Ask HN: Those who moved to Switzerland, why did you move and how is it?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40176897

by b20000 • 2 years ago

19 9 2 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Interested in stories from bay area or other tech metro folks who moved to Switzerland and have a career and life there now. How is it, why did you move, what is your story?

reify• 2 years ago

Didnt bother in the end.

I had concernes about all the Edelweiss effecting my Hay fever. Cow bells and swiss horns being too loud and mountains too high to climb.

I must say it looks great in the book Heidi.

A beautiful Swiss girl and a scruffy young lad living on a council estate in London.

Surely a match made in heaven when you are 10 years old.

She was my first real love.

b200002• 2 years ago

is this a serious reply?

0823498723498723• 2 years ago

You know what they say about the cow bells: if they're too loud, you're too old.

Almost all the mountains are under 4'000; they're just hills compared to the Tien Shan.

Lagniappe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAwU40AFw9w

0823498723498723• 2 years ago

Why did you not go to South America?

If serious:

see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39861369

Which of the national languages do you speak? What are your favourite hobbies/sports/pasttimes?

Note that it's become more difficult for people from the Old Country to come here since I immigrated, as we've changed the system: EU folk have priority, non-EU get whatever slots are left.

With a US pass you ought to be able to come without a visa for a few months; why not visit for a while, talk with people*, and decide with some on-the-ground experience?

* I also talked with John Walker before I came; unfortunately that's no longer an option.

kingkongjaffa• 2 years ago

Go to Zurich, things are functional, fun, and it’s a great city. Culturally more German.

Don’t bother with Geneva, it’s super small, culturally French, things are generally less good, for the same eye watering swiss prices. You may as well live in France for half the cost if that’s what you want.

zerr• 2 years ago

How about the other two?

b200002• 2 years ago

what about adapting and integrating? i heard somewhere you will never fully be accepted or become swiss and that people are not very open or welcoming

0823498723498723• 2 years ago

Do you plan on integrating? Or just staying in expat circles? Are you already bicultural? (do you know how to code switch?)

You will never become more than paper-Swiss. I don't mind: like the old saying about fish and water, I've learned much more about what being american is from being here than I had in the Old Country, where it was just implicit. (What does being "fully accepted" mean to you?)

I've found people very welcoming, but (a) part of what I didn't like about my birth culture was the superficiality, and (b) how open and welcoming you find people probably goes in direct relation to how well you adapt. Treat people like NPCs and you'll be treated like one in return; treat people like people, and...

There are many good books for expats on swiss culture. I threw mine away after a few years, but you might want to read a few (and as I said, come and try day-to-day life for a few months) before attempting to make any big decisions.

rdlecler1• 2 years ago

I’ve been to Switzerland a few times. It’s clean, safe, beautiful, leisurely and sophisticated. An amazing place to retire with $10m+. But at least for me, a tempting environment that’s too comfortable and indulgent for serious work.

Ask HN: Those who moved to Switzerland, why did you move and how is it?

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