Home away from home

We are back from a 10-day holiday in Lugano where we caught up with friends, traditions and food. The kids really needed to touch base with their old home, kick back and have a good giggle with their buddies.

The first months after a move always leave you hanging in limbo. I look around in Paris and think I'm on holiday and will be leaving to go back home soon. I go back "home" - in this case Lugano - and think: it's home! It looks like home, it feels like home, it IS home but it's really not anymore. The house is not ours any longer, the gympass does not grant us access, the supermarket fidelity card is not valid, the car is not around BUT our friends are still there, the local supermarket is still open, the lady at the bakery has missed us, the local policeman gives us a big grin, the school is still running and everybody is happy to welcome us back.... to our old home!

For Expat girl I strongly believe that Lugano will forever be her home just like Zurich remains my home although I have absolutely no Swiss blood running through my veins. I do admit that coming back to Lugano after having moved four months ago feels very much like going back home to Zurich. I have never had this feeling with any city other than Zurich. I guess this means - once again - that Lugano has grown on us much more than we ever imagined it would and did!