Couple exchanges the United States for Switzerland and says, “Here we feel safe”

Change from United States to the Switzerland with three small children was a big bet for Erik and Erin Eagleman who lived in Wisconsin. But after 11 years living in the European country, the couple was sure it would be a great place to raise children.

In 2023, the Eaglemans left Wisconsin towards Basel, northwestern Switzerland, taking their three children-then aged six to 12-and the Schoggi dog, whose name means chocolate in Swiss-German. “We knew it was now or never,” Erik tells CNN TRAVEL .

Married about 21 years ago, Erik and Erin first moved to Switzerland in 2008, shortly after marriage. These were happy years, driven by a job opportunity for Erik, who is a bicycle designer.

Although they returned to the US to start a family, the idea of ​​returning to Switzerland never left the couple’s head. Erik, even, was always aware of opportunities that could take them back.

However, leaving the support network behind the American country would not be easy. “We had amazing friends, a wonderful community,” recalls Erin. “We were close to the family… but we have started so many times throughout our marriage.”

Second Erin, It was a relief to know that they would not start from scratch in Switzerland since they had friends there.

“Starting in a new place is not easy,” she says. “Sometimes it takes years to create deep ties and really feel part of the community. […] But upon returning to Switzerland, we already had this support network. ”

The couple maintained contact with friends they made during the time in the country and always returned to visits, which reinforced the feeling that life in Switzerland would be better for the family.

“After a while, we were already missing this lifestyle and living here,” says Erik, noting that her daughter was born in Basel.

And adds: “We always had this bond with the city, so back it seemed natural.”

Another factor that weighed on the decision was concern for violence in schools in the US. They believed that their children would be safer in Switzerland.

“The cases were happening getting closer and closer to where we lived,” says Erik. “So it seemed right to move to an extremely safe place where we would be away from this kind of risk.

“It was not an escape, but a certainty that we were making the right decision for safety. And being Switzerland a neutral country…

“If there is a safe place to be when things squeeze, it’s here.”

In 2022, before making the final decision, Erik and Erin took their children to spend a month in the country as a test.

“We rented an apartment and I worked remotely,” explains Erik, recognizing that not everyone has this opportunity.

“We lived the routine of everyday life for a month… and the children’s response was extremely positive.”

Quiet transition

“This helped a lot in the adaptation. They have already gotten used to the idea of ​​change, and the transition was much easier. ”

As soon as Erik got a new job and the temporary residence visa, the family decided to take the big step.

“It was all very fast,” he says. “We decided to sell the house, the cars and get rid of the as many things as possible to make it easier to change.”

The family has been in Basel for about a year and a half and Erik and Erin have no doubt that they made the right decision.

Although at first they were afraid of how their children would deal with such a change, today they guarantee that everyone is “adapting very well.”

“That’s exactly what we expected,” says Erik, noting that they came out at the right time. He believes that if they had postponed the change, the eldest daughter would have faced much more difficulties.

“We were very happy to do it when it was still possible, because if we had expected just another year, for her it would have been much harder.”

For the couple, one of the biggest benefits of raising children in Switzerland is the Incentive to learning of a second language From an early age.

“In the United States, most of the time, you only have this opportunity there for the ninth year,” explains Erin.

“And the older you get, the harder you become. Therefore, we wanted to provide this to our children from an early age. ”

At the moment, All children in the family speak German one of the four official languages ​​of the country, and the youngest son is already taking the local dialect.

“Swiss-German is not a written language,” says Erin. “It’s just spoken. So I think he has learned a lot from this in the playground. ”

They also value the independence that children have gained . The seven -year -old daughter, for example, already goes to school alone.

“We didn’t even follow her to the door,” says Erik. “She just comes out, crosses some streets and arrives [na escola]. ”

In addition, the children return home at lunchtime and then return to school on their own.

“The sense of security here is very big” Erik adds, noting that the move to Switzerland made their children “much more independent.”

Another advantage is that Basel is an extremely accessible city for pedestrians, encouraging the family to spend a lot of time outdoors.

Pros and cons

On the other hand, one of the challenges of living in Switzerland is the high cost of living . Virtually everything from service to service accounts is more expensive than in the US.

“Compared to other places, it’s really very expensive,” comments Erik. “We call it ‘Swiss Tax’ … It’s not a real tax, but it seems that prices are inflated just because we’re in Switzerland and they know they can do that.”

Proximity to Germany and France end up, as many people cross the border to buy items for a lower price.

“But when we buy meat and vegetables produced locally, we know that we are purchasing very high quality products,” says Erin, explaining that, therefore, the family does not usually eat out frequently.

Another point that drew attention was the fact that the cigarette was much more socially accepted in Switzerland than in the US.

“If there’s one thing the US did, it was the campaign against smoking “Says Erin. “Our children were shocked: ‘What are they doing? Why are you doing this? ‘

Education was also a positive factor. For Erin and Erik, Swiss schools prepare students for professional life much earlier than in the US.

“Our eldest daughter is 13 years old,” says Erin. “And it’s already working on curricula and participating in interviews in areas that interest students. It’s very early. ”

She also appreciates the fact that children learn more about a global view of the world than just history and local currentities.

Another benefit of life in Europe is the ease of traveling. Recently, the family went to Jig in Spain to accompany a swimming competition of the eldest daughter.

“It was amazing to be able to get a flight and have this experience,” says Erik.

The daughter also participates in an annual school trip to ski in the mountains. “This is not unnoticed by us,” comments Erin. “We appreciate these opportunities a lot, and our children as well.”

In everyday life, Erik travels three times a week by train to Zurich to work and praises the efficiency of public transport.

“Trains are always punctual, clean and silent,” he says.

Different lifestyle

Although they are happy in Switzerland, the couple emphasizes that They were not unhappy in the USA . However, they feel that this is the right place for the family right now. “Life here works in a very organized way,” says Erik.

They believe their children are benefiting a lot of Swiss lifestyle, spending more time outdoors.

“The culture here values ​​contact with nature,” comments Erik. “This philosophy is probably what I love most.”

When asked what he misses the US, Erin mentions little things, such as entering a coffee shop, taking a travel coffee and going out to walk.

“This is not part of the culture here,” he explains. “If you go to a coffee, you sit and drink your coffee there … it looks like something silly, but I miss it.”

She also misses the possibility of buying items in abundance in the market.

“The packaging of everything here is much smaller,” says Erin. “For a family of five, that means going to the market every day…”

“On the other hand, I like to buy fresh food daily … But sometimes, when I realize I need to go back for the third time the same day because I forgot something, it hits that longing.”

Although they are learning German and perceive daily progress, they are not yet fluent. They yearn for the day they will be able to talk to strangers naturally.

“Casual conversation is different from when you have a specific question to ask or need exact information,” says Erin.

“I haven’t gotten to the point of feeling comfortable about it … At the moment, I feel like I speak like a small child.”

Planning Request permanent residence in Switzerland In the future, the couple recognize that living outside is not for anyone.

For them, the experience has been positive because they face everything with “understanding and adaptability.”

“It may seem easy to think that you can simply transport your life from one country to another without change,” reflects Erin.

“But things will be different. People will be different. If you have an open mind, you won’t be frustrated so much when you don’t find exactly what you are looking for in the supermarket – because maybe that doesn’t even exist here. ”

Historical Hotel in the Swiss Alps will be managed by the Four Seasons Network

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