Emily's Swiss journey

fun life

Emily sat quietly in her Spanish class, trying to follow along with the professor’s instructions in rapid Spanish. Learning a new language was more challenging than she’d anticipated, but she was determined to give it her all. She loved the idea of being able to communicate with people from even more parts of the world, and Spanish was a language she’d always found beautiful.

The professor announced that they’d need to form groups of two for an upcoming project. The assignment was to research a Spanish-speaking country and present on its culture, cuisine, and traditions—all in Spanish. Emily looked around the room, feeling a bit shy. Just as she was about to ask the girl sitting next to her, she noticed Natasha glancing her way.

Emily had noticed Natasha before. She was tall, with a confident smile and an easygoing aura that made people naturally gravitate toward her. Emily knew Natasha was an exchange student too, though she wasn’t sure from where. They hadn’t spoken much outside of polite hellos.

“Hey, do you want to be partners?” Natasha asked with a friendly smile, her accent hinting that she might be from Eastern Europe.

“Sure! I’m Emily,” she replied, relieved that Natasha had reached out first.

“Nice to meet you, Emily. I’m Natasha, from Russia,” she said, shaking her hand.

They agreed to meet up later that week to start their project. Emily felt a little nervous—her Spanish was still basic, and she wasn’t sure how well they’d work together. But Natasha seemed warm and easy to talk to, so she decided to give it her best shot.

When they met at the university library, Emily and Natasha quickly fell into a rhythm. Natasha was open and full of stories, sharing about her home in Moscow and her experiences adjusting to Swiss life. Emily found herself opening up too, telling Natasha about her Greek roots, her love for hospitality, and how surreal it felt to finally be in Switzerland.

For their project, they chose to research Mexico, fascinated by its vibrant culture and rich history. As they dived into their research, Emily and Natasha learned new Spanish vocabulary together, laughing as they stumbled through pronunciation. Natasha had a way of making Emily feel at ease, even when they made mistakes.

Over time, their project meetings turned into long conversations. They’d work for a while, then take breaks to chat about everything—from their favorite foods to the things they missed most about home. Natasha confessed she missed the bustling streets of Moscow and the warmth of her family. Emily related, admitting that she often felt a pang of homesickness for the lively streets of Athens and her family’s laughter.

The day of their presentation came quickly. Standing in front of the class, they took turns speaking in Spanish, describing Mexican traditions, food, and dance. Despite their initial nerves, they found their confidence as they supported each other through the presentation, helping each other out when one forgot a word or stumbled. By the end, they were both beaming, and the professor praised their teamwork and effort.

After class, Natasha turned to Emily with a grin. “We make a pretty good team, huh?”

“We really do,” Emily laughed, feeling grateful for this unexpected friendship.

As Emily and Natasha were deep in conversation, a familiar face appeared, walking toward them with a bright smile. It was Hannah, Emily's friend from her hospitality degree program. Hannah had become one of Emily's closest friends since she arrived in Switzerland. With her striking combination of Asian and Western features, Hannah was half American and half Japanese, and her unique background often made her the center of attention in their diverse class.

"Hey, Emily! I thought I'd find you here," Hannah said cheerfully, giving her a quick hug. Then she turned to Natasha, extending her hand with a warm smile. "Hi, I'm Hannah!"

"Nice to meet you! I'm Natasha," Natasha replied, returning the smile and handshake.

Emily quickly introduced the two. "Natasha and I just finished our Spanish project together," she explained to Hannah. "We had to present on Mexican culture, and I think we made a pretty good team!"

Hannah laughed. "That's awesome! Good job you both !"

“Honestly, I think we’re all a bit crazy to be here, so far from home,” Hannah said with a laugh. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s like we’re living in this little international bubble where we’re all trying to make sense of a new country together.”

Natasha nodded. “It’s true! We’re all from such different places, but somehow, being here makes us feel like we’re a little family.”

Emily smiled, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for these connections. She hadn’t expected to find such close friends in such a short time, but here they were, supporting each other through the highs and lows of their new lives in Switzerland.

They spent the rest of the afternoon together, sharing stories and laughter,

The three friends had spent the afternoon bonding, sharing stories, and laughing together. But as the sun started to dip lower in the sky, Natasha's phone suddenly rang, interrupting their conversation.

“Oh, sorry, I have to answer this,” Natasha said, glancing at the screen.

“Yeah, sure,” Emily and Hannah replied, nodding.

A few minutes later, Natasha returned, looking a bit rushed. "Sorry, girls, but I have to go. There's something I need to do."

“No worries! You can go. We’ll catch up later,” Emily said with a smile.

"Alright, see ya!” Natasha waved goodbye and hurried off.

Once she was gone, Hannah turned to Emily. “I think we should go too. Remember, we have that test next week?”

“Oh, right! I almost forgot.” Emily laughed, realizing how quickly time had flown by. “Let’s go to the library and study a little.”

The next day, Emily and Hannah were walking to class when they spotted Natasha by chance. She wasn’t alone this time—a tall guy with a warm brown skin tone and green eyes stood beside her.

“Hi, girls!” Natasha called out, waving excitedly when she saw them.

“What’s up, girl?” Hannah replied with a grin.

With a proud smile, Natasha gestured to the guy beside her. “Well, let me introduce you! This is Rodrigo, my boyfriend. Rodrigo, these are my friends, Emily and Hannah.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Rodrigo said, extending his hand with a friendly smile.

“Nice to meet you too,” Emily and Hannah replied, each shaking his hand. They exchanged polite smiles.

As the four of them stood chatting in the bright courtyard of the university, Natasha suddenly clapped her hands together as if remembering something important.

“Wait! I almost forgot—Rodrigo’s birthday is this weekend!” she said with excitement, turning to him with a smile. “We were planning a little celebration. What do you girls think? You should totally come!”

Rodrigo nodded. “Yeah, it’d be great to have you there.”

Hannah immediately perked up. “That sounds like fun! I think we can make it. What do you say, Emily?”

Emily, caught off guard but pleasantly surprised, smiled. “Sure! Why not? It sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun. Count me in!”

Natasha beamed. “Perfect! It’s going to be small—just a few friends, some good food, and maybe some dancing. I promise it won’t be anything too fancy.”

Emily chuckled, already picturing a lively evening full of laughter and energy. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been to a proper party, let alone one where she could let loose and enjoy herself without the weight of classes or projects hanging over her.

“Where’s it going to be?” Hannah asked.

“At my place,” Rodrigo said. “It’s not far from here, so it should be easy to get to. Natasha’s helping me plan everything.”

Natasha nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, we’re keeping it chill but fun. I’ll text you guys all the details later, okay?”

“Sounds perfect,” Emily said.