The Friday morning that I departed America was full of frenzy. I was finishing up some paintings, packing, trying to shower and remember to put on matching socks....that kind of morning. I had stayed up late the night before playing Rock Band with April & Co. and that whole week had been full of paintings and goodbyes and good food and good fun and everything else you can imagine besides packing.
So, I packed four large suitcases (which cost me an extra $600 dollars on the airplane just FYI), but as was feared, each of them were overweight (why are we SO biased! GRRRR!) I had my sweet mom help me weigh them as I had to remove about 20 pounds per bag. There went my jar of crunchy Jif peanut butter and the good toilet paper that you just can't find here. Out went my books and for some reason my journal AND my Nikon got thrown out too...I was in a frenzy and didn't know what I was doing!!!! My yoga mat was tossed out and my picture frame that housed the one family photo I was going to bring. I kept telling myself I could get it all in June. And yet, somehow I kept my Dorothy Parker short stories...because even I have limits. I didn't pack a blow dryer or curling iron, I didn't pack excess shoes or pants...although SEVEN hats made it into the bags...seriously, was I delirious? Oh yes, I was!
So, today, I finally got a break to go down into the "city" of Sierre, Switzerland to do some shopping. I'll tell you one thing. The Swiss people are FREAKING CRAZY! Who can live here? Who can afford it! After all my years of European travel I was going to buy a hairdryer of my own...it was $90 dollars!!! I was going to get a yoga mat, most of them were about $80 and the cheapest one I found was $40 dollars! Agh! I tried to find a simple white frame to house my family photo and when I found one I had no idea that it would cost $25 dollars! I mean, I already have to pay a preposterous amount of money on food here..but honestly, I couldn't bring myself to buy ONE thing that I wanted. I just couldn't! I think they are about half the price in Paris and since I get to go there in a few weeks, I thought I'd just wait for a bit. I think I might also buy pasta and tuna fish there too as it's ridiculously expensive here. And even though the Swiss Francs feel like play money, I was always too thrifty in monopoly for my own good! Curse you BOARDWALK!
This wasn't exactly the weight loss plan I was going for, but I think it's going to work anyway. And simplifying my life was just made a lot easier. Now, if only I could have packed my other glove, the matches to my socks, and that Zen Buddhism book I was planning on reading.
Things that Switzerland apparently doesn't have (so if you'd like to bring them when you visit me):
Apple Cider Vinegar
Maple Syrup and Pancake Mix (where you just add water on a lazy Sunday morning!)
Peanut or Almond Butter
Prune Juice
Pesto
Oatmeal
Men over six feet tall and under 40 who just want to kiss in a cafe over hot chocolate....
I'd prefer that last one the most. Cause baby, it's cold here! (And holy cannoli, I think I just revealed the fact that I eat like an 80 year old spinster! Yes, I like prune juice..ok!)
5 comments:
Hmm. Having to replace peanut butter with Nutella might be just the thing. It has chocolate!
Oh, that was fun to read. The practical side of me is in overdrive right now: Could it be cheaper to have your mom buy you a blowdryer and then mail it to you? But I'm not sure what the mailing rates are to ship internationally. I have a friend in Germany who I ship to occassionally, but her husband is in Iraq and works for the air force, so they have an APO US zip code and it's just as cheap as mailing something here. Hmm, now I am rambling. But surely your mother could mail you some oatmeal.
i don't know how much it costs to mail things to switzerland, but when nene was in australia it was insane how much they charge to ship things there!
i guess i'll just have to come visit and bring your prune juice and peanut butter...but how strict is swiss customs? will they let food through?
You girls are sweet!
Jenn, the whole reason I didn't bring one with me from America is that they don't work here because of different voltage and electrical outlets. Even converters aren't very good. I've witnessed flat irons, blow dryers, and curling irons blow up with the converters...so an American one just won't work.
And yes, jo, they let food through. Customs in Switzerland is VERY different from other countries, they know they are TOO expensive to stay here so there aren't many restrictions.
I mailed a package to my brother in South Africa - Flat rate $47.00 - BUT my brother had to pay $67.00 Custom tax...
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