My family moved from Switzerland to the US. All the culture shock — from portion sizes to groceries — changed how we live

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Man, woman and two kids smiling at Christkindlesmarkt in Europe in snow
My family moved from Switzerland to the US several years ago. Both places have been filled with surprises that have shifted how we live on a daily basis and how we build habits.

Naomi Tsvirko

I booked Airbnbs in small towns while backpacking Europe and found 2 hidden-gem destinations I'd never heard of

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A composite image of the author in a cap and blue polo standing in front of a tub-shaped brown building with trees and grass in the background and a sunlit field in front of houses with mountains in the background
Business Insider's reporter booked Airbnbs outside major European cities and found some hidden gems in Germany and Switzerland.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I became a trailing spouse when I moved to Europe for my husband. I don't regret putting my family before my career.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Lily Fen and her husband posing for a photo together in Prague.
Lily C. Fen followed her husband to Prague after he moved home in 2009.

Courtesy of Lily C. Fen.

The 20 best countries in the world, ranked

Tech Insider : Economy, Travel, Travel
Aerial view of downtown Geneva in Switzerland.
Downtown Geneva, Switzerland.

pawel.gaul/Getty Images

I'm an American raising 2 kids in Switzerland. They started walking to school without me when they were in kindergarten.

Tech Insider : Business, Style, Travel
Kids walking alone
The author's kids walk to school alone.

Courtesy of the author

I paid $400 to sleep in a barrel in Switzerland and had the best glamping experience of my life

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Insider's reporter spent two nights in a barrel she found on Airbnb in Switzerland.
Business Insider's reporter spent two nights in a barrel she found on Airbnb in Switzerland.

Joey Hadden/Insider

I stayed in a Swiss village to save money while backpacking Europe for 2 weeks and found a hidden gem destination

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author standing in front of wine barrels in a gravel yard in Switzerland
A Business Insider reporter traveled to six European cities, and her favorite destination was a small town outside Zurich.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I've raised my 3 kids across Switzerland, Australia, and the US — each culture has taught me valuable parenting lessons

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Style
Family eating ice cream, walking down sidewalk
Switzerland

Naomi Tsvirko

We're sisters, best friends, and co-CEOs. Here's a day in our lives running our dental tech company.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology, Travel
two sisters pose in red for a professional photo
Dr. Haley Abivardi and Dr. Goly Abivardi.

Jos Schmid

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Haley Abivardi, DMD (above, right), and Dr. Goly Abivardi, DMD, the 56- and 52-year-old co-CEOs and founders of vVardis, based in Zug and Zurich. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I joined my parents on their first trip to Europe. It was a rare opportunity to reconnect with them as an adult.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author and her parents posing on a boat in Prague.
Joining my parents on their first trip to Europe was a great way for us to reconnect as adults.

Emily Shedal

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