From Switzerland to the US: Convenience rewired daily life

convenience rewired – After moving from Switzerland to the US, an Australian family described how convenience-driven shopping, bigger portions, faster routines, and a more talkative culture reshaped their habits—from meal planning and waste reduction to how they build community.

The first time she walked into a supermarket in the United States, Naomi Tsvirko felt swallowed by choice.

Enormous aisles. Bulk-sized products. Overflowing carts everywhere. It was so different from the smaller, more frequent shopping trips she was used to in Switzerland that it became a kind of snapshot of the entire move—one where adapting meant changing daily habits, expectations, and ways of living.

Tsvirko. an Australian who moved to the US with her family after living in Switzerland for three years. has now spent five years in the United States. She describes the transition not as a simple upgrade or downgrade. but as a hard. everyday re-learning—pushing and pulling at what she valued. from how they shop to how they slow down.

In Switzerland, she said, the family bought less and lived with less. Living in an apartment meant limited space, and it made them cautious about storing things they didn’t need. In the US. she said. online shopping and big-box stores made it “incredibly easy to accumulate things quickly.” With a house now replacing the apartment. she has had to become more intentional about what comes into their home.

To protect the minimalist lifestyle she associated with Swiss living. she leaves items in her online shopping cart for at least 48 hours before buying. The pause is meant to separate what she needs from what she wants. She has also spent time reading more about decluttering and mindful consumption, including avoiding single-use purchases when possible. Instead of buying a shirt with a shamrock design that she would wear once a year for St. Patrick’s Day, she buys a green top that can be worn throughout the year and styled for the holiday.

The pace of life also followed her across the Atlantic. In Switzerland. she says she learned to value slower living—long walks. downtime. and fewer activities—and that being busy was not glamorized. She picked up the popular Swiss-German phrase “Langsam. langsam. ” meaning “slowly. slowly. ” and she says she heard it often enough that she began repeating it to herself whenever she caught herself rushing.

In the US, she found everything moved faster: schedules, work, and kids’ activities. Still. she says she has managed to carve out moments of slow living again. helped by access to tools and resources that make it easier. She has a bird feeder and bird bath that act as a reminder to appreciate nature and be in the moment. and she says it’s become more fulfilling even as other people boast about being busy.

Food routines changed just as sharply. In Switzerland. she shopped for food almost daily. walking to the grocery store to buy fresh ingredients for that day’s meals. She said they loved eating fresh food and were careful about waste because of the expense tied to garbage disposal—special bags and paying for disposal instead of paying a flat fee where they lived.

In the US, grocery shopping became a weekly event built around huge carts and bulk purchases. That forced her to rethink meal planning, especially to keep food fresh and healthy. She said she has the advantage of a big garden. letting her grow fruits and vegetables and compost food they don’t use. which she describes as requiring more effort but also offering real reward.

The shift didn’t stop at groceries. She said in Switzerland. to-go coffee was not common and eating and drinking out felt like slow rituals. with locals typically sitting and enjoying coffee and meals. Portion sizes were generally smaller. and over-ordering was frowned upon. encouraging her to pay closer attention to what she was consuming and how much.

In the US, she was initially surprised by large portion sizes and processed foods. Over time, she says she found healthier grocery options and built routines to keep her family’s diet balanced. She also described making a conscious decision to ignore drive-thru culture. Even so. she admitted the occasional drive-thru coffee can be a lifesaver when taking her kids to their early-morning ice hockey games.

Community, too, required a different kind of practice. Tsvirko said Swiss people were generally not fans of small talk. pointing to her Swiss neighbor who barely spoke to them—and the twist that it only became clear on her last day in Switzerland that the neighbor worked for the same company as her husband. At the time. she said. they didn’t mind it. but building a sense of community with locals had been difficult.

In the US. she found small talk almost unavoidable. and she said it led her toward connections that felt deeper than she expected. The Americans she became friends with. she said. began as strangers who were masters of small talk—each conversation snippet revealing hobbies and beliefs. Before she knew it, she was bonding with neighbors who also enjoy gardening and reading.

She described how conversations about books turned into monthly book-club meetups and a stronger sense of community.

In the end, Tsvirko’s account lands on a simple message drawn from lived experience: no place is inherently better than another. Switzerland, she said, taught her the value of intentional living. America, she said, showed the possibilities that come with convenience, opportunity, and community.

What changed her life wasn’t a country deciding for her—it was the daily choices she made in response to each new environment.

Switzerland United States culture shock grocery shopping portion sizes minimalism waste reduction small talk community lifestyle habits