Things I didn't like and now miss from Switzerland

Go figure! The very things that used to annoy me in Switzerland are some of the things I miss the most.



Tissue Packets
Upon arriving in Switzerland, I could not understand why a normal box of tissues was a). so hard to find and b). so expensive. Why?! So, I started using little Tempo tissue packs like everyone else. It seemed so ridiculous to have travel size tissues that are specifically for use on-the-go lying around our apartment. But then. It became normal. When they were on Aktion! (sale) at Coop City, I would buy a huge package of the aloe variety and a medium pack of the menthol variety for colds. They would last all winter. It was just what we did. Now, back Stateside, when I've got a big, bulky box of tissues that gets dusty and stale and takes up tons of space, I miss my little tissue packs. Somehow the travel size ones here aren't the same. And it's not so important that I'd actually order them off of Amazon. You know, when in Rome and all that.

Front loading washing machines
It took me a long time to get used to the front-loader. Washing cloth diapers in a front-loader was difficult at best and I just felt that they took too long and didn't do that good of a job. I was pretty excited about returning to the land of top-loaders when we made the decision to leave Switzerland. But then. Our clothes weren't getting nearly as clean, and they were getting damaged! I miss the wool cycle most of all! Someday, we will buy a house and get our very own, high-capacity front-loader. Or, we'll just move back to Switzerland where they're all front-loaders.

Züri-Sacks
Garbage and recycling are some of the most confusing aspects of living in Zurich until you've done them. Then, it seems simple. You just put all the garbage in a Züri-Sack and recycling is at these neighborhood stations. Pack up all your recyclables and take them there, except for paper and cardboard which must be tied in neat little bundles and placed in front of your house on the proper day twice per month. The city gave us a hefty book and wall calendar for garbage and recycling. It was intense! Living in Oregon makes you an obsessive recycler, but with Züri-Sacks, because you had to pay individually for each one, it made the difficult and labor-intensive Swiss recycling plan much more appealing. Now, when I see our neighbors' garbage cans overflowing or recyclables strewn about in our alley, I kind of miss the Züri-Sacks.

Have you experienced something similar? What do you miss from a place that used to annoy you? ;)

(Sneezing photo via Time)