How it all began

Almost three years ago, we (my GF and I) were living in a nice condo in trendy King West Village, Toronto Canada.  I had lived in the same condo, commuted to the same workplace, via the same route, in the same Jeep, in the same traffic for the last 5 years.  I loved the challenge of my job (marketing for a Big Pharma company), was active in any number of sport teams, was constantly surrounded by friends and family, and yet somehow life just became too damn easy!  I can vividly remember the feeling that there needed to be more to life than this.  I wanted to shake things up, experience diversity again and quite frankly, be challenged even by the little insignificant things in life.  Easy answer: get a dog, buy a new car, get married, have kids and move to the suburbs.  Less obvious answer, convince the GF and speak to HR to get transferred to the company headquarters in Basel, Switzerland for a three year, long term assignment!

Well, almost three years later, my contract is almost up (actively pursuing an extension!) and I thought it was important to start a blog to share my (our) experiences as an expat living in Switzerland.  If it was adventure, challenge and diversity that I was looking for, it's exactly what I got.  I will be back-filling our time here as well as capturing new adventures as they occur, so things might not appear in chronological order.  This should help to keep things interesting

In this blog I will focus on the adventures I have experienced while living in Basel, Switzerland and traveling the world.  I've dotted this first entry with a few photos from some of the adventures I've had in the last 6 months.  (All photos are personal property and are not available for commercial or other use without expressed written consent by myself, pretentious I know!)

On safari in South Africa, Nov 2010

Back country skiing the Valley Blanche in Chamonix France, Feb 2010

I will not speak about the day to day nuances that make the decision to move here the best one in my life.  I will only focus on how life has been enriched by the amazing opportunities to travel and explore this (and other) incredible country(ies), cultures and people.

Lake Lucerne while cycling across Switzerland, May 2011

The Three Chimneys taken while trekking/Climbing in the Italian Dolomites, June 2011

This blog is for everybody who has ever wanted to break free of the day to day grind, considered an international move to Switzerland but is being stopped by the unknown, or just simply wants to follow my Expat adventures from Switzerland.  Life can be one incredible adventure if you just make it one!