switzerland

i've been living in switzerland for a little over a year. you might think of switzerland as just another central or western european country, but the reality is quite different.

switzerland is unlike any european country in terms of its lifestyle, opportunities, and structure. it's no surprise that they're not in the european union. throughout this country, the market is reserved for local and national products. you can even see a "swiss made" label on toilet cleaner liquid. priority is always given to domestic products. that's why there's a 150 chf limit on importing goods from abroad. if your mail exceeds this limit, you pay additional tax. there's no such thing as amazon here. you can order from other countries' amazon sites, but the same customs rules still apply.

it has such an unobtrusive yet surprising quality that when you go somewhere else and when you return, you'll find yourself saying "what the heck i have experienced, what am i experiencing?" before coming to this country, i lived surrounded by concrete in various cities for 30-something years. it was perhaps here that i was properly exposed to nature for the first time.

those who compare their village's rain to switzerland's have never left their village. this applies to every village. there are trekking routes at every corner, paths for these routes, bridges, trails, benches for resting; everything considering human well-being. every kind of facility has been thought of just so people can get out into nature, run, and jump. if you happen to come here and want to do some trekking or trail running, i recommend using the komoot, alltrails, and switzerlandmobility apps.

also, switzerland is a country where life and people's profiles change as you go up the mountains. unlike other countries, the cost of living in switzerland's national park slopes and mountains is high. as a result, as you move away from the city, not only does the panorama become more beautiful, but the profile of people you encounter also levels up. since the cost of living in villages is higher than in cities, you never worry about civilization and security.

for those coming to this country for a limited time, i recommend making plans focused on nature and train travel rather than city visits that are common in europe. in my opinion, switzerland is too beautiful a country to spend time in its cities.