Even though she’d never been there before, Eva Hefti took the chance and moved with her family to New Zealand. It’s the pleasant climate the 39-year-old from Bern loves most about New Zealand.
My job: I don’t have a paid job, I spend most of my time with our children. However, together with some of my friends, I am still working on our online family magazine Kleinstadt.ch which helps me find a good balance.
My New Zealand: Our everyday life is not that different from in Switzerland, apart from the fact that my husband’s working hours are much shorter. This enables us to spend more time together and go to the beach or venture out into the outdoors. We really like the vastness and the empty beautiful beaches as well as the pleasant climate. The mentality of the people is generally more relaxed than in Switzerland. ‘No worries’ is a typical Kiwi saying.
My Switzerland: We are planning to stay here for about two years and then go back to Switzerland. The low population density, the lack of public transport and the remoteness are probably the biggest differences to Switzerland. I have realized that the Swiss are often too perfectionist and that some things could also be done with less effort.
My heart: Although I speak English fluently, I have noticed that especially deep and meaningful conversations are not as easy for me as in my mother tongue, which I find sometimes inhibiting. And even though we have made friends, it’s somewhat different to spend time with people who have only known you for a short period of time.
The original interview was published on swissinfo.ch, the online service of the Swiss Broadcasting Company, which is available in ten languages. Do you live abroad too? Then tag your Instagram photos #WeAreSwissAbroad.
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