Hello all,

We are considering a job offer for Zurich! The adrenaline rush and stress are coming on, but we areso excited about beautiful Switzerland, a chance to see a new culture, learn German...

We have 5 little children ages 2 to 8. My husband is in IT and I stay with the children.

I hope to learn more about Zurich and the living situations there! Thanks for letting me join yor forum!!!

Rebecca

Hi Rebecca

I spent the last 8 years in Texas (DFW area) and moved here a year ago with my wife and 2 kids (2 and 4 yrs old).

Good luck!

We miss Texas, we are not happy here (which makes me a minority on this forum), and we are desperately trying to move back to the States.

Your mileage will vary.

We live in the Fort Worth Meadowbrook area. I grew up in Mesquite, yet my husband is from France. In Zurich we would be closer to family.

Can I ask why you are unhappy? Is it the communal laundry?

!!!

Clearly you have done your homework.

I have never lived in Switzerland, but have visited it every time I had the opportunity over the past half century (there were long periods when I did not have the opportunity). Clearly visiting is very different from living, but I am in love with this wonderful country.

I personally love living in Switzerland because I'm not required to have a car in order to be a reasonably productive adult. In the USA (outside of New York and San Francisco) it would be insane to try to hold a steady job and raise two small children without a car. Here it's perfectly normal, and comfortable.

Please add Boston to your list. I lived carless (but, I will admit, childless) there for almost a decade, still walked to work after acquiring a car.

But you have a point there. It is impossible to go hiking from Boston without access to a car, while in Switzerland it is easy to reach almost any hiking center by train and bus.

Welcome to the Forum. Good to hear from you

If you do decide to come, try to learn a little bit of German before you arrive. The change in culture take time to get used to and not being able to communicate seems to be one of the hardest things to cope with (besides the communal washing-machine!) even after folk have the first stage of settling in behind them.
Lots of folk have happily made the move. You can also PM members to get more private information.
Have a good think through it all and if you decide to come, I hope all goes smoothly with the arrangements.

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Longbyt

Thanks, all, for the warm welcome!!! It is encouraging

Ah, Meadowbrook. Nice area. We used to live in Keller just up I-35W towards Denton.

I am from Germany, and my wife is from Austria, so we are closer to family.

Communal laundry is among the many reasons. Short list - moving from a house into an apartment, discrimination / hostility against foreigners on many fronts (work, school, everyday life), cost of living, lack of service, rudeness, etc.

Again, YMMV. Don't let this grumpy German (= Sour Kraut?) get you down.

Red all the Halcyon-induced posts and you will see.

Since you have not already moved and in the process of moving , I will give you some advise in advance(i did not do it, but will try letting someone know) Good luck with your move. If you company is paying for the moving cost, please move as many canned foods, macaroni cheese, chocalate ship cookie mix, pancake syrup, for kids, toys, markers, go to costco and fill in as much as possible. Switzerland is very expensive in comparison to US. Simple toys are 3 times the price, game boy games dolls etc. Grocery except milk and yoghurt is 3 times the price, try to stock up as much as possible. If you have cars and your comapny is paying for moving, bring your cars, cars are very expensive. Since you have kids and your kids will be attending birthday parties, try to bring birthday cards in bulk, board games cost 25 to 30 francs, that would cost you under ten dollars in US.

Hi Rebecca and welcome to the forum.

After reading your post I do not know if funds will allow you a flat or house here, but with 5 very young children if you do have to live in an apt try to get one with a garden or on a low floor. It would be really hard to try and take shopping etc + 5 little ones up stairs if you do not have an elevator in the building

Good luck with everything

Welcome Rebecca,

...And best wishes on your transition. If you haven't already, you'll find lots of useful info and helpful folks around here that'll help prepare you and your family. If nothing else, the cultural exposure will enrich your children's perspective in ways that'll last a lifetime.

I'm in Texas myself, still contemplating whether working a few years in Switzerland would be best for the whole fam (if it were just me, I'd do it in a heartbeat, having spent past summers with Swiss relations there, and more recently visited them and newer friends).

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"Live every day as if it were going to be your last; for one day you're sure to be right." — Harry Morant