🇨🇭Beyond the Mountains: 8 Unexpected Lessons from My Swiss Vacation

My Summer Vacation Taught Me to Pause, Play and Prioritize Joy (and Cake)

Oct 01, 2024

Welcome to a belated edition of The Switchboard. A few weeks back, I took time off to go to the land of cheese, chocolate and mountains — Switzerland. It was my first real vacation in a few years (eeek! I won’t wait that long again). As I’ve reflected on the trip, I wondered: should I share my experiences with this community?

Initially, I hesitated because it felt off-brand. After all, this isn’t a travel newsletter, but The Switchboard is focused on exploring the ways we communicate at work and in life. And it turns out that traveling through the Swiss Alps taught me a lot more than I realized about ways to approach work and everything in between. Before I return to “regular programming,” I would like to share my reflections, learnings and favorite photos to bring you along on the adventure:

⛰️ Pause to Slow Down
🛝 Embrace the Playground
🥮 Travel 2.5 Hours for Cake
💬 Talk to Strangers
🧸 Let Go of Lost & Found
🏥 Prep for the Crisis
🍫 Share the Chocolate
🐑 Baaad Days Happen to us all

1. ⛰️ Pause to Slow Down

From the mountains to the lakes, the scenery in Switzerland felt like walking (when hiking) or floating (when on a boat) in a painting. There is beauty everywhere. While hiking I didn’t race to finish the trail, instead paused often to enjoy the beauty — the mountains, flowers, clouds with paragliders jumping through them and the super cute, but very smelly cows.

⏰ Learning: Make time to pause daily to appreciate the beauty around you, whether it’s starting the day with a walk or wrapping up the work day with intention.

2. 🛝 Embrace the Playground

The Swiss are known for building epic playgrounds on top of mountains. With the creative engineering, it’s hard not to jump for joy on the trampolines embedded in the ground or slide in delight out of a giant wooden cow. The unexpected photo shoot at the playground was one of my favorite memories from the trip.

While smiling on the Mannlichen slide, I thought of Michelle Lee and her work with the IDEO Play Lab: “Consider children on a playground — if kids feel comfortable with each other, they can engage in the highest level of play, having the most imaginative experiences and fun.”

⏰ Learning: Joy can transform you. Make time to get comfortable and creative. When a slide isn’t available, try to build our own digital version of a playground in the ways you approach projects. As Mary Poppins would say: “find the fun and snap, the job’s a game!”

3. 🥮 Travel 2.5 Hours for Cake

Years ago I discovered the Abersold Bakery, which has been in business since 1931. The Nidelkuchen cake was so memorable that we traveled two and a half hours out of our way on a rainy day to Murten, Switzerland to eat it again. It is still the most delicious and unique dessert I’ve ever had — a light spongy bread with a caramel creme top! Plus the savory version was extra amazing.

⏰ Learning: Make time for an activity that nourishes you, whether it’s re-reading your favorite children’s book to start the day, hosting a food focused culture program or meditating like Carmen Boon.

4. 💬 Talk to Strangers

When traveling the trains, boats, cable cars, conversations with tourists and locals happened organically as we asked for directions or admired gadgets. It was nice to learn from people all over the world who also shared our sense of awe and adventure. We traded favorite restaurants, bakeries (of course) and travel hacks.

⏰ Learning: Maintain a learning mindset. It’s possible to learn from anyone around you. Look back at what Switchboard leaders have prioritized to learn in the past.

5. 🧸 Let Go of Lost & Found

One of my family members lost an item on a train on the trip. The item was expensive, but replaceable, thankfully not a family heirloom. We were really upset about the loss, filed a lost and found slip with the train company. A few days later, we were notified the item was found! But when we went to pick it up, it was not our item. Sadly, it was lost forever. We had to let this go, but it wasn’t easy.

⏰ Learning: It is easier said than done, but at some point, you have to move forward. Accept what’s happened and let it go. Whether it’s a project pivot or a decision, stewing about it, won’t help you. Embrace the uncertainty like the hosts and patrons at The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders.

6. 🏥 Prep for the Crisis

Communicators are taught to be ready to respond should a crisis hit. On this trip, I thought we were prepared — additional health travel insurance, Covid tests and a first-aid kit.

What I wish I had: a list of when each of us had our last tetanus shot. Thankfully, everything turned out fine. But when someone falls on the top of a mountain, you need to know when your last tetanus shot was when you go to the emergency clinic. Photos to remind me of serenity.

⏰ Learning: No matter how much you prepare, you may not be ready for everything. Prepare checklists to help you during challenging times. Here’s a reminder for a caring list for colleagues.

7. 🍫 Share the Chocolate

Switzerland is famous for its chocolate. But there’s only so much one person can enjoy. To share with friends at home, we brought back chocolate bars. It was so fun to see their surprise reactions when they received and tasted the chocolate. I wish I had brought back more bars to share with friends far and wide.

⏰ Learning: Small gestures for others can go a long way. Consider sweet treats, but also the power of recognition by celebrating kindness or other qualities that matter at your workplace.

8. 🐑 Baaad Days Happen to us all

I took this photo of a sheep chomping on grass near Gimmelwald, Switzerland. The reaction is so funny it makes me laugh. Since I love puns, I decided the sheep is saying: “Baaaaad Days Happen to us all.” Yup, it’s true. We all have them. But, it’s how we handle them that matter most.

⏰ Learning: To keep you going through challenging times, keep track of the moments that matter most with a Smile File. Also, sometimes laughter is the best medicine.

This vacation took me beyond the mountains, lakes, and cheese with Eight Unexpected Lessons. I learned to embrace the pause, play and prioritize joy.

I hope you were able to take some time off this summer or are planning ahead for a fall or winter vacation. What’s a lesson you’ve learned from a vacation?

The Switchboard