Gini - Almost Like Coming Home

I have been here for almost 20 days and have been incredibly busy settling in and getting everything in order before adult life begins. Apologies for not writing an update earlier, there was just too much going on. 

The first couple days, I spent with my fiancé J. at the house on the lake. In fact, my first morning, Ohio greeted me with this:

During these days, I finally made it to the Lake Erie shore. The Great Lakes are so amazing!

These pictures have been taken at the Headlands Beach State Park, where you could go swimming, too. Connected to the beach is the Mentor Marsh, a National Natural Landmark, and worth a hike (we got lost).

After a week on the lake, I moved back to where I initially started out in Ohio in 2015, closer to campus, in a Victorian house full of friends and critters. It did feel like coming home, although once I realized that this was it, there was no way back, I had a rough moment. I have always been struggling with changes, and this certainly is a big one. It helps though, that I already know the people and the area.

Horace, my 2000 Honda Civic (who has just passed 233000 miles, yay!), had busted brake lines, so for the first couple of days, I went on long walks and slowly settled in. (A week later, the exhaust pipe broke at the muffler, so I'm currently driving a car that sounds like a racing car but really has the speed of a snail).

And then, on August 16, Gini came along. The blue-eyed Siamese flame point (she might be a mix, though) kitten was found by my landlady H.'s co-worker outside underneath a bush, completely abandoned. Of course we would take her in! H. and I always wanted to get another kitten to go along with orange tabby Aries. We immediately fell in love with this tiny tatter, and I named her Gini in honor of my sister (even though she thinks it's a stupid choice of name), so I always have a Gini with me.

At the vet, it turned out Gini was only four weeks old! She would still be with her mother. However, turns out the little princess is very smart. It took her a day to figure out the litter box, a day until she started munching on crunchies, a couple days before she started playing with dog Minnie and cat Aries, a week until she started drinking water (although she still likes milk better), a week until she started climbing stuff to be with you.

I am so in love with her. 
Everyone is so in love with her! 

So here are a couple pictures of the overkill cuteness:

At university, we had a whole week of orientations, which were more or less interesting (the tendency is "less", except for the information on teaching). And then I had to start adulting and actually stand in front of a class and teach them German. Teaching is fun (so far), but along with the classes I have to take for my Master's, I'm sometimes on campus for 12 hours. Long days. But it's going to be okay. 

I actually wore tie dye for the first time on Labor Day weekend for the family's annual Musicfest. And I saw my first real life bald eagle flying across the lake (and heard freedom ring!).

That's about it, folks. I am doing well, and I am looking forward to starting horseback riding again in two weeks. Next week, we will continue our hunt for THE wedding dress. The struggle is real and maybe worth a seperate blog post.

Anyway, hit me up if you have any questions. I hope I get to write again soon.

Take care! I miss you (yes, I really do!).


Love, Jen


PS: Follow me on Facebook and Instagram (@swiss.in.ohio)

Weight Restrictions Apply - The Struggle Is Real

The past weeks have had one overarching theme: Packing.

Everything I need, everything I care for, everything I own.

I have been selling all my books, DVDs and CDs online since spring, so what was left was mostly clothing, shoes,, memorabilia (I realized I am such a nostalgic person, worse than I have ever expected myself to be!), books, and other belongings that I just cannot live without. I did sort out a lot (load!) of things. So before I have actually started packing, I was convinced I would be able to take everything with me on the plane in two suitcases (being a poor student I obviously fly Economy, so I pay $100 for my second suitcase. Yay.).

Well, you have guessed it right. nope, two suitcases was not enough. Never ever. A third one had to be filled. Luckily, my partner (aka fiancé) J. was visiting me in July, and he volunteered taking one of my suitcases with him. And then I remembered (and broke a cold sweat!) that, even though I would easily be able to squeeze everything into the two remaining suitcases, there are weight restrictions imposed by the airline. The maximum allowed weight you can bring for free when flying economy is 23kg or 50lbs with most airlines. Overweight? Pay $100. And when you already pay $100 for your second suitcase, you obviously don’t feel like paying an additional $100.

I do understand why these restrictions exist, but right now I just hate them. Actually, to be honest, I have always hated them. They make life so much worse. In my case, I would love the rule to be: take whatever fits in your suitcase with you, it's fine.

Oh, well. I ended up packing the rest in two carton boxes, cursing myself for having so much stuff, and ending up googling “I have too much stuff meme” because #firstworldproblems.

However, the actual sad(?) truth is:

My whole life fits into three suitcases and two carton boxes.

I am ready.

Although saying goodbye to everyone in Switzerland turned out to be tougher than I thought it would be. I have always wanted to leave. And I kept leaving for months. But this, this is for years now. I don’t know when I will be back. And this is a bit scary.

I do have a comfort zone over there already, luckily. But leaving the one I have grown up with, I know inside and out, turns out to be difficult. I may not miss everything here, but I sure will miss my family and friends.

Time to grow up though!

Time to plan an Ohio trip to visit your own Swiss in Ohio across the pond!

I will fly out Monday. and I will keep you posted!

Goodbye, Switzerland!

Love, Jen


PS: Follow me on Facebook and Instagram (@swiss.in.ohio).

Striking camp - "Ich meld mi ab!"

I have never been a fan of dealing with administrative necessities such as taxes and insurances. However, despite trying to avoid any binding ties here in Switzerland, I still signed up for the necessary things... because I had to.

So all these things I currently have to cancel or take care of.

When you leave Switzerland for two years or longer, and you don’t plan on returning any time soon (or at least not in said two-year time period), giving notice of leave to all the authorities is the obvious thing to do. You don’t want to return home just to do your taxes, right? You don’t want to keep paying for health insurance when you are covered through your university or through your employment. You also don’t want to keep your Swiss phone plan. And you’re technically not allowed to keep your Swiss bank account(s) since Swiss banks are “not doing business with the US anymore” (“d ZKB het kei Gschäftsbeziehige mit de USA meh.” imfall.).

Now that school is out, I can finally focus on the things that need closure before I move (I have luckily lined up everything as soon as I knew I would leave for Ohio again). 

Ich meld mi ab!

I have compiled a list of everything I could think of (and that applied to my situation in particular, too, so different points may apply to different cases) in the hopes that this might be useful to anyone who will leave one day as well:

1. You need a visa, obviously. Mine is a non-immigrant F-1 student visa, valid for 5 years or for as long as you are enrolled.
   
   
2. You need to let the municipality of your place of residence (die gute Gemeinde) know that you are leaving (at least 8 weeks prior to your departure). They will provide you with an official certificate of departure (Abmeldungsbestätigung) after you have turned in your tax declaration of the current year (unterjährige Steuererklärung, sieht genau gleich aus), see point 3. (Unless you’re as small of a fish as I am, then they know your tax declaration won’t be really worth any money and give you the certificate right away. Yet I still have to hand in the declaration, this is Switzerland, after all)
   
   
3. You need to fill and hand in your tax declaration of the current year. Make sure you have all your salary statements.
   
   
4. You need to let your health insurance know that you are leaving the country. Usually, they just need a copy of the municipality’s certificate of departure along with a written and signed notice. Off you go, without Swiss health insurance for the first time in your life (quite a scary feeling!)
   
   
5. You need to let the SVA (social security bureau?) know that you are leaving. While you are enrolled as a student, you can still pay into the AHV through the SVA of the canton where you last lived. You will need to give someone the power of attorney so they can pay in your name. As soon as you are starting employment in the US, you will have to let SVA Geneva know that you would like to continue to pay into the AHV, as they are responsible for Swiss citizens abroad. 
   
   
6. You need to either switch from your current phone plan to a prepaid plan (if you want to keep your number) or cancel everything. Bye 07x.
   
   
7. You need the final bank statement(s) for your tax declaration and since you are technically not allowed to keep your Swiss bank accounts when you move to the US for a longer period of time (and thus have no official place of residence in Switzerland anymore) for reasons that have made the press various times in the recent years (let’s say Swiss banks have become very careful), you get those statements anyway once you have cast your accounts. Let’s say Swiss bankers have become very careful.
   
   
8. You need to cancel everything that involves your living situation (obviously).
   
   
9. You need to cancel any other insurances you may have.
   
   
10. You need to cancel your credit cards (or let them at least know you are leaving the country. I am canceling everything so I am not sure if you can keep them).

And upon arrival:

• Register with the Swiss representation responsible for the state you are going to live in. Switzerland wants to know where you are after you have officially left the country ;)

• Send a confirmation that you have enrolled with university to the SVA so you can continue to pay into the AHV.

Here’s one major piece of advice for you: START EARLY! Nothing is dumber than to procrastinate these things. I know it sucks but it really needs to be done. Most Swiss authorities and companies have certain periods and deadlines you should not/cannot miss.

Two more weeks to go until I am back in Ohio and even though I have everything lined up, I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything runs smoothly until I board the plane. And finally get back to Ohio.

Stay tuned! 

Jen


Ps: Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @swiss.in.ohio