I was born in the canton of Zürich, at the age of 5 we moved to the canton of Vaud (change of language), at the age of 13 we moved to the same canton but far enough away to change school and everything....

When I was 20 years old I found a job and I moved alone for almost 2 years in the canton of Solothurn at the border with Basel.

Between the ages of 22 and 30, I moved around a lot. I did some missionary trips and in the meantime I came back to Switzerland to work and to earn money to do other trips.

The cantons where I lived/worked during these years are : Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Bern, Lucerne, Zug, Aarau, Grison, Turgau, St. Gallen.

A crazy time! Hahaha! But I learned SO much and grew a lot as a person!

These experiences opened my mind, helped me to learn different languages (French, Swiss-German, German) and the moves within Switzerland were a great preparation to move abroad for several months and even for more than 12 years.

I am very grateful to have been able to do all this, to meet so many great people and to discover so many beautiful places in my own country.

This missionary trip was organized by YWAM (Youth With A Mission).

I did a basic missionary training (DTS) on board one of their ships "The Caribbean Mercy Ship".

I spent 2 months in Pensacola, Florida (USA) for the course phase, living on board the ship but at the dock.

We then went to Guatemala City for another month of classes, before joining the ship in Puerto Barios, Guatemala for the training phase.

In addition to learning and discovering SO MUCH, I had the fabulous opportunity to meet wonderful people from all over the world, meet locals, children, youth, help build hard bricks to build houses, sing/play in a children's hospital, working with churches, living in a sack, sleeping on the floor, showering with a bucket, living with little, realizing real priorities and needs, not depending on materials, learning better English, learning some basic Spanish, and much more.

I had decided to go to Banbridge, Northern Ireland, for 3 months to help in a bar "The Hangout" and to work with young people, encouraging them etc...

The situation in Northern Ireland was not so easy and one week before my flight, a bomb exploded next to the Hangout. The roof had collapsed and there was a lot of damage inside, broken windows in all the streets etc...

I decided to go anyway and join the team who had decided to do a peace walk around the borders of Northern Ireland: The Rec Walk.

While walking on the roads of the country and finally arriving in Belfast, we talked, sang, prayed and had fun.

For the second part of my stay in Banbridge, I changed my plans to help clean the Hangout, help with gardening, clean and paint the inside of the old house where the girls would live (living room, guest room, bathroom,...) and help install the heating inside the house.

With two friends I met there, we decided to rent a car and drive around to discover the country a bit more.

We went to Donigal, Dublín (Republic of Ireland) and even to Scotland.

We met a lot of nice people, got to know the country, its history, the beauty of the nature...... A fabulous experience too!

After spending two enjoyable weeks in Leon, Mexico, exploring a small part of that great country with my Mexican friend Belem (whom I met in Guatemala City), I returned to Denver.

I had enrolled in another Mission school called Phase II for three months.

On campus there were MANY nationalities represented and even a Swiss.

It was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience and I still grew a lot as a person.

It was nice to be able to take a few trips to the Rocky Mountains, the Garden of the Gods, downtown, etc.

In every place in the world, there are beautiful things to see.

After completing the lecturing phase of a counseling school in Châtel-sur-Rolle, Switzerland, I decided with 2 other schoolmates to go on our 3 month outreach to South Africa.

We arranged to stay with a team from African Entreprise in Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

Upon arrival, all our stuff was stolen... luckily none of us were hurt and we didn't even see the thieves. They just stole the van with everything in it.

The next morning, a lady from African Enterprise in New Zealand donated money so that we could buy the first supplies we needed.

This experience made me realize once again that materials are not that important. We need it but there are really other priorities in life.

These 3 months have been extraordinary. So many new things to learn, to discover... and so many fabulous people to meet. The heart and the generosity of the people touched me a lot.

I even had the opportunity to learn a few Zulu words, to go on a little safari, to watch the monkeys jumping from tree to tree right outside my window. A monkey even came to steal a banana through the open window. Walking in a small park, I could see zebras and many species of antelopes, .... I could touch a boa snake and put it around my neck...

And we had the opportunity to go to Durban, Cape Town and even to a small village far from everything to help out for a week.

Many nice memories from there too!

In 2009, we moved to Mexico for a longer period of time. We didn't know exactly how long but now more than 13 years have passed.

We lived for 3 years in Tlaxcala and then moved to Querétaro.

Many anecdotes...

When I arrived here, I didn't speak Spanish. I knew a few words, a few phrases, but that was it.

My husband and I speak English together and at first it helped me to "rest" a bit while my Spanish became fluent.

As I mentioned earlier, I joined a group of ladies who met weekly for coffee and embroidery. This helped me a lot in the process of learning the language. It was VERY intense trying to understand the meaning of the discussions and occasionally trying to share something.

One thing that helped me a lot was that I was just trying to see if they understood me. With my hands and feet! Hahaha! I didn't really care if it was well said, I was just trying to repeat or say French words with a different "accent".

I tried to be as open as possible, to observe, to learn the ways of doing things here, to see the positive around me all the time.

And I never tried to bring Switzerland here or compare because I knew it would be different and it would be good for me mentally.

Of course, I have my ups and downs. And even after 13 years, I miss Switzerland... (family, friends, nature, change of season...).

But what helps me is to see and focus on the things I like best here, the things I can have in Mexico that I couldn't have in Switzerland... and I try not to look too much at the negative points. It's a mindset decision.

Every time I go back to Switzerland, I buy spices, calendars with beautiful pictures and things that I can't find in Mexico. It also helps me to feel more "at home", to make Swiss dishes from time to time, etc...

And (before Covid-19) I liked to make Swiss food and invite friends, to share some of my cultures with them, etc...

In Tlaxcala, I participated in the "Muestra Gastronomica" (Gastronomic Sample) organized by the Imigration every year. A bunch for each country sharing some specialties. I made: Rösti, Capuns and Braided bread. It was a great success and a lot of fun!

We will try to participate also in the Swiss National Day, in international events or in the parade .....

When I come back to Switzerland, it's always very nice to see my family and friends again, and to enjoy what I miss the most.

I have learned that things are just different in every place on the planet. There are cultures, customs, ways of doing things, mentalities, personalities everywhere. The best thing is to focus on what is enjoyable, wherever you are at the time, and be open to the new.

We can all learn from each other and decide what is best for us. It doesn't matter where we are.

There are people with similar personalities in every country, I think.

The important thing here is to define WHO YOU DECIDE TO BE! Find your own identity, your own way of life that fits your values!

Be yourself and be happy !