Well, today goes down in my Swiss history as a very important day. This morning, I collected from the local council office … my very first Swiss working visa!!!

After three years, I am now allowed to apply for any job in Switzerland (before a company would have had to prove to immigration that I was the only person in the EU who could do the job, because there are no work agreements between Australia and Switzerland. I’d applied for several jobs with no luck) – that’s two years earlier than the standard five-year waiting period for non-EU people.

And I can now volunteer as well! Without the work visa I couldn’t even offer my services for free. Hopefully there’s an animal shelter nearby that could use some help … or a farm that needs apples picked in season … or people who require assistance with their English … the list goes on. It’s such an incredible feeling! Endless opportunities.

I walked down to the council office feeling a huge amount of trepidation. The letter arrived last Thursday, saying my visa was ready to be collected, but it didn’t say if it was the work visa or just my regular yearly visa (which didn’t allow me to work). I couldn’t go on Friday, because I was in Lausanne, so today was the day.

That walk will stick with me for a long time … the feeling of what if … or maybe what not … but I was almost unwilling to arrive for fear of bad news. I took photos on the walk … wasting some time perhaps/putting off what felt like the inevitable … and then I walked in and the woman said “Yes, it’s a work visa!” I told her I could almost cry, and I almost did. Instead, I did a little happy dance in the foyer, which is a very un-Swiss thing to do!

So today, things have changed. I’ve even applied for my first job already!

Now for a quick 15 minutes of fitfor15in15 exercise, so I can celebrate with champagne when Leo comes home! Maybe I should just dance around the lounge room like an idiot?!

Wishing you a wonderful day.

In the distance, they’re chopping down trees from the forest. Hopefully they’re also planting some new ones too

Until now, this little pond has been free from ice. It was a cold weekend

A local artist has many figures in his or her garden

This little shop, in another garden on the walk to the bus, sells eggs, potatoes and so on, using an honesty-box system