So far, I feel quite comfortable with my life. However, I would like to dedicate this blog entry to the struggles I am facing or had to overcome to adjust to village life. Behind every perfect social media entry, there are a bunch of problems that usually never get exposed. But, I will come forward and share mine. Perhaps if you are thinking of moving this might help you prepare.

Support team

Moving abroad represents a lot of opportunities and certainly changes your view on everything. However, it also means you lose all the people you can count on. You can no longer call up your friends or family to help you with small daily tasks, especially the ones you know nothing about – changing car oil, fixing a broken door etc.  Basically, once you move you are on your own against everything. You also have to find out how the most mundane things work, like bills and recycling…And just to make life more complicated, these small things usually come all at once. Though, I can promise it gets easier with time.

First time I and my partner moved abroad we were 19. We bought tickets to Edinburgh without knowing anyone or anything. We lived there for 6 months and somehow made it through. After Edinburgh, we moved to London – this time it was slightly easier. We even managed to build a small support group around us. But now in Switzerland, we must start from the beginning again. It is a bit sad we don’t have anyone to count on, though it doesn’t bother me anymore. For years it has been us up against the unknown without any help. We’ve become resilient.

Social interaction…with myself

I don’t have an office to go to, hence most of the time I spend at home. While this may seem like a dream come true for some, it does include a pinch of salt. Perhaps if I lived in a place where I had my family and friends nearby it wouldn’t matter so much. But here I know no one.

In the evening my partner comes back home tired and I do have a brief conversation with him. But that is all the social interaction in my life at this point. I’ve always been introvert, so it doesn’t affect me as much as it would others. Though, when a walk to a post office makes me excited because I will talk to somebody, I guess there is a problem, no?

Insomnia

In the first weeks, I had trouble falling and staying asleep. At first, it was excitement and stress. But after a while, it just got plain annoying…Since I no longer had to go outside in the world and commute I figured I have too much energy left in me. The very next day I decided to go for a walk on my lunch break. It felt weird at first, like I was taking myself for a walk.

Also, I was slightly scared on my first few walks. For some reason, remote places are the perfect setting for horror movies. Since my imagination can be too vivid at times I couldn’t stop but wonder – What if a guy with chainsaw suddenly starts running towards me? What if murderer just drove past me and decided I would be his/her next victim?  Needless to say, I got jittery every time I saw a car driving past. But after numerous walks I no longer notice cars. Taking those 30-40-minutes to go outside has become my favorite part of the day. During these sessions, I clear my thoughts and feel grateful for the opportunities I have been presented in life. I always return more positive and sleepier. Walking in high elevations does wonders.

Motivation, where are you?

There is nobody around to motivate me, so I have to do it myself. At the moment I am trying to juggle 5 main things – work, blog, exercising, planning a wedding and learning French. The hardest part is to start after I get passed the first phase I can easily learn French or write for hours and be happy. Though some days I wake up and think – What is the point?…What is the point of another story when there are millions around?

Living for the weekend

Weekends are my happy days and that is only because I and my partner go out. I don’t have to stay at home 24 hours! I can be outside in the real world and see places.

Schedule…or lack of it

In London, I used to read 2-3 hours a day. Usually on the train and then on my lunch hour. I love reading, in fact, in 2016 I signed up for Goodreads challenge and read 70 books. But now I find it hard to pick one up. I no longer have that designated time on the train where I wish to be somewhere else and hence turn to a book. My day no longer has a strict schedule, which I certainly need to work on. It is necessary to have some sort of structure otherwise nothing will ever get done.

What now?

After fulfilling one’s dream there usually comes the bittersweet moment – What now? I think I kinda have it. I now live in the mountains, something I have desired to do all my life. And I cannot stop but wonder – Is this it?