My brother wished us a Happy New Year. I chuckled. It would probably be the most uneventful year since … hmm … my childhood (?) – so what could possibly go wrong?

But exactly for that reason, my thoughtful brother wished us luck. Because to be Swiss can be  challenging for globetrotters.

As far as I can remember, profound changes and fabulous events have topped the past years of our lives: Adventurous travels, exciting jobs in distant lands, countless moves and new beginnings, further education and exams, new work places and of course the birth of our children. Each of the last years has brought us much excitement. A life in a whirlpool. But what about 2012?
Long travels are, at the moment, out of the question, exotic holidays will have to be saved for, we won’t move apartment again in a hurry, no further education is on the horizon, new jobs have already been sorted and there is no wish for more children. In brief, a normal year of an average Swiss person awaits us.

Regular working hours, meeting up with friends and family on weekends, helping the children with their homework after school, shopping every few days to feed the family, wondering what to cook every night, getting books at the library and making sure we don’t miss the return deadline, paying bills and hoping the money will last to the end of the month, keeping the apartment clean and friendly, filling out the tax papers, sustaining friendships, gathering information about the daily world happenings, having a pet, parents evenings and school performances, “will my kids be all right?”, birthday parties, renewing insurances, keeping the phone costs low, maintaining a routine (how many times will I forget to buy bread before the bakery closes…), and and and.

For the Hudsons a time of rest is imminent and with it, hopefully, some room for thoughts about this world and life. Learn from the past experiences and conclude something from them. Look into the future with a smile and a backpack full of memories. Make commitments where it makes sense. Carry the world in our hearts and share it with our fellow human beings. In Switzerland, in the village, in everyday life.