Thankful

Thanksgiving as an American expat has to be one of the most difficult mundane Thursdays one can endure. While family and friends are off work celebrating (hopefully) joyous camaraderie and stuffing themselves silly, the grey, lonely November European Thursday, goes completely unnoticed on this side of the pond.

The first year I lived here, unfortunately, I cried while stuffing myself on McDonalds chicken nuggets, while my husband worked and my daughter slept, wondering what in the world I was doing over here and not home with my family where I “belonged.”

Since then, life has gotten much better, and thankfully, this year especially, I feel so lucky to finally have a strong grounding here in Switzerland. I owe this to my husband and daughter (of course), but definitely to my friends, who while I’m over here in this chaotic, but exciting, unknown are truly my family.  I am so thankful for these friends, and without them, I would be incredibly lost and lonely.

I am going on my third year living in Switzerland, and wow, is it hard to find true, solid friends. I have luckily met some amazing women through my daughter’s play groups, as well as through the American Women’s Club that I joined, and am now on the board of.

My advice to anyone reading who is having a hard time making friends as an expat is just to throw yourself out there and try, try, try. If you are lonely, I beg you to just join as many silly or uncomfortable or random groups that you can … you just never know when and where your next best friend will be waiting for you.

So, of course, this year I am thankful for my family near and far, for my health, my family’s health and for this amazing opportunity to live abroad. But I am indeed, incredibly, and greatly thankful for my dear expat friends who guide me through these crazy waters day in and day out. Much love to you all. XOXO