Comments on One Big Yodel: The Life of an Expat, Part 1

Hi Jill, thanks for stopping by. Wow, 9 years, tha...

2009-10-26T21:41:48.956+01:00

Hi Jill, thanks for stopping by. Wow, 9 years, that's impressive. Will check out your blog.

Hi Chantal! I just found your blog and I'm loo...

2009-10-26T19:13:11.192+01:00

Hi Chantal! I just found your blog and I'm looking forward to reading more. I'm a 9 year (yes really) expat and Switzerland is our 3rd continent. My life and career have been on hold so long they are a distant dream. Fortunately, new things take their place, but I still miss my old life :) Thanks for your blog! Check mine out sometime: http://jillsblog.typepad.com

Yeah, the whole appliance thing is a good point. W...

2009-10-20T08:49:45.711+02:00

Yeah, the whole appliance thing is a good point. We put off buying stuff too until finally, we just couldn't function without. I found that at least in CH, buying things at the second hand store was a good solution for all you "on hold" expats. Because you pay a third of the price and most Swiss take such good care of things you can hardly tell they're second-hand!

My 5th year abroad was the straw that broke the ca...

2009-10-20T05:16:38.100+02:00

My 5th year abroad was the straw that broke the camels back. I went out and bought that blender, a juicer and I even got wild and crazy and bought a toaster! One month later my husband told us it was likely we were moving to Tokyo and all my new appliances were going to be useless (we didn't, by the way, move to Tokyo, as my husband was the "back up" plan and Plan A worked)and 4 years later I love those things I bought to make myself feel at home!

Making the decision "This is Where I Live Until I Don't" was the best mental transformation I've had in my adult life!

I felt the same way when I resigned my job in the ...

2009-10-18T10:22:56.680+02:00

I felt the same way when I resigned my job in the states. I had no idea if I would be able to work here, but since I found a job shortly after moving, life seemed less on hold, at least until I asked for a dog...

I think this feeling of "on hold" starte...

2009-10-18T10:19:58.874+02:00

I think this feeling of "on hold" started before we even left. The toughest part was leaving my business back in the States. I know it will be there when I get back, but who knows if I will even want to do the same thing after my life here. Everything is so up in the air. Little scary.

That's cute. Maybe I'll find a stray...but...

2009-10-16T17:16:13.559+02:00

That's cute. Maybe I'll find a stray...but I've never really seen one in Switzerland. And I wonder for our generation if there even is such a thing as a "forever house" anymore.

We have been through the pet thing with our kids s...

2009-10-16T16:17:30.687+02:00

We have been through the pet thing with our kids so many times. My stock answer - you can get a pet when we have our "forever house". But when when when will that be, they reply. Fate intervened a while back in the form of a stray kitten; which will now be accompanying us to our forever home, if we ever get there!

Hey Kristi, Yeah, I think the "on hold" ...

2009-10-16T13:09:16.223+02:00

Hey Kristi,
Yeah, I think the "on hold" thing takes a while to develop. When I first got here, I felt like I was on an extended vacation that somehow included strict laundry lectures. But I know some expats that decide to go on permanent contracts saying it's the best thing they ever did, because they finally can settle. So you may have an advantage there.

I haven't reached the "on hold" feel...

2009-10-16T12:27:18.843+02:00

I haven't reached the "on hold" feeling because I am still taking the "it's nice not thinking about the future" nap. Maybe our situation is unique, but we came over knowing we weren't moving back to Atlanta so we don't have a what's next yet. I imagine it will happen though, great post.

Thanks for the piano tip. I've got a 12-year-o...

2009-10-15T19:25:01.815+02:00

Thanks for the piano tip. I've got a 12-year-old Yamaha keyboard that's ok...it's just not the same as the real thing!

Also totally with you! I came here for 2 years al...

2009-10-15T19:08:53.987+02:00

Also totally with you! I came here for 2 years almost 5 years ago! I found a good compromise on the piano problem though: http://www.roland.com/products/en/FP-7/ It feels like a piano, really, and I'm picky! Lemme know if you want to come play with mine, I don't give it enough attention!
Anna

Glad to hear some of you can relate. It's nice...

2009-10-15T15:27:04.916+02:00

Glad to hear some of you can relate. It's nice not feeling alone in this strange "life on hold" existence. As wonderful as it is.

I understand that feeling too. For me it's mo...

2009-10-15T14:22:22.316+02:00

I understand that feeling too. For me it's more about having kids than getting a dog. We wanted to stay in China, but I wanted to have a baby. So we moved back. Now the babe's here and 18mos so we're trying to move again. And waiting on the Swiss government...this means no classes, no big purchases and no trips here in the US in the near future. So I guess it sucks both coming and going.

I am SO with you on this topic. Jace and I have a ...

2009-10-15T13:49:31.665+02:00

I am SO with you on this topic. Jace and I have a lot of 'on holds' as well that non-expats just don't understand... pets, collecting things, having fancy furniture, etc, etc... it will be nice to get back to Australia and be able to do 'normal' things like own a dog. :)

One of our biggest motivators for moving back, whe...

2009-10-15T13:12:56.280+02:00

One of our biggest motivators for moving back, whenever we do, is to not have our lives on hold/get our lives started again. It's hard to explain to other people because to others, we are living so how could we possibly be 'on hold'?

But we know this is temporary and it's hard to make longterm plans when you don't know what the future holds.