A man shouldn’t have this much trouble writing a blog post. As most likely readers of this will now know, I have some major news to impart, but I’m like a small-time actor who’s finally been trusted to deliver a key speech, and keeps fluffing his lines.
As previously disseminated to many people, something genuinely life-changing has happened: the sort of thing that blogs dream about. Yet I’m struggling to give this piece an appropriate gravitas, or explosiveness, or sense of electricity. You see, I can’t even decide on the wrapper.
Bah! Let’s just get on with the news. If you’ve not heard it, here it is: in a few weeks time, we are moving to Switzerland.
For the last two months I’ve been engaged in a job application. The process came to an end on Friday afternoon, in a small meeting room in a magnificent silvery building at the far end of Lake Zurich, worthy of its “global HQ” tag. I was finally proffered a contract and a pen. I signed it, and we all grinned at each other. It’s a very good decision for both parties.
In accordance with long RC tradition, I won’t be naming the company or discussing the job or my new colleagues in any detail (but I will offer the observation that all three appear to be quite splendid). Let’s stick with the significance and consequences of it all.
When I ran the Zurich marathon in 2006, I remember gazing around me with envy and fascination. I didn’t imagine that I would one day be living and working in this country. No nation is perfect, but I put it to the jury that Switzerland is higher up the scale than almost any other. In those annual surveys about the city with the best quality of life on the planet, Zurich and Geneva seem to be permanent fixtures in the top three.
It wouldn’t be everyone’s cuppa. Switzerland is expensive, clean-living, and conservative, yet has a stability and sense of national self-esteem every bit as refreshing as an Alpine vista. I love much about England, but find our national instinct, compulsion even, for self-criticism, depressing and corrosive. (And in one of those lovely self-referential things that I like, I even managed to do it in that very sentence.)
My new job starts on Monday November 1st — 34 days away. Before then, there is much to do and many decisions to make. Do we sell or rent out our house? Do I sell my car, or take it with us? It’s certain that we will be living in an apartment, so what do we do with all our marginal stuff? I want to junk most of it. M is likely to be more clingy about it. Disagreement ahoy.
Moving onto happier ground, it will be a shot in the arm for this writing project. RunningCommentary has become just a little stale in recent times. There is only so much one can say about my staple 3.5 mile plod around the Englefield estate, particularly in a period when I’m not able to do much running in any case. The wordchest available to discuss my spinning classes is even emptier.
But imagine living in a Swiss village, with their famous trails snaking in all directions. This one goes down to the lake; this one heads into town; and these three point towards the hills. Hills? The one thing (apart from ability, a cynic might observe) that my running career has lacked. For years I’ve envied Sweder and Glaconman their access to height, to rugged, open countryside, and to memorable panoramas. The Kennet and Avon canal offers a beautifully peasceful and gentle jaunt, but it’s a bit homely. For landscapes, the Dales and South Downs rightly wave an abusive finger at West Berkshire.
But Switzerland?
Ho-ho. You lookin’ at me….?
The big question is if and how and when my calf will heal. If it doesn’t, bugger it — I will switch to walking. The gloriously named wanderweg (hiking) is a Swiss national pastime. And skiing. I’ve never been skiing. M is afraid that this might become a new obsession. One of my new colleagues, English herself, told me on Friday that through the winter, skiing is a weekly drug for her, her partner, and many others. “We keep looking out the window, waiting for the snow to come”, she’d said wistfully.
There are downsides. It’s an expensive place to live, and the beer isn’t much cop. Anything else? Nothing that immediately comes to mind. The advantages are far more numerous.
We have a tumultuous month or two ahead. Decisions and arrangements have to be made, and action taken. We must now dismantle and pack away one entire existence, or two, including my wife’s. And then we travel to a new country and recreate entirely new lives and lifestyles. Daunting, but thrilling. One rarely has the chance to so comprehensively reinvent oneself.
And that was the news.
I should know better, but I can’t resist the temptation to requote that likeable stanza from Lord of the Rings:
The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began
Now far ahead the road has gone
And I must follow, if I can
Pursuing it with eager feet
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet –
And whither then? I cannot say.
11 comments On Where many paths and errands meet
@Robin — That’s the 100 miler, isn’t it? Er, oh damn, I’m washing my hair that day….
I’m sure it’s a fantastic challenge across a brilliant landscape, but it’s way beyond me, I’m afraid. More @sweder’s department.
Have podiatrist appointmentnext week to get another view on the calf. If I can get that sorted, I’d love to aim for one of the hilly marathons like Jungfrau or Davos, and even those would be at my very limit.
It is, of course, the perfect place to start training for the Mont Blanc ultra as well. http://www.ultratrailmb.com/
Hey Ana, Lovely to hear from you again. It’s been a long time.
Do please keep in touch with us. Come down to Almeria again one year.
Andy
Dear Andy,
Congratulations for your new job and all the changes that there will came around. The country is small, you know… But plenty of wonderful things! people, mountains, watches, chocolate! Cheese!! Welcome to the continent and enjoy the experience! Regards,
Ana
Cheers all. Come and visit.
@suzie: We’re pretty surprised too. We weren’t actually “looking at leaving England”. It just happened.
I’m reading Junior G the first part of the LOTR for his bedtime story at the moment. So it was good to bump into that again. Perhaps Zurich will be your Rivendell.
Congratulations! Best of luck in this new path in your life, Andy. I´m sure both you and M. will enjoy this adventure in such a beautiful country. It´s a pity that Switzerland beat us in the first match in the world championship in South Africa. Fortunaltely, Spain didn´t lose any more matches.
Saludos desde Almería
Well, I am very surprised, to say the least! I had no idea you were looking at leaving England, to me this is huge! And also tremendously exciting. I’m envious of you and M getting this opportunity to live in another country. I remember Switzerland being like a post-card, no matter where you looked. And the people were quite friendly. What a major life changer event for you two. Congratulations and best of luck with the move and everything that goes with it. Your life will be exceedingly busy for the next month (you won’t need to work out with all you have to do in such a short time). Give my best to M as well.
Suzie
@sweder: No, the “downsides” was unintentional, but I will happily take credit for this accidental wordsmithery.
@bb: If promotion happens, I’ll have mixed feelings. It’ll be great in some, obvious ways, but I think the pleasure of physically following onbe’s team must be a nightmare in the Prem. You never know whether you’re playing at 12 noon on a Saturday or 4 on a Sunday. Would hate that. I remember Tottenham a couple of seasons back playing their first game of the season (mid-August) at 3pm on a Saturday, but not having another home game in that slot until just before Christmas. No thanks. Seems it’s better to follow a Prem team on the telly. Which is just as well if I’m not around.
That said, I’m not convinced we’ll go up yet. I’ll take another peek at the table around Easter time.
The Jungfrau remains very much in my sights. It opens for entries in a week or two, and fills up almost instantly, so I have to decide whether to aim for it in 2011. Same weekend as my wife’s birthday in Sept 2011, so that might need as much negotiation as the upper slopes. We’ll see.
Andy
Nowt wrong with walking (or wanderwegging). Once you stop running on pavements I’m sure your calf will cure itself and that Jungfrau marathon could just be back on course.
Congratulations on the new job. Notice that not being able to watch QPR next season in the Premier wasn’t listed as a downside.
Not sure if it was intentional or not (knowing you it probably was) but I really enjoyed the segue between talk of skiing and there being a downside to life in the Alpine idyll. I’m easily pleased. I’ve heard skiing is addictive stuff. Thankfully my improbably poor balance and rof snapping bones has kept me off piste.
Good luck and Bon Voyage.
I envy you the chance to leave this (sometimes) Septic Isle.