Am I still a Southerner? I ask this question when I realize that I have spent almost half of my adult life living in Europe. I consider myself an American patriot, I’m proud
of my southern roots and I cry every time I see the sign at the airport: Welcome to the United States of America. But I also realize how lucky I am to be living in Luzern, Switzerland. Moving to a charming medieval city situated on a clear lake tucked into the
Alps is only a fantasy for many; this is the place where the civility and precision of Germanic culture meets the creative and passionate Italian culture.
The thing I miss the most about living in Greenville is feeling a part of a close community, feeling invested, knowing all my neighbors and having a long-term commitment to a place. We also really miss good Mexican food, especially Papas and Beer! And for heavens sakes- speaking of food, don’t ever visit an American friend in Europe without bringing a bag of Reeces Peanut Butter Cups and a bottle of Texas Pete.
Unexpectedly, living in Europe has liberated me from some formality of tradition. Growing up in the south we lived by certain mantras, “no-bow no-go” for example. As an adult this translates into sayings like “sequins always say it’s a party.” Strangely when I show up wearing them, most of the ladies open their eyes widely and ask where I am going after the party, because I am usually overdressed by Swiss standard.
In general, there seems to be far less pressure to look like a supermodel, entertain like Martha and decorate like Architectural Digest. The Swiss are all about natural healthy bodies and looks. On average they have a far lower rate of obesity and finding a brow-bar is like asking for a southern afternoon with no humidity. The Swiss mothers I know don’t stand-out in a way that makes me wonder what I am doing wrong or how certain perfect proportions are even possible. Their homes are clean and organized but comfortable, livable and usually filled with affordable Ikea pieces. Hosting a dinner party is usually reserved for months where grilling and eating on the terrace are possible, keeping the evening easy going and relaxing for everyone. Dinner events last all night and are much more about the opportunity to visit with your friends rather than demonstrating your culinary expertise.
I think it’s also fair to say that most Europeans live with far less personal space than most southerners. It may seem decidedly austere but it’s simply not a choice; in our area only the most privileged are allowed spacious living quarters and here in Central Switzerland very few enjoy single family homes. In contrast, I love planning a day with my family giving no thought to a long to-do list that accompanies home ownership. I will happily embrace a 4 bedroom craftsman on a 1/2 acre again someday, but at least for now there is an upside to the trade-off. Having new cities, languages, food and cultures all within a few hours drive, makes for a great distraction from yard work and painting baseboards.
Walking and biking are the normal way to get from here to there and public transportation is always an option. This also means that exercise is integrated into the things I have to do, like going to work and the things I love to do, like hiking. So maybe I’m not getting quite enough exercise to offset my devotion to crusty European bread and Swiss chocolate; but spending my days in a minivan commuting to work and activities are, for now, a distant memory.
Living in Europe has allowed us to travel and explore in a more enjoyable way than would be possible if we were only visiting for a few weeks. It is a precious opportunity to live close to foreign cultures that have heavily influenced our own. I love walking through crowded foreign cities or unfamiliar countrysides, soaking in all the waves of newness and smiling at the feeling of invisibility. Being surrounded and alone can be both liberating and lonely at the same time.
The advantage to living a life where you are constantly uprooting yourself is the opportunity for discovery and the delight that comes from being surprised by new treasures in your life, be it playgrounds in the Alps, long promenades along the lakes of Northern Italy, sweet mouthfuls of juicy cherries from Provence or quirky phrases in other languages that completely accurately describe human experience but that don’t exist in English. I have learned to substitute my love for familiarity with a love for discovery.
“The advantage to living a life
where you are constantly
uprooting yourself is the
opportunity for discovery and
the delight that comes from
being surprised by new
treasures in your life”
Finding a job in my original profession of advertising proved impossible but motivated me to reinvent myself. I thought about what I loved to do and figured out how to get paid doing it. I became a tour guide, sharing this country and all of its beauty and quirks with my country-men from the States. I get to walk the medieval streets of Luzern and introduce travelers to the 700 year old riverside marketplace, take them to a secret candlelit wine cellar in the heart of the city and guide them up into the mountains for what I hope will be their own spiritual experience at the top of the Alps.
Remembering to be grateful and cherish these days, and this experience, makes our time here seem short. It is an opportunity that continues to open my mind to other ways of doing things that shape our family culture and priorities in ways I do not yet know.
So after all this, am I still a Southerner? The answer to that is: yes, but I would like to think there is some Swiss in me too now (and not just by way of chocolate, cheese and crusty bread).
by Hollee Thornton
