The first time I walked into a supermarket in the United States, I felt so overwhelmed. There were so many choices! Enormous aisles, bulk-sized products, and overflowing carts were a stark contrast to the smaller, more frequent shopping trips I was used to in Switzerland.
That moment captured a larger reality of our move: Adapting to life in a new country meant adjusting to different habits, expectations, and ways of living.
I am an Australian who moved from Switzerland to the US with my family, and the transition came with several unexpected lifestyle changes. After living in Switzerland for three years and now spending the last five years in the United States, I've had plenty of time to experience both lifestyles firsthand.
Switzerland had shaped how I thought about everything from food and consumption to the pace of life, and moving to America forced me to rethink many of those routines.
Over time, however, I discovered that successful adaptation wasn't about abandoning the lifestyle I valued. Instead, it was about finding ways to preserve the habits that mattered most while embracing the opportunities and conveniences of American life.
It's been tough to prioritize our ideas of Swiss minimalism when the US has so much convenience.
In Switzerland, we bought less and lived with less. Our family lived in an apartment, and we were very conscious that we had limited space to store things we didn't need.
However, in the US, the ease of online shopping and accessing big-box stores made it incredibly easy to accumulate things quickly. We live in a house now, and I have had to become much more intentional about what we bring into our home.
To try to preserve the minimalist lifestyle we had in Switzerland, I leave things in my online shopping cart for at least 48 hours before buying them. This gives me time to reflect on what I need versus what I want.
I've also spent time reading more about decluttering and being mindful of consumption. One habit I've adopted is avoiding single-use purchases whenever possible. For example, instead of buying a shirt with a shamrock that I would only wear once a year for St. Patrick's Day, I'll buy a green top that I can wear throughout the year and style for the holiday as well.
We've traded slow living for a faster pace.
Switzerland taught me to value slower living: long walks, downtime, and fewer activities. I liked that being busy was not glamorized.
While living there, I quickly learned the popular local Swiss-German phrase "Langsam, langsam," which means "slowly, slowly." I heard it often and eventually started saying it to myself whenever I caught myself rushing for no real reason.
However, in the US, everything moves faster: schedules, work, and kids' activities. I had to intentionally carve out moments of slow living again, but it is possible. In some ways, the access to tools and resources that make this doable has made it even more enjoyable.
I now have a bird feeder and bird bath, which remind me to slow down and appreciate nature. Making time to be in the moment while everyone else is boasting about being busy somehow feels more fulfilling.
The way we shop for groceries has shifted so much.
In Switzerland, I shopped for food almost daily. I'd walk to the grocery store and buy fresh ingredients for that day's meals.
We loved eating fresh food, and the expense associated with garbage disposal made us very careful about avoiding waste. Where we lived, we'd have to pay for special bags and pay for the disposal of each instead of a flat fee.
In the US, grocery shopping is a weekly event with huge carts and bulk purchases. I had to rethink how I plan meals to keep food fresh and healthy.
We are fortunate enough to have a big garden, so I am able to grow fruits and vegetables and compost food we don't use. It takes more effort to reduce waste, but it's possible and rewarding.
We've also had to shift our mindset around food.
In Switzerland, to-go coffee is not common. In fact, drinking and eating out are slow rituals. Locals typically sit and enjoy their coffee and meals. I enjoyed this slower approach and learned to eat more mindfully.
Portion sizes are generally smaller, and over-ordering is often frowned upon, which encouraged me to pay closer attention to what I was consuming and how much.
In the US, the prevalence of large portion sizes and processed foods initially surprised me. However, over time, I found healthier grocery options and built routines that helped my family maintain a balanced diet.
It's a conscious decision to ignore the drive-thru culture, and I now appreciate the endless choices available to help me create the lifestyle that works for my family and me.
Still, I must admit, the occasional drive-thru coffee has been a lifesaver when taking my kids to their early-morning ice hockey games.
It's been nice to engage in more small talk, which can lead to valuable connections.
The Swiss are generally not fans of small talk. In fact, our Swiss neighbor barely spoke to us, and we only realized on our last day in Switzerland that she worked for the same company as my husband.
We didn't mind this at the time, but building a sense of community with the locals was difficult. In the US, small talk feels almost unavoidable, and we've found it can lead to strong connections.
The Americans we have now become friends with all started off as strangers who were masters of small talk because each little snippet of conversation revealed a deeper layer about someone's hobbies and beliefs. Before I knew it, I was bonding with neighbors who also enjoy gardening and reading.
So what started as conversations about books led to monthly book-club meetups and a deeper sense of community.
In the end, both places have taught me so much.
What I've learned from our move from Switzerland to the US is that no place is inherently better than another. Every country comes with trade-offs.
Switzerland taught me the value of intentional living, while America showed me the possibilities that come with convenience, opportunity, and community.
The habits that mattered most didn't belong to a place; they belonged to the choices I made every day
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Naomi Tsvirko is an award-winning writer and multimedia journalist based in the United States. Originally from Australia, she has built an international career spanning journalism and teaching. She is currently working on her second manuscript.
