

After finding out where I am from most people either ask, "So do you speak Swedish?" where I reply gracefully but bubbling inside," No,in fact, they speak french over there." Or they will ask a difficult question, to which I still don't know exactly how to answer. They ask me what the biggest difference between Switzerland and the states is.
Some things which come to mind are:
The weather (at least compared to Texas). There is a lot more snow in Switz.
The food and portions sizes (very big difference). Switz has much healthier food, my personal favorite is the cheese fondue, which does not taste at all like the "American ""Swiss"" fondue"!
I remember flying over to the states and going to the MacDonald's in the airport, where I ordered a cheeseburger meal and I thought they got my order wrong because the size of the coke and fries they gave me could not possibly be a small, but indeed it was!
The pace of things are a lot slower in Europe. Nothing is open on Sundays, it is against the law to mow your lawns or do any handy man work that might disturb your neighbours. It is also a lot harder to find who you need or find what you want unless you are well connected or know how the European way of life works. It takes a while to get used to after living in the fast moving pace of the States. Personally, I like a mix of both. It is nice to go back in summer and take it easy, and then come back to the states for school and have everything readily available and open 24/7.
Things are a lot more expensive in Switzerland, it's even in the list of top 10 most expensive cities to live in,so you can only imagine. That is a definite advantage of the states.
In Geneva, one even has to pay 20 cents or so for ketchup or any sauces you want at McDonald's!
Also the landscape is very different. Switzerland has the Alps, Lakes ,and countryside which is very beautiful and clean, whereas the states is much more tall buildings and big cites, streets, and houses.
Those are a few of the examples, but I can never fully explain the difference of each place, because the States and Geneva have very different cultures and atmospheres. I feel very lucky to be a dual-citizen and that I am able to get the best of both worlds, because each country has it's advantages and disadvantages. But I love the US and Switzerland and I would not want to be from any other countries!
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