There is a lot to love about Switzerland, with its tall mountains; clean, picturesque landscape; plethora of outdoor sports; and lively, cosmopolitan city offerings. Known historically for its political neutrality and famous/infamous banking policies, Switzerland is also one of the safest countries in the world. [Read more…]
Field Trip to Gruyères
Within our first weeks in Switzerland, we gathered the kids and headed to the town of Gruyères (I have no idea why the town has an “s” at the end while the district of Gruyère and their cheese does not). We wanted to see how one of the best cheeses in the world is made, and of course to sample the first fondue of our three-month stay. What better place to do that than Gruyères? [Read more…]
The Winter Wonderland of Vallée de Joux
What I love about Switzerland in winter is its easy access to an array of winter sports. No matter where you are, within a relatively short drive up a mountain, you can find a regional playground that hosts all the cross-country-skiing, snowshoeing, sledding and even downhill skiing you can handle. [Read more…]
Tracking Down the Best Fondue in the World
You can’t very well visit the land of cows and not eat the cheese. Fondue, after all, is Switzerland’s national dish; they’re famous for it! So you can bet they do it better than anyone. It doesn’t hurt either that Switzerland produces the highest quality milk in the world—the Swiss, in general, are all about quality and attention to detail, from their watches to their cheeses. [Read more…]
Our First Month of Homeschooling: Lessons Learned
I discovered that homeschooling, like most endeavors, is best learned by doing. You can prepare—just as you might for childbirth—but in the end, shit happens and you have to be willing to go with the flow. The trick is to trust that in the end, your kids will come out all right; they will learn, one way or another.
Unfortunately, I am far too controlling to trust that, but I’m learning.
Before we left the U.S. for our grand two-year trip around the world, I did as much research into homeschooling our kids, ages nine and three, as I could. At minimum, I had to learn enough to know what to do, or more specifically, what I would do. I needed to have some structure or goals in place.
My husband Pierre, on the other hand, planned to “wing it.” No books, no research, no pre-conceived plans. Just learning from the world around us as we lived our daily lives. Yeah, right, I thought. Back to my research. [Read more…]