Category: Journey Journal

Here you will find posts about the highlights of each month. It is my way of keeping myself accountable to the 1000 Hours or Outside Challenge that we track with the kids.

Goodbye March: from Winter Jackets to Summer Shorts

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Crocus

‘Vacanza di Carnevale’ brought on March in Ticino. I suppose this school holiday is better known as ski break or winter break in other parts of Europe. Something new to get used to. Moms on the last school day (before the week long break) would wish ‘Buon Carnevale’ to each other. Which simply implies to have a great week holiday with your family.

International Women Day

From one generation to another we always celebrated on March 8. Women in my family would get a little plant or flower and we would definitely have some sort of cake at the dining table. I suppose it is another excuse to indulge in some naughty extra calories.

Father’s Day: Brunch at Monte Generoso

Highlight of the month of March has to be the trip to Monte Generoso on Father’s Day. Last year on Mother’s Day we visited Säntis. It set a theme in my mind for any future Mother’s and Father’s Day. Interestingly, in Switzerland, many attractions like this, come up with an offer for the fathers and mothers visiting on the respective dates.

Cog train at Capolago

Father’s Day in Ticino is different to the rest of the cantons of the country. It is aligned with Italy. On this day, they celebrate Saint Joseph, or in Italian San Giuseppe, and is an official public holiday.

With an extra bank holiday in the pocket, we could freely set off to visit Monte Generoso. Read here about our trip to this beautiful mountain at the border of Italy / Switzerland.

Garden works: Sowing & Planting

As the days got longer and warmer, we spent more and more time in the garden. First we dusted off all the items left outside during the winter. Once it looked a bit more orderly, we measured out a small strip to convert it to a small kitchen garden. This part is the sunniest although most of the time our garden is in a shade from the tall trees on the side of the plot.

This small strip was fenced off then filled with over half a ton soil. The weather did its part in integrating the soil to its new home, by raining heavily for about a week. Once the clouds cleared we carried on with sowing seeds. Here you can see the before, during and after images of the reno.

It is a great little project for the kids. They all seem to enjoy looking after this small plot. Easy excuse to spend more time outdoors, since the seeds / plants need water. Water is the middle name of my family. I think we were all some sort of fishes in our previous lives.

Swimming Sessions

This month the first period of swimming lessons came to an end. The second had started straight away though. Our eldest levelled up from crab (Granchio) to little seahourse (Cavalluccio). Our youngest also completed their lessons and received a duck badge that we need to saw on their bathrobe (accappatoglio).

Baby and toddler in swimming costume

As I mentioned before we all love the water and being in the water. We visit the pool 2-3 times even on days when there is no lesson. It is a safe place where all the kids are happy.

1000 Hours Outside Challenge

Over 72 hours spent in the nature. This is almost two full working weeks. This brings our yearly count to over 150 hours. I am so happy with our progress and I am proud to see our little ones enjoying themselves in the nature.

We are lucky to be surrounded by such beautiful mountains and many lakes. Our local bucket list of places we would like to explore. We hope to bring you along our tiny trips by colourful travel journal entries, many picture and videos.

Hello April

Swimming, gardening, Easter holiday, cousins visit – these are just a few of the things we look forward to doing in the coming month.

To: Our Dear Daughter

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Little girl is watching the water going down the drain in the kids pool.

To my dear daughter with infinite love and respect from your Mother.

Today we (your parents) got some news about your gorgeous self. We were told your mind works in a special unique way. It may take us some time to catch up with you and join you in your very special world. We will learn ways to connect and you will learn to express yourself in many ways soon.

With anticipation we are looking forward to seeing you grow and develop. The highs are going to get higher with time and the lows may get lower. But as long as we grow together as a family in our community, it’s all going to be just fine.

Together we can tackle everything you need us to face together.

We love you all – your personal cheerleading team.

Goodbye February: welcome warmth in Ticino

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forest road

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of early spring sunshine warming both your soul and your body. I absolutely love this sensation! I often wish there were a word or expression that could capture the intensity of this experience. It’s so full of hope for the warmer and longer days that lie ahead in the coming weeks and months..

Here in Ticino, the sunshine plays on our senses every day… almost every day! This mood-lifting phenomenon is exactly what I needed after 3 months of no-sunshine in the valley of Centovalli.

Carnevale in Ticino

Last month, we “scared” the winter away at Bandi Gianee by dragging tins along the ground and making loud noises throughout the town. February and March in Ticino are dedicated to Carnevale. Even the typical “ski holiday” is referred to as Vacanza di Carnevale, which translates to “holiday of carnival.” People greet each other with “Buon Carnevale” when they depart. Are you going away for Carnevale? This question is mainly to find out if you have any plans, particularly for skiing, during this specific week.

Tiny Trips

Ascona

Ascona is my current favourite place to visit. I am very lucky to live 10 minutes drive away. I end up visiting this place at least twice a month and each time I discover something new.

Home of Jazz

Ponte dei Salti – Lavertezzo

This double arch stone bridge is a renowned destination for adrenaline enthusiasts. Built over 400 years ago, it serves as a popular jumping spot for anyone looking to plunge into the turquoise river below. The river is slow-moving yet cold. From the bridge, you can see the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Lavertezzo. If you’re adventurous enough to climb the large, river-worn stones, you can capture a beautiful reflection of the church in the water.

Verzasca Dam

This was my second visit to the majestic dam in Valle Verzasca, and it did not disappoint. This time, the kids were awake, and we took the opportunity to explore the area thoroughly. We walked along the entire path on top of the dam, which leads to the opposite mountain where a hiking trail begins. The rocks had a way of playing tricks on our eyes. As we explored, the kids effortlessly climbed on the rocks, making it look like they had completed a challenging hike. The vastness of the space and the distance we covered suddenly felt much greater compared to our usual daily surroundings.

1000 Hours Outside Challenge

Longer days provide us with more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. We spent just over 43 hours outside this month, which is 8 hours more than last month. Unfortunately, the flu continues to be prevalent in our neighborhood. From what I’ve read on social media, it seems to be lasting longer than usual this year, often extending beyond a month. This aligns with our experience; between the five of us, we end up passing the illness around. Despite being ill or not, we strive to get outside whenever we can.

We have completed 88 out of 1,000 hours by the end of February, which makes me doubt that we’ll reach our goal. Fortunately, the summer break lasts over two months in Ticino, and I expect to fit in the majority of the hours needed for the year 2025 during that time.

Hello March

“Vacanza di Carnevale” means a week off from kindergarten. We are in the midst of potty training, which begins with three days at home. After that, we can start taking short walks before we attempt a longer trip. Fingers crossed that we figure it out quickly! 🙂

San Giuseppe day is an official public holiday in the Italian part of Switzerland. On this day, all fathers are celebrated, just like in Italy.

Power of quotes

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Today my world has turned around! Have you ever felt that something just had to be heard / read / seen at the right time, at the right place?

Quote

The quote that struck a spark in me this time, was found while mindlessly scrolling through my insta feed. It is something super simple but very powerful. It doesn’t even matter what image, music, and captions accompanied the meme. The message that it holds is important and it sounds like this.

A says: We only live once. B’s response: WRONG! We only die once. We live every day!

Community

What a change in perspectives! Me being a huge procrastinator, I need to live every day! Get accountable and do something every day for me, my husband, my kids, my environment.

I cannot wait to integrate into this new community. Making friends is not easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort. It’s important for me to help my family building a network of friends / people around us in our new home, to grow together.

Fitness v. Fit-less

Another way this quote influences me is to get in shape. I am a year postpartum today. I feel weak but motivated. Building a stamina would mean more playtime with my kids. I would like to fully live every day with them. At this point I am sleep deprived, my hormone level is imbalanced, and I go through waves of energy tides few times a day.

New habit

Today my eldest found joy in using a toy that he got about two years ago (way too early to his age back then). It is perfect now. It works like a slide-projector, if you remember those. You must choose a slide / image and place it inside an apparatus that will reflect it onto a canvas.

We then draw the image on the canvas and then coloured it in. After completing two of these arts with my son, he carried on alone while listening to some nature documentary on the TV.

Before I knew it, he brought his notebook with 7 images drawn and coloured in. He then explained that each image is part of his weekly calendar that will commence tomorrow. He asked his dad how to write the word DAY. Then wrote day 1, day 2, etc., next to each image.

I suggested we turn this into a journal. He preps 7 days worth of image. Then during the week we can write ‘HIGH, LOW, BUFFALO’ of the day around the image. But why stop there? We can add the date, name of the day in all the languages we speak at home. Furthermore the weather, and any ad hoc events worth looking back on. My son is interested in learning to write. He often asks us to spell a word for him, so he can write it down. The opportunities are endless.

Let’s make every day to remember for.

Goodbye January: Welcome Back Sunshine

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cloud above snowy mountain lit by hiding sun

January is a month filled with short days. Our January – if I would need to chose a theme – would be noise. Yes, NOISE. Now, put your hands up if you are not great with noise. That’s me. My soul rests when there is no noise around. Does it happen often? Nope. My poor chimming heart gets heavy and sweaty trying to race with the loudness. My breaths get shorter and rapider. When I bare no more, I remove myself from this atmosphere and spend some time cooling down.

Bandi Gianee

New experience alert. This month we got to know the story behind Bandi Gianee. A custom typical to the Italian part of Switzerland. In particular to Locarno and its close vicinity.

What do you need? Some empty cans on a long string that can be tragged around town, making as much noise as possible.

Winter is still in full swing in the mountains, however in the warmest part of Switzerland, the locals are already calling for the spring and summer. Here, in Centovalli, the sun arrives to the valley towards the end of January. So it makes sense to make as much noise as possible to scare the winter away for another year.

my kids are making noise with a stick on the playground drums
First Day of January
kids with instruments scaring the winter away
Last Day of January

It is yet another great opportunity to spend time outdoors with the community. The celebration often ends with a ‘merenda’. All participants contribute with some drinks and snacks. We got to spend it with a group of amazing, dedicated parents and caretakers. With the tummies filled, the guitarist took his instruments and the sound of the music gathered all the singers around. Time flies when you are having fun.

1000 Hours Outside Challenge

With a fresh start, I am logging the time spent outdoors (roughly). In January, with the winter flu blooming, we spent 35 hours and 15 minutes outdoors. This is a tiny bit more than one hour per day on average. I expect, it is the toughest to show results in the first month of the year. My tiny peeps are not a big fan of cold and dark. So the window of opportunity is pretty narrow. Based on that I am happy with the results and I am looking forward to seeing some longer days to come.

  • Bike Time
  • Puddle Fun
  • Puddle Biking
  • kids with instruments scaring the winter away
    Noise Fun
  • Winter Forest
  • Winter Walks
  • Forest Stream
  • Sunshine spotting
  • Swimming Lessons
  • Indoor Sand Play
  • More Winter Walks
  • Frosty Grounds
  • Frosty Forest
  • Winter scene
  • Happy Birthday
  • Family Pic
  • River Maggia
  • Family Pic
  • Indoor Play
  • Duplo Fun
  • Christmas Deco
  • Winter in Poland
  • Winter Seaside Fam
  • First Day of January

Winter Sunbathing: Exploring Brissago and other family low/highlights

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Swimming Lessons, Back to Work, Winter Flu, Exploring Brissago, Family Pool Fun

Brissago

Driving straight into the winter sun, which is sitting low on the horizon. Lake on the left and mountain on the right. The road hosts two way traffic but with the width of two old minis, very narrow. It is full of twists and turns. Just around one corner a garage door amongst the rocks of the mountain. Park the car and take the lift to get to your residence.

There are many such garage doors along the road south from Ascona just like that. Each one has a concrete lift shaft above. I can only imagine how people live / commute from places like this. I wonder what happens when the lift breaks down.

We kicked off the trip at the southern part of the town. Parking near the lido of Brissago, we planned to check out the slide leading to Lake Maggiore. However it is closed in the winter and it is not accessible with a buggy / trailer due to the stairs.

Chiesa di S. Maria di Ponte

A few meters further to the south on foot, we found a church. Large wide stairs leading down to what it looks like to the lake. To the right the cemetery to the left the most well maintained church yard, I have ever seen. The church is open for visitors from April until November. However the surrounding garden is open all year around. The lawn is manicured with precision, the trees are pruned for the next season. It is a great spot to fill up on vitamin D on a nice sunny day.

Looking around we can see the nearby lido and long slide just behind the church. On the lake the island of Brissago is visible. It’s botanical garden offers a couple of hours excursion for the visitors. On the other side of the lake, the mountains go from green bottom to brown middle to white caps.

From here we carried on towards north of the town. Along the way, many of the Mediterranean features can be spotted. The houses have warm colours, the palm trees keep their unique shades all year around. Stone dominates many of the walls, bridges and due to the steep hill Brissago is built on, there are many not-so-hidden stairs along the town.

Lungolago of Brissago

Lungolago is filled with benches to rest on. Unique statues and fountains break up the path. Lemon and orange trees show off their fruit even this time of the year. The winter sun makes long shadows creating a dramatic effect on the photos we took along the journey.

Below the promenade the large stones form theater seats like structure. Great spot to admire the the ‘vista’ in front.

The houses are colourful with large balconies maximising on space to admire the view of the lake and mountains. Tranquility dominates the lake side in January. I imagine that it is the perfect calm before the high season storm begins.

However the winter sun has now disappeared behind the mountains. We pulled up the zips of our winter jackets, to keep the cold out and headed back towards the main road. Behind the fire station, a lively sport field breaks the serene site.

Along the main road, the town is busy with locals chatting in the bars, rushing from one place to another. Busy traffic rushing in front of the hill covered with terraced houses facing the lake.

It was our first time visiting Brissago, however, we would love to visit in the high season, to be able compare the atmosphere between the seasons.

Brissago in summary

It was a great 2-3 hours trip (including playground pit stop, which is unavoidable with little kids). The playground is secured with a fence and has a few different features. There are many parking spots available around the town with various facilities. The trip can be stretched out to a whole day experience by visiting the Botanical Garden on the island of Brissago.

Visiting with a buggy / trailer was easy. The only challenge was to drag the trailer back up the wide stairs from the church to the main road. The stairs are really small and deep, so the passengers did not complain.

Swimming lessons

While waiting for the lesson to kick off, M had a few rounds on the water slide. She is gaining confidence in the pool. During the lesson we walk in big circles with the little ones (1 & 2 year old) across the whole lane. Each round we do a different activity. This is the quietest time in the pool. I can hear the lifeguards’ chatter faintly while focusing on blowing bubbles underwater for M’s entertainment. She is mesmerised with all the toys and busy keeping them in her hands while being pulled around in the water.

I hope next week O can join as well. He is home with flu, he needs a rest.

Back To Work

Holidays are over and M is back to his work routine. It was so nice to be together for a couple of weeks. But as anything, this is now over, which means I need to get my sh!t together again.

Winter Flu

Baby is moaning, temperature soaring above 40 degrees Celsius. Last night I called the hospital for advice. I was reassured that I can safely increase the amount of meds given to keep the fever in check. Next day, we were due for O’s one-year-old routine check up. Our paediatrician prepared me to keep fighting the fever potentially for a whole week. ‘It is flu season!’ Important to keep up the dosage every 4 hours. However, during the night I let him sleep through one 4 hour window. At 3 am I woke up for an inconsolable crying for help. His temperature was nearing 41 degrees Celsius. From that point onward I skipped zero 4 hour windows. The following night was even worst and I had to give him another med, which is like a horse kick. It takes ages to make a difference, but once it works it lasts for 24 hours. Eventually we got out of this madness by the second part of the week.

Family Pool Fun

Sunday FunDay. The pool was the busiest yet plenty of space to splash about. Four grown ups for 3 kids is a great balance in a busy pool. Huge inflatable across two lanes keep the bigger kids busy and the parents anxious. Blue elephant slide keeps M focus sharp. She is growing into a little adrenaline monkey. Sliding down, immersing under water, climbing out of the pool and starting all over again for another twenty rounds. Before she disappears behind the stairs again, but instead of appearing on the top of the slide, she is off to the baby pool. Luckily Granmy with little O are already there splashing on the tiny water fountains.

Family Adventures: Snowy Roads and Swiss Waterfalls

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This week we set out to visit two beautiful waterfalls in Ticino. Do you think we made it? … Read on to find out.

Back to Ticino, and Back to Kindergarten, Catching up with Friends, Visiting Maggia, and Valle Verzasca, and a Birthday Celebration.

Back to Ticino

Week two of 2025 started off with a road trip back from Poland to Ticino. As we got to the Alps, we drove through the most beautiful snowfall. Crossing the border from Austria to Switzerland there was no sign of snow. We could see the mountains far away glowing with their white snowcaps. An hour later when we started the ascent to St Bernardino along the crooked road, the snow started to settle on the asphalt. Traffic was light so we had minimal distraction until we got to the other side of the tunnel.

On the southern side of the tunnel snow covered everything. At this point there was no snowplough in sight. Throughout the serpentine, the descent took a long time. Winter tyres did an excellent job for us. However a few cars in front of us an Italian car had to stop to wait for rescue services (summer tyres – I guess).

We don’t have too much experience driving in the snow, especially in the mountains. Luckily everyone was going sensibly throughout our journey. At home we were greeted with hot dinner made by my parents. Little treat to the soul, when you don’t have to think about feeding the fam after two long days of travelling.

The following days were filled with various tasks around the house to get it into shape before our friends arrived. I think one day I did six loads of laundry just to give you an idea of the mess we had post holiday.

Back to Kindergarten

Kindergarten started midweek with half a day session. Easing back into the classroom routine was smoother this time than after autumn break. B can communicate much better now in Italian thanks to the lessons and the friendships he made in the last four months. Our nervous boy turned into a confident cheeky italianish-speaking boy.

Birthday Celebration

O turned one this week. Celebration was planned for the weekend. However, winter flu caught up on our little boy by the end of the week. With a temperature over 40 degrees celsius, he wasn’t enjoying much of his first birthday celebration.

Catching up with Friends

Hosting has become the highlights of my year. Since I am a full time stay at home Mom, I appreciate all the connections I get even more than before. Days fly by so quick with three little ones in tow.

I love the anticipation (cleaning / tidying). I love the meal planning and preparation process. Choosing things to do and places to explore. While adjusting the rhythm to suit 4-6 grownups and 4 kids (1-2-3-6) and the coolest dog and cat. Life is never dull.

Maggia

This time we visited a little village of Maggia. With the goal to visit the Cascata del Salto first then to head down to the river for a stroll. Little we knew that the waterfall is not accessible with buggy. Indeed it is a hiking trail gem. With the help of the locals, our crew quickly changed direction and headed to the river, Maggia. Dads took the cars, and Moms took the kids and the dog. Down in the village behind Migros, the suspension bridge, called Pontine di Maggia, leads across the Maggia river. The shore on the other side is easily accessible even with tiny feet (not with buggy though).

Overall, Maggia is a small village with about 2.5 k residents. It seems to be a good base for the many trials. There are many parking spots, convenience stores and restaurants. Looking at the mountains from the car park, I could see some chapels and waterfalls that I would have loved to explore but they were not accessible with a buggy. I am sure we will be back though.

Our tiny humans, and the doggy had plenty of space to roam. Hence, on the way home, they have all fallen asleep in the car. It’s impossible to plan a second stop when your passengers are snoozing. We called it a day and headed home.

Valle Verzasca

Set off as early as possible to catch the couple of hours of sunshine that reaches Valle Verzasca in January. First stop was Sonogno. The village is at the northern part of the valley. Parking was free of charge this time around. Although, the reminders for paying for parking in the high season were displayed everywhere. There is an option to buy a whole day parking ticket that covers the whole valley.

We were not prepared for the snow but it was very welcomed. We are yet to learn to plan properly, considering the elevation level. There was a crisp line showing the start of the snow on the trees and rocks. The divide was visible from far away.

While walking around in Sonogno we met a local gentleman, who was ever so chatty and helpful. He told us that this time of the year we can grab something to eat by the sport center. We quizzed him a little about the surroundings. He told us that when he was little snow was covering the area for most of the winter, however in the recent decade snow is less and less. We set out to look at the Cascata La Froda, however he told us that it is unlikely that we find any water running, but may be some ice. He also pointed out that the path is free from services during the winter but encouraged to see it for ourselves. So we did.

Turning right at the sport center, the road was clear until the next turn. Then it was clearly marked that no winter clearing services are in operation. First we tried to pull the buggy / trailer through the snow. Then we decided to ditch it and carry the kiddies. Following the map we got to the point where we should have crossed the river. However, there was no clear access to the other side. We decided to return to the car park, feed the empty bellies, and move onto the destination.

Verzasca Dam

Ever so famous dam appeared in the opening part of the James Bond movie ‘GoldenEye’. Mostly known as Verzasca dam is called Contra Dam or Locarno Dam. It is a popular spot amongst the adrenaline seekers. The dam is 220 m tall and has a well-known bungee jumping station. This year the dam has hosted the Red Bull dual ascent climbing event. Where ten teams of twenty climbers tackled 180 m route.

It is really hard to put into words how small one can feel standing on the dam, with huge opening in front of him / her when looking out to the Lake Maggiore. On the other side, Lake Vogolno holds a terrifying power of distraction should the anything happen to the structure of the surroundings. Running out of daylight, we have returned to home and warmed up with some homemade soup.

There are many places we wished we could further explore. However, due to our young crew, we need to limit our stops to two, maximum three. We aim to extend the time spent outdoors and the number places visited as the kids grow.

Two more family friends are visiting in the next few weeks. I am very much looking forward to these. Look out for more updates on our adventures with our tiny humans.

Dear My Human

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The days are flying by super fast. We welcomed 2025 in Poland with the in laws. It’s been 3 days and many precious time spent with people who we rarely see throughout the year.

The year behind us

I never close the year that has just passed. But I would like to change that. I am thinking to start a new tradition this year with the kids, but more on that later.

For now, what made my 2024 are the following:

  • New Year’s Day trip to the Christmas Garden at Mainau Island near Konstanz
  • Meeting our son, Oliver
  • Grateful for all emergency services that helped to keep our family safe
  • Easter fun with the Puha family
  • Visiting the Lindt Chocolate factory near Zurich
  • Trip to Swiss Miniature in Lugano
  • Trip to Säntis with Mother’s Day breakfast at the peak
  • Random sightseeings around Bodensee
  • Testing out the first Rugelreise in Thurgau
  • Trips with the Andrusiewicz family
  • Moving to Ticino, leaving Thurgau
  • New kindergarten for B
  • Electric scooter purchase
  • Nature walks
  • Halloween party with Kindergarten friends
  • Visiting Brissago Island
  • Visiting family in Italy
  • Andrusiewicz fam visiting in Ticino
  • Advent Walks and kindergarten party
  • Cousin and family visited for Christmas
  • Trip to Poland

New Years Eve

We made it to Poland around 4 pm on New Year’s Day. Just enough time left for a brief stroll around the old town before tucking the little ones to bed. Then popped a large Prosecco and kept our eyelids open until the midnight fireworks had begun. It was worth the wait and the bonus that we got to watch it from the dinning table.

The year ahead of us

I have good feelings about 2025. I read that it is a very mathematical year and that the last time such year occurred was is 1936. (45 x 45 = 2025) The next perfect square year will arrive in 2116. I don’t think I am going to live 129 years to experience that.

So this year I would like to focus on three things mainly when it comes for parenting.

  1. Being outdoors
  2. Being present
  3. Being grateful

Firstly, being outdoors as much / as often / as possible. Last year, I joined the 1000 hours outside challenge. But soon I have lost count. Although my vision did not change for the year, the circumstances did not allow me to focus on this objective throughout the year. This year, I would like to give it another go and involve my eldest son in the recording process. The attractive aspect of the challenge is the visual recording of the time spent outdoors. I am a sucker for hitting goals so I think this is a win-win situation. A nice recording sheet on the wall will be coloured hour by hour after spending time outdoors. There are a lot of trackers available online. Click on the link to see some of them!

Secondly, I would like to make a school day goal to spend time with each of my kids (at least on school days) individually. Weekends are for collective fun because there are no extra curricular activities yet in our lives. One ‘game’ per day per child. It is just too easy to overlook even though it is so so simple. Often it doesn’t take longer than 10-15 minutes due to their short attention span. However, it means a lot for them and even more for me. I need to stay connected to them all on a personal level. It is way too easy for me to find one more thing that needs to be done around the house with the endless chores and tasks to complete. These need to take a second place and stop running my days.

Thirdly, I may have mentioned it before that Alzheimer runs in the ladies side of my mom’s family. We talk about it with my mom from time to time. We are both terrified to end up one day not remembering all the nice moments of our lives. I am even considering to film our adventures for my future less attentive self. I think it will be nice to watch back the videos to help remembering better. I am not video maker but I feel passionate about learning this new skill. Keeping it private takes the perfection-pressure off my shoulders. Another activity I used to do (and I loved) was bullet journal. It kept me sharp on things that were happening around me and allowed me to be more present. This time my issue is that every time I sit down with some paper and pen, my effort to record things is being overwritten. My daughter does not yet understand the concept of having a notebook or paper for each of us. She will eventually get in my notebook and takes over the pages like she has to finish the whole book in one day 🙂 I tried digital trackers, but the complexity of the tracker makes the experience utterly non-enjoyable and after a few weeks of logging the program breaks down.

In summary there are two things to focus on. Creating memorable videos of our adventures (that are in the nature) for personal use and to get back to daily bullet journaling, which also ties in nicely with being more present rather than move with the tide.

Settling in Ticino, Switzerland: Our Final Move

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Moving again. This time from one Kanton to another within Switzerland.

I am glad we are not going to have more babies. So far every single time our babies turned 6-7 months old we moved to another place.

At first I thought it was hard to pack up and move with one child, even though it was only 10 miles away. But then our second was 7 months old when we moved from the UK to Switzerland. Now our third is 6 months old and we are packing up again.

But this time for good. I feel that this move is our last. And that we can finally settle down and relax.

How do I know?

I don’t really… it’s a feeling. Hubby and I speak the local language. My husband’s family speaks the local language and my parents will learn it quickly with our help. Our oldest son is very excited to learn Italian so he can speak with his cousins finally. Our two younger doesn’t yet speak, so they will learn to speak Italian as their first language.

Bureaucracy

The process of moving from one Kanton to another, as a foreign national on ‘B permit’, seems more complicated than moving to Switzerland from abroad as an EU national.

The amount of registration / de-registration and change of documents required is mind-boggling. But this is a story for another time.

Ticino! We cannot wait to call you home!

Here are some of the pictures from the past few weeks.

Happy Birthday Switzerland!

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Bonfires, fireworks, lighted paper lanterns, and many decorations all across Switzerland commemorate the founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291. This day is a bank holiday across the country.

This is our second time experiencing this occasion. First, we were in Thurgau, and now in Ticino. Both places offered a variety of festivals and food stalls for visitors. While the festival near Bodensee felt touristy, the celebration in our new little town had a more cosy community feel to it. Kids were roaming on the field, people gathered around the tables.

We made some paintings in the morning and visited the local festival in the afternoon – although we stayed on the playground, the festive atmosphere surrounded us. Loud music, and lively chatter filled the hot and humid air.