Since I arrived 11 years ago, this past winter was one of the few that I spent entirely in Switzerland (if not the only one 🧐), without leaving the country, not even briefly. Previously, wintertime had always felt scary. To avoid the winter blues as much as possible, I always had an escape plan of some kind.

It's that time again to pack everything and have those rollers rolling to the next destination. The leaving part from a place that I called home for a short period is always a bit weird. When looking back, these two weeks flew by.

That question that always comes up: where is your home (your "dihei" in Swiss German). I always have to pause to answer. How much information will I be giving to the person asking the question? How much time do we have, and how much will the person comprehend? Should I keep it short and simple and say Zurich, or should I go into the details...

Eating alone in restaurants has become a regular thing in my lifestyle—breakfast, lunch, dinner. It is interesting to see the curious looks around. In places where individuals go with their families or loved ones to relax and spend time together, indulging themselves with the local culinary specialities combined with drinks and wine, I am living my day to day.

While laying on the floor of a park today, observing the passersby, the lives of others, and simply letting the sun rays warm myself up while admiring birds crossing the blue sky, this one particular feeling sparkled up—the beauty of not knowing what will happen.

A few days ago, while talking to a good friend, we came to the topic of (not) belonging (…) The solid base becomes oneself, not a location, not a specific group of people, but a movement, a flow, forever changing, adjusting, recalibrating.

Last week I had an insightful talk with a friend on the topic of change. One of the questions that came to the surface was where even to start when wanting to make a change. It is a process. We touch based on a few of the topics, and my mind filled with further thoughts after our talk. So here comes a more detailed reflection on it.

A few days ago, I celebrated my 11th year in Switzerland. It is crazy to think that I have spent now a third of my life in this country. A sliding door that opened many others to come. A decision that shaped my reality.

I took myself as the subject in front of the camera to try out the options. Not only for convenience reasons (being able to take my time, without distractions) but also to put myself through the experience of the ones who will be sitting there at a later stage.

From feeling powerful, in control, and in the possibility of doing everything that I want. To question all the steps, asking myself how I could contribute more, to sleeping an average of 10 hours a day (compared to my usual 7), reading and watching series in a way I probably never done before. Slowing down, literally...

Confusion and being in a place of having to assort situations never experienced before initially causes a certain discomfort in our brains. ⁠Sometimes even desperation or resistance, wanting to fight back or to figure out some categorization by searching the drive of countless memories…

Viewing things from a distance sometimes helps us to receive new insights, new perspectives. Only a small step back or to the side can already have a substantial impact. Taking the time to stop, to breath, to simply observe, to let thoughts, conversations, struggles and insights sit in.

I went from a savage meat eater to a vegetarian to a consequent vegan. Until I found that which could best describe me, a flexitarian - for some of you it may be a familiar term, for others, it might still be a confusion of what it actually means.

Every time I am about to leave something, someone or somewhere behind to move forward, a certain" pre-nostalgia" takes place. It could be a job, a person, a city or, as in the past few months, a hotel. This is especially true for places I had the opportunity to live fully and have called home for a specific duration of time.

As in any job, there are things we enjoy doing and others we disdain. More and more, I am realizing that which gives me drive at work (…) What is that which brings you to the state of flow, which makes you forget everything around and focus solely on the present moment?

It's not only about dining; it's about experiencing. A 360° immersion in taste, textures and disrupting expectations. Dishes carefully created with a story and well-thought explanation behind.

Some are ready to pack their things and move on, while others are focusing on fine-tuning their existing realities. One thing is for sure, change is the only constant in life, and now in a galloping speed. ⁠⠀

Just like our lives. We choose the seeds we want to plant today to start harvesting in the future. Things don’t come from one day to another. It needs dedication, commitment and care, to nourish, to water, to give the necessary space to grow.