In 2024, after spending 2.5 years living in Switzerland, I suddenly decided to return home to Ukraine. On one hand, it was a completely impulsive decision. On the other, it was something I had been thinking about for a long time. <\/p>\n
Now, after spending more than two years back in Ukraine, I feel ready to talk about what that transition was really like. <\/p>\n
Returning home felt both familiar and surprising. Home was still home \u2014 my family, friends, favorite places, and the language I grew up speaking were all here. One of the things I missed most while living in Switzerland was Ukrainian food, so being able to enjoy it again felt wonderful. <\/p>\n
My first year back in Ukraine was incredible despite the difficult circumstances. Everything felt fresh and exciting. However, the second year brought new challenges: blackouts, a harsh winter, and long periods of cold weather. During those months, I often found myself missing Switzerland. To be honest, there were moments when I seriously considered moving back. <\/p>\n
When I thought about what I missed the most, I created a personal list. Here it is. <\/p>\n
Nature <\/p>\n
The thing I miss most is Swiss nature. <\/p>\n
Switzerland feels like a country designed by nature itself. The mountains, lakes, rivers, and centuries-old villages surrounded by Alpine landscapes create an atmosphere that is difficult to describe. <\/p>\n
I lived in a small town in an old house, but the view was extraordinary. From one window, I could see Lake Zurich. From another, I could see the Swiss Alps. Summer mornings and winter evenings felt almost unreal. <\/p>\n
Even today, I hope I will experience those views again someday. <\/p>\n
Adventures and Day Trips <\/p>\n
The second thing I miss is traveling around Switzerland. <\/p>\n
Looking back, I realize I didn\u2019t explore enough during my 2.5 years there. <\/p>\n
One of the best things about Switzerland is how easy it is to take a spontaneous day trip. You can board a train in the morning and spend the day hiking in the mountains, visiting a lakeside village, or exploring a completely different city. <\/p>\n
Ironically, now that I live in Kyiv, I sometimes find it harder to motivate myself to visit even parts of my own city. Convenience doesn\u2019t always guarantee adventure. <\/p>\n
The Rhythm of Life <\/p>\n
Switzerland has a slower pace of life, and when I lived there, I didn\u2019t appreciate it. <\/p>\n
I\u2019ve always considered myself a big-city person. I liked fast movement, busy schedules, and constantly rushing from one thing to another. <\/p>\n
After spending two years back in Ukraine, I sometimes miss that slower rhythm. There are days when I simply want to sit by a lake, enjoy the scenery, and stop worrying about productivity. <\/p>\n
Free Time <\/p>\n
Perhaps the biggest difference I noticed between the two countries is how people approach their free time. <\/p>\n
In Switzerland, free time seemed to be treated as something important rather than something that happened only after every responsibility was completed. Whether it was hiking, cycling, spending time by a lake, or simply taking an evening walk, many people intentionally made space for activities that helped them recharge. <\/p>\n
Back in Ukraine, life often feels faster and more unpredictable. Many people work hard, manage multiple responsibilities, and face challenges that leave less energy for leisure. Of course, people still find ways to relax and enjoy themselves, but free time often gets squeezed between other priorities. <\/p>\n
What I miss most is not a specific place or activity. It\u2019s the feeling that slowing down is normal. <\/p>\n
In Switzerland, I often felt encouraged to enjoy the present moment without feeling guilty about not being productive every minute of the day. <\/p>\n
What Ukraine Gave Me Back <\/p>\n
At the same time, returning to Ukraine reminded me of many things I had missed while living abroad. <\/p>\n
The warmth of conversations, the closeness of family, the sense of community, and the resilience of people here are difficult to replace. These are things that no beautiful landscape or efficient transportation system can fully provide. <\/p>\n
Living in two different countries taught me that quality of life is about much more than income, stunning scenery, or well-organized systems. It\u2019s also about how we spend our time, what we value, and the people with whom we share our lives. <\/p>\n
I don\u2019t believe one country is better than the other. <\/p>\n
But after living in Switzerland and returning to Ukraine, I gained a new appreciation for balance \u2014 and a deeper understanding of what free time can mean in our lives. <\/p>\n
Have you ever moved back to your home country after living abroad? What was the one thing you missed the most?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2024, after spending 2.5 years living in Switzerland, I suddenly decided to return home to Ukraine. On…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":77553,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[8462,6894,30055,11512,8839,23633,2877,4840,16179,17,1276,135,16032,8599],"class_list":["post-77552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-switzerland","tag-after","tag-back","tag-coming","tag-free","tag-home","tag-i","tag-in","tag-miss","tag-most","tag-switzerland","tag-time","tag-ukraine","tag-vs","tag-what"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116691865827883706","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77552\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}