools, Rockwell homes, and Lynn’s new 10-minute commute would bring us closer to our dream. But in Connecticut, we again found no sidewalks for neighbors. The parents commuted to work. The families that lived near us, many of whom had lived there for years, were strangers to each other. Safe nature trails, cycle paths and bus stops were non-existent.

We decided to move beyond the US to Switzerland in pursuit of our American dream. We have been here for eight years and have found some differences with the US.

My children can move independently

In Switzerland, most of our children’s new friends wandered independently, walking, cycling and using public transport. Public paths, called “Wanderwegs,” they are everywhere, not just in cities but in suburbs, around lakes and over mountains.

Alleys provide safe and clean access to bus, tram and train stations, which was free for our children.

There are a lot of rules to follow, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I soon saw how crosswalk laws, speed limits, litter laws, and noise ordinances provided a network of boundaries that our family needed.

If my kids were to venture out independently, they’d better have clear boundaries and a society willing to enforce and enforce those boundaries.

My family was welcome

International families in Switzerland welcomed my family into a school community with people from over 40 countries with varied learning styles.

Although the Swiss initially seemed protective of their pristine mountains, lakes and public spaces, the international community in Switzerland welcomed us into a massive multicultural pit. Despite the vast differences, the families invited us, offered us support, and expressed an inclusiveness similar to our American Dream.

While I witnessed different parenting styles in the international Swiss community, parents who overmanaged their children’s friendships, relationships with teachers, and academic performance were not tolerated in Switzerland.

Teachers, coaches, therapists, doctors and strangers treated the children as responsible citizens. This attitude changed the distorted idea that schools in the US had impressed upon me – that parents are responsible for everything it happening in their children’s lives. Children master their behavior and actions early, freeing them to develop resilience and independence.

The importance of rest surprised us at first

We were amazed when we first learned how Swiss shops and stores closed on Sundays and often at lunchtime on weekdays. Unaccustomed to a lifestyle that included rest and long vacations, we soon learned the downtime the balance offered. Long periods of living together, simple pastimes, provided space for reflection and relationship building, something we had been lacking in the US.

Today, my children discuss their future in global terms, so it is difficult to predict where they will settle. It does not indicate a single culture, language, perspective, skin color, religion, gender, lifestyle or background. Rather, it refers to a world that teams up with nature, culture and opportunities to innovate. Their dreams go beyond the US, evolving from challenges, changes and the beauty that occurs when dreamers remain open to the possibilities of a changing world.