It only seems like yesterday that we packed the car full of all of our belongings, including our two cats, and drove from southern Spain to Schaffhausen. We have always wanted to work in Switzerland, so when the opportunity finally presented itself, we grabbed it with both hands. Schaffhausen is a stunning town with so much history and beauty. We remember arriving in August and seeing people walking down the road in swimming costumes, carrying noodles and wondering where they were all going. We now know and can’t wait for a refreshing river swim after work on a beautiful summer day.
Having previously lived in Dubai and Spain, seasons are one thing we really appreciate here. Every season has something different to offer. River swims, badi life and mountain biking in the forest in the summer. Followed in the autumn by the beautiful colours and crisp walks up to the randenturn in the forest, for a warming bowl of soup and bread. Not forgetting the amazing skiing, snowboarding and sledding in the winter. We were even lucky enough to see some of the Christmas markets this year, which we missed in our first year here, due to COVID restrictions. Trying our first fondue and raclette inside the traditional tents, was one of the most memorable experiences for me personally. And then the opportunity to explore the beautiful green forests, filled with wild flowers in the spring. We feel incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
Working at ISSH is also very different from any other school we have worked in. This is mainly because the school is much smaller, but this reduced size is what gives ISSH such a warm, community feeling. It is a very caring environment, where staff and students are made to feel welcome. We have worked at two other international schools and the first week of induction and training can often be daunting and sometimes a bit boring. Not at ISSH! We went for a hike into the forest behind the school, played games with our new colleagues and then cooked sausages and bread on a campfire. From then on we were absolutely thrilled with our decision to move here and we could not have asked for a better introduction to Switzerland and the ISSH family.
It is very obvious from our experiences that we love living and working here. We also recently welcomed our beautiful baby girl, Quinn Mia Robinson, who was born on September 22nd, in Schaffhausen hospital. We are over the moon with her arrival and we cannot think of a better place in the world to raise our daughter.
