The Adventure Begins

I have decided to start this blog because in a few months I will be moving to Switzerland and I thought it might be cool to document my adventures! Even if no one reads it, I think it will be fun for me. I can pretend to be important.

 As I stated above, I won’t be leaving for a few more months, but I thought I would go ahead and get started because not only is it about to be a new year, but the preparation for this grand move could end up being rather interesting. Maybe it will even inspire someone else to go for their goals. Follow their dreams. Ya know, all that stuff. You may be wondering how all of this came about. You may be wondering, “what I will be doing in Switzerland,” and “WHY Switzerland?” I have some answers. In the beginning, I was thinking about moving somewhere, anywhere in Europe simply because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. Seriously. This past year was tough and I was spent. Graduation from university was approaching and I knew I didn’t want to start on a Masters degree right away, and I also knew that I wanted to get the heck out of Florida! I knew that I didn’t want to audition for any theatre companies and I am too restless for a desk job. What could I do? I thought, “I am 25 years old, unmarried, no kids and about to be a college grad… I can do anything, right?” That was my thinking, anyway. Not everyone is quite so honest about such things and it is usually because of fear. It is really easy to come up with numerous excuses for why “it just won’t work.” But where there is a will, there is a way. Anyway, I felt so bored! I sat down and tried to think of something that I really wanted to do. Something that actually made me excited again, which was a feeling I hadn’t had in many years. Not real, raw excitement. Not the kind that makes you jittery, keeps you awake at night and makes you want to tell everyone. Spending 7 years (off and on) to finish a bachelors degree can exhaust you, in case you were wondering. I am not really sure what made me think of moving to Europe but when I did… I got a little excited. Just a little.

 I started doing some research to answer my questions like, “what kind of jobs are available?”, “What am I qualified for?” or “Where exactly do I want to go?” All of that stuff. While in this process, I ended up meeting my boyfriend, Toby. I randomly met him at a pub one night while shooting some pool with my roommate. After a few weeks of going for coffee, a couple of beers, or Sunday brunch we started officially “dating.” We both agreed that we were not interested in a long distance relationship, which meant we didn’t have much time together since he lives in Switzerland and I live in Florida. It meant not getting too close to one another. He was only in the states for a few months doing research for his master’s thesis. However, despite our efforts to keep is casual we became quite attached to one another and decided that we might have to give the whole “LDR” nonsense a try. What did we have to lose? It did not take me very long to realize that I wanted to be near him and his feelings were mutual. So, why not move to Switzerland? I already planned on moving to Europe regardless and it would only make it easier to be near someone I know and trust. Plus, who doesn’t love mountains and chocolate?! I had never thought much about Switzerland but the more I did the more I liked the idea. Of course, making the decision to move to Switzerland was a lot easier than the process of making the move happen! It’s quite a commitment, I can tell you that, and I am not even there yet! So, I narrowed my search down to Zurich, Switzerland.

 In the beginning, it did NOT go very well. I was playing with the big boys now and I was in way over my head. I started applying for any job that I thought I MIGHT be qualified for and that also wanted native English speakers. I didn’t even get a nibble. I had never felt so small and ignorant as I did trying to apply for jobs in a place like Zurich! It was so stressful and disheartening! So many “basic” jobs had requirements that I had never even heard of her were unattainable for me. I either didn’t have the right degree or certification, did not speak the right language, was not old enough or was not a man. Yeah, they specify the gender they are seeking. Isn’t that lovely? I constantly wanted to just cry and give up. Oh, and through all of this no one really knew about it…. I wasn’t telling my family or friends. I was doing this all alone, with the exception of my sweet, supportive Toby.

 I spoke with my advisor at the university and asked him what I should do. I felt hopeless. He said that my best option would be to try to go as a nanny. He said that it would be my easiest and possibly ONLY way to get over there. Not because I am lacking skills or work ethic, but its “just how things work.” If you ever try to get a job (legally) in another country, especially Switzerland, you will quickly understand what I mean. Luckily, I didn’t have a specific field that I wanted to work in, so I was not opposed to being a nanny. Plus, I had experience. Do I want to be a nanny forever? Not at all, but it seemed like the perfect opportunity to satisfy all of my current needs.

 So, I joined a website for nannies. It was not cheap but I figured if I wanted something legit than I would need to pay for it. If you have ever tried a free dating website then I am sure you know what I mean. Thankfully, it worked! But again, not without some complications. I created a nice profile and got several inquiries or responses to my inquiries but I learned that as of January 2015, Switzerland no longer allows nannies from America. Why would they? Swiss people get first pick at jobs and EU citizens get second. In order for an American to be approved for a work permit your employer has to be able to prove that they cannot find someone like you in Switzerland or in ALL OF EUROPE. Isn’t that nice? Good luck being more qualified than millions of other first choices. I was even more disheartened this time. That was my last chance! What else could I do? Many nice families told me they would love to (possibly) hire me if only they were allowed. I was ready to give up when I finally heard from someone with some good news! A family contacted me saying that they currently have a nanny from America and her contract would soon be ending, and that they would like hire another American. They said that the paperwork could be messy but being as they are dual-citizens of Germany that they could do it. After several Skype interviews I GOT THE JOB. #praise

 My one-in-a-million chance came through.

 So, that is basically where I am now in the process. If all goes according to plan, I will be flying to San Fransisco to meet the family (or some of them) in late January. They seem VERY nice and the kids seem adorable. I cannot wait.

Welcome!

Welcome to my very first "real" blog, and this is my first post. I have decided to do this since I am starting a brand new chapter in my life. Its thrilling! I have FINALLY graduated from college. After 7 years, I'd say its about time! Of course, I was not enrolled all 7 of those years... I took some breaks, made some changes. I cannot say I regret most of my decisions. I suppose if I could start over from the very beginning I would do some things differently, but who wouldn't? All things considered, I did the best that I could with what I was given and I cannot dwell on it any more. So, yeah, anyway. I graduated!

My friend, Emily, brought me flowers. She was my first friend from the University and the only friend who celebrated with me.

Got that degree.

Of course, I enjoyed some tasty cocktails with my parents after it was all over. Yummy Manhattan! Now, its on to bigger and better things... Such as Europe! That's right, I move to Switzerland in the spring!!