postcard to home
By Heidi McCall (BA ’99) I met my husband Matt McCall (BMus ’98, DipPerf ’99) while studying at Laurier, and since graduating 13 years ago we have grown into a family of four with a daughter who is almost five, and a son, 3. Two years ago, we packed up our lives and became a family abroad when Matt accepted an international assignment in Basel, Switzerland, with his company Syngenta. In my third year at Laurier, I studied abroad in Nice, France, but relocating to a new country with two toddlers in tow is an entirely different kind of adventure! I initially feared that my son would be too young to have any memories of our adventure abroad. But now that he has spent more than half of his little life here in Switzerland (and visited 11 different countries so far!), I worry the opposite may be true: Will he remember Canada? Are our annual trips back to visit family enough? It has really made us question what it means to be home.
When we encounter other Canucks (and even the odd Golden Hawk alum!), it is our Canadian roots that connect us. But here in Switzerland, instead of French, our kids are learning to speak German. We have traded vacations in cottage country for mountain views, and cross-border shopping now means a quick drive to Germany or France. And while we miss our traditional Christmas turkey dinner, we have embraced Swiss specialties like rösti, fondue and raclette. We miss our faraway family and friends, but for us, for now, this charming Swiss city feels like home. Our adventure has connected us as a family. Can you have two homes? Our daughter seems to have it figured out: Home is where our family is and Canada is where the Timbits are. She is a clever little thing — perhaps a future Laurier scholar? We’ll see!
Are you a Laurier alumna/us living abroad and interested in sharing your story? Email stmorrison@wlu.ca. 38
LAURIER CAMPUS Spring 2012