When I had Covid-19 the first time in 2020 I was one of the first cases in Switzerland and advice was hard to come by. I created a guideline for myself and others: Top Nine Tips to Deal With Viral Infections. it’s four years later, and many times I felt I had COVID again, but I did not test positive anymore. Maybe the first time was such a huge dose that I am now WonderWoman (a secret escape fantasy I had after I recovered as WW was always my childhood superhero role model, and the movie “WW 1984” was supposed to be out at the same time, so I listened to the music during recovery). What I have noticed though […]

If you’ve ever felt like you had to “just get on with it” after a significant life transition, traumatic event, or a series of micro-challenges—especially while living abroad—you’re not alone. Many lifestyle expats carry invisible emotional weight that builds over time: unresolved grief from losing their home culture, a tough repatriation, chronic uncertainty, or even high-stress corporate transitions. But here’s the good news: Coaching—when done well—can help you overcome the lasting impact of trauma, build sustainable resilience, and reconnect with your purpose. And no, this doesn’t mean diving into your childhood or treating mental health disorders—that’s the domain of therapy. Let’s get honest about what coaching can and cannot do—and how it might be the missing link in your expat […]

During the global pandemic, my mother could not find yeast for weeks. Her village in Southern Germany had a yeast shortage. We didn’t have a shortage of anything here in Zurich, neither toilet paper nor yeast, even though demand for both was higher than in “normal” times. I went to SPAR and bought five packs of dry yeast. The man at the post office laughed when I told him what was in the small parcel—my second delivery since the beginning of our lockdown. My mother and aunt love to bake, even in “normal” times. The price for the package was higher than the value of the goods, but this was the only thing I could do for my family from […]

Embarking on an expatriate journey is often portrayed as an exciting adventure, offering new experiences, cultures, and opportunities for personal growth. However, beneath the surface of this exhilarating chapter in your life lies a lesser-explored aspect – the risk of expatriate burnout and trauma. When moving to the land of cheese and chocolate, many of us had an idea of a dream country, and I used to remember my favorite childhood cartoon series, “Heidi,” as a mental reference. During the transition phase, I soon realized that there was another reality about Switzerland.  The real Switzerland is not all cheese and chocolate This is a reality you might not be familiar with when listening to touristy advertisements, and it’s probably not […]

“Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel” and “Sissi” are my favorite holiday movies. I completely watched “Downton Abbey” this holiday season again, and like every woman, being treated like royalty is very high on my wish list. I was delighted that I received a king statue on Monday, 6 January 25, in my “Dreikönigskuchen” because I see that as a sign of luck for 2025, a sign that I will get over past challenges and stop working so hard for my income. As a fan of Aschenbrödel and someone who mentions her in talks, I came across Colette Dowling’s book, the “Cinderella Complex”. She described her journey with a deep need to be saved by a man, a knight in shining armor […]