Gruezi! (That is how we say hello in Swiss!)

If someone had told me 3 months ago that we would be well into the process of planning the biggest move of our lives, I would not have believed it. But stranger than fiction - here it is: Ross and I are moving (we hope!!!) to Zurich . I have been offered a new job with IKEA ( not that I didnt have to apply for it! - but none the less) Switzerland as Deputy Commuinnication and Interior Design Manager. This is pretty amazing for a number of reasons.

1: I have been wanting a big change in my work life, having just done 2 years almost of solid remodelling in the store. I decided close the end of the last remodel project that project management was not where I wanted to direct my career.
2: After 6 years in the store I was ready for a new "something"
3: One of the advantages of working for IKEA (for 15 years!) is that there is always the possibility that you could work in a foreign country at some point - if you want it and play your cards right.
4: Ross and I have always dreamed of living in Europe and in particular close to France
Here is a very brief (I promise) overview of how it happened.
Late in May I got one of those email letters (cryptic!) saying "I need to talk to you about a potential opportunity". A former colleague told me of the posting for this new position in Switzerland, and asked me if I was interested. I said "Can you call me tomorrow!" My phone rang at the same time and said " How about now?
After about an hour I said - Let me talk to Ross and I will come back to you tomorrow. Here is really the best part of the story - without blinking an eye - Ross said "Go for it!" That is pretty neat from the guy that has never lived north of the 401, east of Yonge street, and west of Bathhust Street! If you know Toronto that is a pretty small radius. So after a few phone interviews and we found ourselves on different planes, routing thru different cities, and different airlines on our way to Zurich. In Zurich on our "Look/See" I had my final job interview and then Ross and I had 5 days to really explore the city, get to know it a bit, meet with a relocation agent who will help us find a nice place to live (fingers crossed on that one) and get to know the place that for the next few years we will call home. Zurich is a very beautiful city, quite small and charming - about the size of Hamilton Ontario, built on 2 sides of a river and lake, with lots of low bridges and great old buildings. Because Switzerland was neutral in the war, there is almost no post war architecture and anything that is modern has a more 60's feel to it. Its a great walking city ( at least in the summer! - winter will certainly be a bit different I am sure - but I have been assured it is more temperate than Toronto!)
We loved the food, how clean and tidy it was, were shocked at how expensive clothes will be - I saw a "nice" kind of hip sports jacket in a window for 5000 Swiss francs - about the same as 5000 Canadian Dollars, and it was great fun to be there and get a bit of the vibe while the World Cup was on. Great fun. WE had the change to take a driving trip closer to the Alps as far as Interlaken and Grindelwald. Superbe screnery - however apparently we did stumble on the the "Banff - of Switzerland! - lots of tour busses with lots of tourists. On our final day I was offered the job and a very decent reloacation offer (IKEA has a pretty good package for transferring employees) July 1st Ross and headed back to the airport, and our seperate airlines - Ross off to his summer gig in Chateauneuf de Mazenc, and me home a series of letters, emails, Insurance forms, Medical Certificates, letters of reference for immigration work and trying to learn some German.

Where this blog or the move will lead us I am not 100% sure - but heck that is why it is called an adventure!