On account of that fact I would consider moving to Canada
Seriously, Id rather move to Canada than the US.

I moved to Switzerland to be paid in Swiss Francs.

If I was not being paid in Swiss Francs, I would not live here.

The reason I say this is I assume you won't be paid in Francs and that might be crippling for your disposable income between now and 30.

one more time please?

I fell here by default. It wasn't high on my 'must visit' list. Actually it wasn't on the list at all. But my husbands job bought us here. I hated it here for at least the first year (if I'm completely honest this was more to do with our circumstances and me being unemployed for the first time than dislike of Switzerland). So yup, it's difficult to settle in to but worth it. We've now got a great group of friends and ended up fighting to stay when my husbands office wanted to move us. We live a fairly quiet life though with dinners, brunches, trips to France etc our highlights. I desperately missed the city life when we arrived but have found myself settling in comfortably to Lausanne life (with quite frequent trips to cities to get my fix ).

Even so; Switzerland is not forever for us. It's likely we'll have to move to Asia at some point in the future (hopefully in about 3 years or so). So we're enjoying every moment here whilst we can and use the landlocked islands fabulous chf and location to explore more of Europe.

Good luck making your decision!

Those are good reasons but I'm not sure I'm fully convinced. You're seeing only one side of Switzerland. To every coin, there are two sides. Maybe you should ask: "Why SHOULDN'T I move to Switzerland?" I'm sure you'll get an equal number of negative perspectives from the members here.

Don't get me wrong. I love it here and I would like to remain here for an extended period of time. I previously lived and worked in Canada, Taiwan, and Germany. Switzerland has its strengths but also its flaws but so do all the other countries. You're selling yourself short by convincing yourself that it's the perfect place to be work and live.


Totally agree. I'm 27, and if I were single (hypothetically speaking!) and highly skilled, I'd probably look to a more exciting and dynamic place to live and work.

My decision to move to Switzerland was clear from the beginning and it wasn't because due to the cultural diversity, language diversity, centre of Europe, etc. Again I love it here but the you can get cultural diversity in all parts of Europe. You can get language diversity by living close to the border of another country. You can be in the "centre of Europe" by living in eastern France, Southern Germany, Northern Italy, or Western Austria. You can also find the Alps in these 4 countries -- but you can't find great tasting Rivella.

__________________
When a man thinks a thing, the thing he thinks he thinks is not the thing he thinks but only the thing he thinks he thinks he thinks.

Like a model Swiss resident, I had a Redbull for breakfast.

i have a confesion, i have a swiss love too. but dunno. i wanted to go there before i met her. so... anyway, nice blog. i will keep on reading it later.
good luck with australia!

Hmmm, when I moved here, I was 27 and single. And I found it an exciting and dynamic place to live and work.

Still do, 25 years later!

Tom

Ironically, other than Japan, this was the ONLY place really doing anything back in the '80s in the domain I wanted to work.

Tom

thanks for the very useful information. i'm well aware too of the negative sides of switzerland. from people who lived there, from swiss friends and from this forum. but still on this point where i need to decide. thanks though.

If you want safety, good transport, lower tax, higher prices, very quiet weekends in the city, real seasons, clean hospitals, expensive health insurance, then yes.

may i ask, what industry you're in?

Yes, Tom. But we know you're special. I know plenty of people who grew up in Lugano and went to Milan for fun. All work & no play makes Tom a dull boy.

Well, Japan has loads of stunning nature, good skiing, is safe, the Yen is extremly strong... even the beer is better, let alone the food.

Well, I went to St. Moritz yesterday for fun (420km of motorcycling).

My daughters have always shunned Milano, the older one used to go to Brescia all the time, but has since moved to the boonies (Vallemaggia), the younger one prefers Bellinzona.

Tom

true but the language is much more difficult, especially with the written language.

i'm from asia, so i prefer to live in the west.

So how good is your German?

@OP, I doubt you will have as much excitement here in Switzerland as you have in Haiti. I have lived in Bangalore, Lagos, London and when it comes to a nice social life, i.e. having fun, going to actually good parties, etc, then Switzerland is extremely lame. Like the amount of fun I had in India, Nigeria, Ghana, United Kingdom, cannot even compare to the downsize in fun you will experience in Switzerland. I regularly escape to London for the weekend to actually party properly.
You only have to go through the thread to realise the problems some EFs face until you learn the language and all the stuff. Just go through the threads on blending properly into the Swiss society.

BUT, and this is what makes me happy here in Switzerland, if you want a certain degree of order, and you want to start a family, you will find Switzerland brilliant. Transport is always on time, the country is usually clean (depending on where you live obviously) but in general well kept. I'd say crime rates are low, and if you are outdoorsy person, then you will be in heaven. OH, did i mention the salary and low taxes - which I have to admit is probably the biggest thing keeping me here

Given your reasons, then I would say Switzerland. Given you occupation, I would say London but then you sacrifice the outdoors but I daresay you will be motivated more jobwise in London. Creative wise, i personally find Switzerland a bit bland, but that's just me.
I have a similar profile to you, currently involved in finance (9-5) but heavily involved in the creative and entertainment business on the side. Funny enough a few of creatives I have met here usually ask the same question, "why leave London for Switzerland?"
That is just my take really. Goodluck with your decision

my german is very basic. but i could get by in french, i'm confident that if i get exposed to french for a few months i would even be able to pick up the accent.
though my target is international/multinational companies and organizations.

Honestly: You are living in Wettingen. That's the dullest place of them all except of Olten. You'd probably had more fun in a different spot in Switzerland as well and comparing life in Wettingen with London is just stupid.

Compare Wettingen to Guilford. (And Wettingen is actually only one third of the size of Guilford...) Where do you have more fun?