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Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I'd Known
Not yet published
Expected 7 May 04Life in Switzerland. The not-made-for-TV version.
In 2006, American Chantal Panozzo moved to a spa town near Zurich ready for a glamorous life as an expatriate. She would eat chocolate. She would climb mountains. And she would order cheese in four languages.
Instead, she lived a life more in tune with reality than fantasy. Contrary to popular American belief, Switzerland isn’t just a setting in a storybook called Heidi. It’s a real place where someone with a master’s degree in communications can’t make a phone call, where you can be hired in one language and fired in another, and where small talk doesn’t exist—but phrases like Aufenthaltskategorien von Drittstaatsangehörigen do.
Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I’d Known is a collection of both published (The Christian Science Monitor, National Geographic Glimpse, Chicken Soup for the Soul Books, and Brain, Child) and new essays in which Chantal discovers that no matter how hard she wills her geraniums to cascade properly, she will never be a glamorous American expatriate—or Swiss.
In 2006, American Chantal Panozzo moved to a spa town near Zurich ready for a glamorous life as an expatriate. She would eat chocolate. She would climb mountains. And she would order cheese in four languages.
Instead, she lived a life more in tune with reality than fantasy. Contrary to popular American belief, Switzerland isn’t just a setting in a storybook called Heidi. It’s a real place where someone with a master’s degree in communications can’t make a phone call, where you can be hired in one language and fired in another, and where small talk doesn’t exist—but phrases like Aufenthaltskategorien von Drittstaatsangehörigen do.
Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I’d Known is a collection of both published (The Christian Science Monitor, National Geographic Glimpse, Chicken Soup for the Soul Books, and Brain, Child) and new essays in which Chantal discovers that no matter how hard she wills her geraniums to cascade properly, she will never be a glamorous American expatriate—or Swiss.
- GenresNonfictionMemoirTravel
206 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2014
25 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
May 28, 2014
For a British expat living in Switzerland, this book is deeply annoying. Despite several years of living in Switzerland, the author comes across as someone who has made some attempts at integration but has never really tried to understand the mindsets and culture behind the Swiss behaviour. Her humour falls flat and comes across as sneering rather than witty. Towards the end she mentions "how painfully American I am", sadly that comes across in every sentence of this, thankfully short, book. It may appeal to other Americans, but for everyone else, I recommend that you instead spend your money on Diccon Bewes' vastly more insightful and entertaining book on the same topic, Swiss Watching.
May 13, 2014
If you’ve never lived in a country whose spoken language is not your own (and in fact doesn’t exist in written form), then you may not understand the true menace of a ringing phone or doorbell. In this book, Chantal Panozzo deftly captures the terrible experience of finding oneself a fully-grown adult with toddler-level language proficiency, as well as other surprising and vexing aspects of living as an expat in a country that doesn’t exactly embrace its foreign population.
The book is propelled by a delightfully wry sense of humour. The accounts of language-impaired exchanges often made me think of David Sedaris, which is to say that they’re skillfully rendered and painfully funny. A few memorable characters populate its pages, too, with the author’s Swiss neighbour often stealing the show.
Like the author, when I came to Switzerland because of my husband’s job, my mental images and expectations, fed by travel websites, were largely devoid of reality. Like her, soon after arriving I felt trampled by the realities of inscrutable laundry machines and Swiss xenophobia, and the challenges of continuing my own career. I wish I’d had this book to read before I moved. It would not have deterred me from taking the leap, because in this book lamentations about difficulties are balanced by some considerations of what makes this place and the expat’s experience in general so great. It might, however, have disabused me of some of my storybook notions, and better prepared me to face certain realities of life as a trailing spouse, and more importantly, an Ausländer who will always stick out among the Swiss, for better or worse.
The book is propelled by a delightfully wry sense of humour. The accounts of language-impaired exchanges often made me think of David Sedaris, which is to say that they’re skillfully rendered and painfully funny. A few memorable characters populate its pages, too, with the author’s Swiss neighbour often stealing the show.
Like the author, when I came to Switzerland because of my husband’s job, my mental images and expectations, fed by travel websites, were largely devoid of reality. Like her, soon after arriving I felt trampled by the realities of inscrutable laundry machines and Swiss xenophobia, and the challenges of continuing my own career. I wish I’d had this book to read before I moved. It would not have deterred me from taking the leap, because in this book lamentations about difficulties are balanced by some considerations of what makes this place and the expat’s experience in general so great. It might, however, have disabused me of some of my storybook notions, and better prepared me to face certain realities of life as a trailing spouse, and more importantly, an Ausländer who will always stick out among the Swiss, for better or worse.
October 17, 2014
As fellow American expat living in Switzerland, I am an avid reader of Chantal's blog. I enjoy her sarcastic humor and straight-forward writing style, and find her subject matter relatable. I'm her target audience! All of which, had me looking forward to her book.
Swiss Life is a quick and entertaining read. I found myself nodding along and occasionally laughing out loud with her descriptions of all-to-familiar expat moments. However, much of the book was so specific to Chantal's experience, that even as someone in a very similar situation (expat, same country, same city, nearly the same age), I had trouble relating and found myself skimming through parts to get on to the next story. Also, her sharp, sarcastic sense of humor, which I adore in her blog, lost its edge in this book. It tended to come across a bit defeatist and negative rather than self-deprecating.
Overall, worth reading if you are embarking on a similar Swiss expat experience.
Swiss Life is a quick and entertaining read. I found myself nodding along and occasionally laughing out loud with her descriptions of all-to-familiar expat moments. However, much of the book was so specific to Chantal's experience, that even as someone in a very similar situation (expat, same country, same city, nearly the same age), I had trouble relating and found myself skimming through parts to get on to the next story. Also, her sharp, sarcastic sense of humor, which I adore in her blog, lost its edge in this book. It tended to come across a bit defeatist and negative rather than self-deprecating.
Overall, worth reading if you are embarking on a similar Swiss expat experience.
October 30, 2017
Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I'd Known was smart and often funny, yet a light and quick read. It shed light on life in Switzerland, but also on the life of a non-Swiss person living in the land of cheese and chocolate. Though her expat experience was different than mine has been, there are many who seem to follow a trajectory (both in terms of timeline and emotional process) similar to the author's. But Swiss Life would be entertaining and poignant even for those not necessarily chasing insight into Swissness, as its tales also touch on family and homesickness, reconciling ambitions with circumstances outside one's control, and new parenthood.
July 6, 2023
Swiss Life- 30 things I wish I’d known
1. When you move house you cannot wrap up your identity with your parents beliefs and values and way of treating people either humanly or financially and still be successful living on your own. You can’t. Take some time to figure out who you are as a person, as a woman,, as a contributor to society and figure out what kind of culture you want to adapt to for the language you are currently learning and how to do that without losing the essence of ‘you’.
2. Don’t lose your independence when you get married. Keep being independent and honest to your values and your morals. Especially from the Bible!
3. Whether you feel like you are a part of your native country’s culture it does not beget the notion that living life on your own terms-with incredible privacy intact-does not mean you have to be open or be a blabbermouth. Be discrete and polite and do not ever say something that will make you conform to what other people are doing with their money or how they pay for their lifestyle. That is none of your business. Live your own life and do not push to begin the center. Instead, be in the background and live a quiet but private life. Be carefully guarded. Only trust those who have earned your trust and loyalty.
4. Hen you write something always take two days away from it before sitting down to edit and comment on your own work. Then take three days to edit and another three days to compile it into different formats of books.
5. Be kind to your neighbors. They are there to help you if needed. Just don’t be rude. If you need help ask.
6. Help your neighbors if they need it. But help yourself first by being independent as much as possible. Baby steps. Incremental steps. Start with your bed and your bathroom. Spend thirty-three minutes every morning, afternoon, evening, and night tidying and cleaning up your home. Then spend a majority of your time outside or in the library. Also do not get Internet installed in your home unless your parents say so. Just use your phone hotspot or library.
7. ‘in Switzerland, people thought small talk was superficial and false. If there was nothing important to say, they preferred silence.’ (Panozzo 57) Do not do small talk. It is pointless.Do not share information about yourself. Instead bring a book to read on your break time and do your assigned work and leave. Only speak or directly spoken to. Or else do not speak at all unless it is something very important like answering a client’s question. Otherwise shut up and be silent like the Finns and avoid small talk and personal conversations as well as prefer silence like the Swiss.
Biggest Takeaway
“Love being adaptive conscious to whatever is around you in that given moment. Whether people and cultures and customs or listening deeply to those around you. Being orderly, clean, and keeping your home and outside it spotless and shiny. Being a good neighbor by being private and not doing small talk or idle chit chat. Remembering others names and communication styles is important as well. Especially phone etiquette and the grace and wisdom to lend a helping hand to those around you…if they need it.”
Quote in Summary
“Adapt at your own pace. But adapt! Remember that time is important and money is time. Be mindful of how much you speak and relay information whether in the two languages you speak or not. Respect. Cleanliness. Privacy in all things and no small talk or idle chit chat. Be uniquely you by noticing the scenery around you and be adaptive conscious at every given moment without complaining or concessions.”
1. When you move house you cannot wrap up your identity with your parents beliefs and values and way of treating people either humanly or financially and still be successful living on your own. You can’t. Take some time to figure out who you are as a person, as a woman,, as a contributor to society and figure out what kind of culture you want to adapt to for the language you are currently learning and how to do that without losing the essence of ‘you’.
2. Don’t lose your independence when you get married. Keep being independent and honest to your values and your morals. Especially from the Bible!
3. Whether you feel like you are a part of your native country’s culture it does not beget the notion that living life on your own terms-with incredible privacy intact-does not mean you have to be open or be a blabbermouth. Be discrete and polite and do not ever say something that will make you conform to what other people are doing with their money or how they pay for their lifestyle. That is none of your business. Live your own life and do not push to begin the center. Instead, be in the background and live a quiet but private life. Be carefully guarded. Only trust those who have earned your trust and loyalty.
4. Hen you write something always take two days away from it before sitting down to edit and comment on your own work. Then take three days to edit and another three days to compile it into different formats of books.
5. Be kind to your neighbors. They are there to help you if needed. Just don’t be rude. If you need help ask.
6. Help your neighbors if they need it. But help yourself first by being independent as much as possible. Baby steps. Incremental steps. Start with your bed and your bathroom. Spend thirty-three minutes every morning, afternoon, evening, and night tidying and cleaning up your home. Then spend a majority of your time outside or in the library. Also do not get Internet installed in your home unless your parents say so. Just use your phone hotspot or library.
7. ‘in Switzerland, people thought small talk was superficial and false. If there was nothing important to say, they preferred silence.’ (Panozzo 57) Do not do small talk. It is pointless.Do not share information about yourself. Instead bring a book to read on your break time and do your assigned work and leave. Only speak or directly spoken to. Or else do not speak at all unless it is something very important like answering a client’s question. Otherwise shut up and be silent like the Finns and avoid small talk and personal conversations as well as prefer silence like the Swiss.
Biggest Takeaway
“Love being adaptive conscious to whatever is around you in that given moment. Whether people and cultures and customs or listening deeply to those around you. Being orderly, clean, and keeping your home and outside it spotless and shiny. Being a good neighbor by being private and not doing small talk or idle chit chat. Remembering others names and communication styles is important as well. Especially phone etiquette and the grace and wisdom to lend a helping hand to those around you…if they need it.”
Quote in Summary
“Adapt at your own pace. But adapt! Remember that time is important and money is time. Be mindful of how much you speak and relay information whether in the two languages you speak or not. Respect. Cleanliness. Privacy in all things and no small talk or idle chit chat. Be uniquely you by noticing the scenery around you and be adaptive conscious at every given moment without complaining or concessions.”
September 16, 2022
As someone who has lived abroad but not in Switzerland, a lot of this book is really relatable. Finding yourself no longer at home in two countries is a lot to deal with. I really enjoyed those bits, where the cultures clash but you can see both sides of the issue with newfound insight. That said, I feel like the author took way too long to learn the language better (after four years you shouldn't be stumbling around unless you spend 99% of your time speaking English, and at that point, why) and the parts where she comes across as just another idiot American with no idea about anything in the rest of the world just made me shudder. Also this is clearly is a compilation of essays that appeared at different times, but now that it's in book format, the timeline is sometimes confusing and repetitive. But at least the author learned that spray cheese isn't cheese. Holy crap.
December 8, 2017
The book is light and funny. I liked it very much. It reflects how I have felt too.
My favorite paragraph:
"Even though I had reached a point where I couldn't go home again, I would never fit into my adopted home either. I was American, but I wasn't; I wasn't Swiss, but I was. Expats are possibly the most confused people on earth and I had permanently become one of them, floating somewhere between who I used to be and who I had become"
Even if I am not a native speaker and do a lot of faults...
"Whataffect effect would modern technologies have on things like old-fashioned relationships?" (p. 141)
My favorite paragraph:
"Even though I had reached a point where I couldn't go home again, I would never fit into my adopted home either. I was American, but I wasn't; I wasn't Swiss, but I was. Expats are possibly the most confused people on earth and I had permanently become one of them, floating somewhere between who I used to be and who I had become"
Even if I am not a native speaker and do a lot of faults...
"What
October 19, 2025
I loved this book! It was funny, sarcastic, witty and so true! I could relate to almost of all the experiences, and to most of them, I couldn’t help but burst out in a laugh, even though I was on a train, full of silent pendlers around me. Right after I finished the book, I opened Chantal’s blog and webseite and was so sad to discover that she’s not living here anymore ☹️ I wish I’d have connected with her and shared also my experiences with her.
All in all, a delightfull book, I trully recommend for people moving to Switzerland (or to those who have been living here for some years, so that they can actually relate to the happenings 😁)
All in all, a delightfull book, I trully recommend for people moving to Switzerland (or to those who have been living here for some years, so that they can actually relate to the happenings 😁)
July 12, 2017
Mixed feelings at first, but it grows on you.
When I started reading the book and the various situations the author described, the questions 'why would she do that!?' and 'what was she expecting!?' frequently came to mind. But the further I read, the more I could connect with the author, even if not always agree.
I liked the way this book made me question myself and how would I behave/cope if I were an expat. It made me appreciate the expats living in my country and their efforts to fit in even more. Danke, Frau Panozzo.
When I started reading the book and the various situations the author described, the questions 'why would she do that!?' and 'what was she expecting!?' frequently came to mind. But the further I read, the more I could connect with the author, even if not always agree.
I liked the way this book made me question myself and how would I behave/cope if I were an expat. It made me appreciate the expats living in my country and their efforts to fit in even more. Danke, Frau Panozzo.
January 29, 2025
Please dont expect it to be a guide for living in Switzerland, its more a summary of many funny, different, sometimes weird things and stories that happened to the author during her life in Switzerland. I got it as a farewell gift before I moved to Switzerland and i really enjoyed it, i laughed a LOT (like really really loud, alone in my new home without furniture) and I am looking forward to any new book from Chantal Panozzo.
May 8, 2017
I enjoyed the book but didn't appreciate the structure - it reads like a compilation of previously-published essays. I would have preferred more of a story line and the reasoning behind the family's decision to extend their stay in such a crazy place (my husband is Swiss German and I did laugh aloud at many of her descriptions).
December 14, 2018
What a brilliant little read! Heart-felt, open and truthful.
I have just arrived back in SA after a 2 week trip to Switzerland to visit a Swiss-German friend. This was the perfect read immediately after the visit as I was head-nodding to most of the stories and could relate to the majority of stories.
One of the best little treasures that I have ever read. Thank you for such a little gem.
I have just arrived back in SA after a 2 week trip to Switzerland to visit a Swiss-German friend. This was the perfect read immediately after the visit as I was head-nodding to most of the stories and could relate to the majority of stories.
One of the best little treasures that I have ever read. Thank you for such a little gem.
June 25, 2024
All in all a pretty poor memoir I would say. You do learn a bit about Switzerland from the book but for the most part superficially and I think better covered in other books. I feel like the author just complained about Switzerland for the most part and her own life in particular. It was deprecating in a not charming or funny way. Overall I would not recommend.
May 12, 2018
Not bad, not great. 2.5 stars
October 11, 2018
Found this book while visiting the UN buildings in Geneva; very very humorous and helped to give some down to earth sense on how to live like a local in Switzerland.
December 10, 2018
It was ok. A light read with entertaining anecdotes, but overall not very inspiring or insightful.
February 23, 2020
Having moved to Zurich from the US, I found this book helpful in articulating some of the cultural differences that come up in everyday life. It's a pleasant and quick read.
December 15, 2020
So funny and relatable.
December 27, 2022
I just read this book again, this time after living in Switzerland for over 4 years. I first read it after living in Switzerland for 5 months, which is quite different because it was not a permanent move. My initial review was 3/5 stars.
I will say that after this period of time, the book hits differently. I was laughing a lot more and shaking my head in understanding. I still agree that Chantal can be a bit critical of the Swiss… but for very valid reasons. She also went in with certain expectations of Switzerland that I did not, but in the end I think I agree with her on many points. Like her, I’m more critical of the Swiss after living here for 4 years. I appreciated that she gave examples from her real experience and that this is very much a book about her life and what she’s learned about the country. I could relate to some of her experiences but at the same time there were others that were new to me, and it was interesting to get her perspective. I love her consistent sarcasm throughout the book and I really enjoyed reading the book a second time.
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I read this book after I had lived for several months in Switzerland. I thought one day I would live permanently there because my husband is from the country and I very much fell in love with it. I figured Panozzo's book would be interesting to see if there were any additional things that I had not come across after living for a few months, and wondered if she had some of the same thoughts I had on the culture.
After reading this book I realised that your integration to the culture comes very much from your mindset and connections. If you have a Swiss partner/connection, life will be much easier. If you want to move, again, life will be much easier.
Panozzo appeared to have neither of these, and therefore her thoughts came across much more negative and as another reviewer mentioned, "sneery". I really did enjoy hearing some of her thoughts about Swiss culture, but it also bothered me that many of her views seemed very close minded and negative. I am also an American who lived in Texas for 25 years, but have a much more positive view of living in Switzerland. However, I also am privileged to have a Swiss husband, and have not needed to find work yet, so things were easy for me.
I will say that after this period of time, the book hits differently. I was laughing a lot more and shaking my head in understanding. I still agree that Chantal can be a bit critical of the Swiss… but for very valid reasons. She also went in with certain expectations of Switzerland that I did not, but in the end I think I agree with her on many points. Like her, I’m more critical of the Swiss after living here for 4 years. I appreciated that she gave examples from her real experience and that this is very much a book about her life and what she’s learned about the country. I could relate to some of her experiences but at the same time there were others that were new to me, and it was interesting to get her perspective. I love her consistent sarcasm throughout the book and I really enjoyed reading the book a second time.
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I read this book after I had lived for several months in Switzerland. I thought one day I would live permanently there because my husband is from the country and I very much fell in love with it. I figured Panozzo's book would be interesting to see if there were any additional things that I had not come across after living for a few months, and wondered if she had some of the same thoughts I had on the culture.
After reading this book I realised that your integration to the culture comes very much from your mindset and connections. If you have a Swiss partner/connection, life will be much easier. If you want to move, again, life will be much easier.
Panozzo appeared to have neither of these, and therefore her thoughts came across much more negative and as another reviewer mentioned, "sneery". I really did enjoy hearing some of her thoughts about Swiss culture, but it also bothered me that many of her views seemed very close minded and negative. I am also an American who lived in Texas for 25 years, but have a much more positive view of living in Switzerland. However, I also am privileged to have a Swiss husband, and have not needed to find work yet, so things were easy for me.
May 12, 2016
I wanted to like this book, I really wanted to but I didn't.
I knew Chantal Panozzo's blog One Big Yodel beforehand and I often find her short posts on expat life in Switzerland (and reverse culture shock these days) insightful and sometimes funny. But her book Swiss Life was neither insightful nor funny. Even worse, some of the not-so-funny moments in the book are rather offensive, and I'm not even Swiss. Just take for example when she says that as a foreigner she found Switzerland ridiculous and fake (p. 161) and the third 'essay' when she recounts her encounter with those Appenzeller guys who didn't speak English and had never met an American before (#3 Being Foreign is fun 1.125 percent of the time).
Besides not being funny, the book isn't much about Switzerland either, in spite of the title. Yes, Panozzo talks about her daily life in Switzerland, her failures and and small victories at integration and blames it all on Switzerland and its people but the book is ultimately a me, me, me rant. Why isn't Switzerland what I expected? Why don't Swiss people like me? And more importantly, why don't you worship me when you learn that I am American? Sorry about it. Anyway, I think her narrow-minded observations would have been pretty much the same, regardless of which country she would have moved to. So, definitely not much of Switzerland in the book.
As an expat in Switzerland myself and I am familiar with many of the situations that Panozzo has encountered during her time in Switzerland. Thankfully I live in a part of the country where the sun shines regularly, people smile at you in the street and do small talking in the tram, my neighbours won't bother to come into my apartment to amend all my gardening wrong-doings, and people in my local swimming pool are respectful - and I have already tried four or five different swimming pools. Maybe the bottom line of the book should be 'do not move to Baden, canton Aargau' - Switzerland is fine, really, even if you will always be a foreigner here.
I knew Chantal Panozzo's blog One Big Yodel beforehand and I often find her short posts on expat life in Switzerland (and reverse culture shock these days) insightful and sometimes funny. But her book Swiss Life was neither insightful nor funny. Even worse, some of the not-so-funny moments in the book are rather offensive, and I'm not even Swiss. Just take for example when she says that as a foreigner she found Switzerland ridiculous and fake (p. 161) and the third 'essay' when she recounts her encounter with those Appenzeller guys who didn't speak English and had never met an American before (#3 Being Foreign is fun 1.125 percent of the time).
Besides not being funny, the book isn't much about Switzerland either, in spite of the title. Yes, Panozzo talks about her daily life in Switzerland, her failures and and small victories at integration and blames it all on Switzerland and its people but the book is ultimately a me, me, me rant. Why isn't Switzerland what I expected? Why don't Swiss people like me? And more importantly, why don't you worship me when you learn that I am American? Sorry about it. Anyway, I think her narrow-minded observations would have been pretty much the same, regardless of which country she would have moved to. So, definitely not much of Switzerland in the book.
As an expat in Switzerland myself and I am familiar with many of the situations that Panozzo has encountered during her time in Switzerland. Thankfully I live in a part of the country where the sun shines regularly, people smile at you in the street and do small talking in the tram, my neighbours won't bother to come into my apartment to amend all my gardening wrong-doings, and people in my local swimming pool are respectful - and I have already tried four or five different swimming pools. Maybe the bottom line of the book should be 'do not move to Baden, canton Aargau' - Switzerland is fine, really, even if you will always be a foreigner here.
July 24, 2014
This was a fun read and a humorously/painfully nostalgic reminder of my first years in Switzerland as an expat. There were so so so many parts of Chantal's experience that made me laugh at loud in that "it's funny because it's true and it happened to me the same way" way. Bickering with old ladies at the pool while trying to swim laps, laundry and gardening lessons from the neighbors, awkward evenings at smoky bars where you stay longer than you want to because you want so badly to make more connections and integrate better.
This book is more memoir than expat guidebook in my opinion, because of course everyone comes from a different background in to a different situation and will have a different experience. I think it would be a great read for anyone who is going be experiencing or has already experienced what it feels like to be a expat in Switzerland. You will definitely benefit from Chantal's 30 tips for living in Switzerland, or if you had to figure them out on your own you'll laugh at her experiences and the memories of your own.
This book is more memoir than expat guidebook in my opinion, because of course everyone comes from a different background in to a different situation and will have a different experience. I think it would be a great read for anyone who is going be experiencing or has already experienced what it feels like to be a expat in Switzerland. You will definitely benefit from Chantal's 30 tips for living in Switzerland, or if you had to figure them out on your own you'll laugh at her experiences and the memories of your own.
July 30, 2014
Having recently been in Switzerland on business, with a little touring time happily added on, I really enjoyed this story of an American woman going to live in Switzerland. I ate up every chapter--especially loving her struggles with Swiss German--but suddenly got to a disconnect point. The author was talking about getting laid off from her first so-so job, then finding another with a radio station. She tells about her first day. Then the next chapter starts--with her having a baby. That was interesting too, but what about the job? She mentions that she and her husband both had challenging jobs, but we never hear another word about hers. A frustrating hole in the story for me. This would have been a 5 but is just a 4 because I felt I wanted more about that. Still loved reading it, though. Would read more from this author.
August 1, 2017
A perfect read for an expat in Switzerland. It's definitely a very particular experience! I've been here close to two years now, so many of her experiences mirrored my own, making to book resonate with me very strongly. I enjoyed the low-key humour very much. After reading this, I decided to check out her blog as well, as many readers have mentioned that they love it. But the blog seems vastly different - calling herself "The Frau" and referring to herself in the third person ... thank God this book wasn't written like that. But then again, I'm not a fan of gimmicky writing.
I'll definitely be recommending this book to all of my expat girlfriends here - I'm sure they'll all be nodding & smiling along as I was.
I'll definitely be recommending this book to all of my expat girlfriends here - I'm sure they'll all be nodding & smiling along as I was.
July 31, 2015
I picked this up after reading the author's article Living in Switzerland ruined me for America and its lousy work culture. I haven't read many essay collections, but the article was good, and as someone living overseas, I'm interested in reading about other people's experiences. And it was good; it's not particularly insightful, but most of it was pretty interesting. The best parts were early on, when she writes about the culture shock she experienced. It would've been nice if the book included how it changed her understanding of life in America, but this was written before she and her family moved back to the States.
June 21, 2014
The author is so funny, I feel like I would get along with her well if I met her in person. There are many truths in there about ex-pat life, but it was written in such a tongue-in-cheek, humorous way - and with so many plays on words - it tickled my brain and my funny bone. Swiss Life is a delight to read.
July 22, 2014
The book is as much fun as the blog and it is really refreshing to read something written with a lot of sense of humor.
The author writes about things that go through any expat or foreigner's mind when moving to Switzerland and that, most of the times, we avoid saying out loud.
I read it on my way to work and there were some chapters where I was just laughing out loud.
The author writes about things that go through any expat or foreigner's mind when moving to Switzerland and that, most of the times, we avoid saying out loud.
I read it on my way to work and there were some chapters where I was just laughing out loud.
March 13, 2015
Panozzo's essays provide an insightful, honest reflection on life as an expat American in Europe that runs the full spectrum of the excitement, fear, loneliness, and adventure that comes with embracing another country. A very fun and interesting read, especially if you love travel and reading about the interplay of different cultures.
March 14, 2016
I loved this book! Chantal speaks of the challenges of living in a foreign country with humor and affection. Since I, too, lived in a country where I didn't speak the language, I could relate and could laugh with her! I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of living abroad and/or to those who are looking for a light-hearted read.
October 20, 2014
This book captures much of the struggle and humor involved in living as an expat in Europe. You would expect to easily adapt to the culture but it's the little things in daily life that sometimes trip you up the most. Loved hearing of her adventures, successes, and failures.
May 16, 2014
Great book outlining the realities of living abroad as an American in Switzerland. Written in an entertaining wonderfully humorous self deprecating style.
Can't wait for her next book.
Can't wait for her next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews