Semiha Weber

Hello! Welcome to my traditional yearly reflection, where I reply to the same questions every year to summarize my experience of building a life in Switzerland & the adaptation process.

In this reflection series, I share my experiences on different sides of life in Switzerland as a migrant who is passionate about becoming more of a local every day. Here is a summary of the year 2025.

Enjoy reading!

What did I love the most about my life in Switzerland this last year?

What I appreciated the most was a subtle but important shift I observed in my emotional well-being. This year, I started to feel truly more grounded and settled.

I’m someone who likes to walk daily. Walking is one way to process life for me and an easy solution to make sure I move my body. It helps me organize my thoughts, release my feelings, and breathe.

In the past, there were many walks where I felt the weight of my thoughts—thoughts that were mostly caused by migration. My inner voice was constantly telling me, “You are not enough.” There used to be such a heaviness in my chest because of this thought that it felt physical; in those times walking would become difficult, as if I weren’t just carrying emotions but actual burdens on my body.

This year, there were fewer of those heavy walks. I realized it especially when spring came so beautifully this year, and I was finally able to feel the joy of the spring and experience its beauty much more. Unlike the previous years, where I would notice the beauty, but my mind simply wouldn’t allow me to take it in.

I remember very well talking to myself:

“This is such a beauty! I see it. But I cannot let it inside of me. I wish my inner judgment would be kinder to me and let me enjoy this.”

These sentences were replaced by:

“This is such a beauty! I see it. And I feel it; I can let it inside now. I’ve come a long way in building a life in here and integrating myself. I might still have work to do, but that should be no reason to punish myself not to enjoy life anymore. Everyone deserves to enjoy the spring and any other beauty that comes their way, and I can still continue to work when I’m back at my desk!”

This positive change reflects that this year I was at a point of greater stability and satisfaction in my life here. Collecting milestones, seeing some tangible results was important for me to be able to feel that satisfaction.

Also, putting one foot in front of the other, day by day, and not getting (that much) angry at myself for the days that I had to take a break helped a lot. And people in my daily life here, of course! Seeing that I am finally establishing friendships with people who would check on me made the journey way easier.

What was the most difficult?

“Heimweh” (*homesickness in German) did not hit me as much in the former years as in 2025. My guess for its reason is this: I was simply too preoccupied with integrating, language learning, and studying to give myself space to feel this emotion. This year, as I started to feel more settled with my life here, my soul was finally allowed to feel a kind of grief and longing that was suppressed until now.

But it wasn’t terrible. In fact, I was grateful to finally be able to feel these emotions. And when I visited my country and beloved ones not only once in the year during the summer, but also a second time in the winter, this helped me to see: I feel complete in Switzerland; I only need to visit my country at least twice a year and satisfy my certain needs there.

Needs like spending time with my family and close friends, chatting in my native language, hanging out, eating the traditional foods, and drinking unlimited glasses of çay.

Here comes an honest confession. It might be difficult to understand for people who never experienced this, but for me, I can’t say that I feel 100% at ease in either of my two homes: Turkey or Switzerland.

A big(ger) part of me feels at home in Switzerland: my mindset about how one should live his life, that we should plan things more carefully, and that the society or/and individuals should take rules more seriously. That people should mind their own business and not interfere in others’ lives unless it is asked, especially when it comes to judging other people’s life choices that do not impact anyone else but them. And the fact I have a physical comfort zone here: our home, nearby the nature, calm and isolated, but also accessible to the rest of the country by an easy bike ride to the train station—makes me feel at home in Switzerland the most.

Other parts of me feel at home in Turkey: how easy it can be to start a conversation with a stranger and offer friendship, invite someone over to one’s place for tea or a meal. Or simply the comfort of knowing when I start speaking, no one will see me as an outsider because of my accent.

In the end, I have accepted the reality of not feeling 100% at ease in either of my two homes. But I don’t see this as a problem. I see it as a uniqueness, and I love my life as it is. I feel good in both of the countries that I call home, which is what matters the most to me.

Where I am in the process of learning the local languages

French

Even though I was already “feeling” that my level had reached B2 in 2024, I needed to confirm it by an official language exam and did so. I got my DELF B2 certificate in June 2025, with an overall grade of 89/100.

It doesn’t mean that I speak flawlessly now. Some days I might hesitate over a word while ordering my dinner, and other days I do perfectly fine during a job interview in French. There is, of course, a lot of room for development and practice.

But nevertheless, these results gave me the reassurance I needed. I got it “officially” confirmed that I am ready to live my life in French, to work, to chat with local friends, and to truly participate.

The rest is just about continuing to be active in situations that require more speaking, reading, active listening, and staying curious to the possibilities of this beautiful language.

German

This year I started committing more to developing my skills in German. As French started needing less attention now that it became a part of my life, it was easier to focus on German. I got a Goethe A2 certificate in March 2025 with a grade of 90/100 and continue to learn it. (Update from October 2025: My latest certificate is TELC B1. 274/300.)

By the way, I got confident in German faster than in French—probably because German sounds are easier for me to pronounce than some French ones. It doesn’t mean I prefer German, but it definitely makes the learning process smoother, which is great!

Small confession—you’d notice this pretty quickly if you got to know me—language learning isn’t just something I have to do because of moving to Switzerland; it’s something I truly enjoy. I’m genuinely thankful for the inner & intellectual richness that comes from understanding and communicating in several languages.

What about cultural & social activities?

Some highlights from cultural & social events of 2025:

Christmas Market in Basel

This past year, I visited with my partner the beautiful Christmas market in Basel, full of lights, local crafts, and tasty street food with warm drinks during a cold winter evening. Although I am not someone who enjoys crowded places much, going out and hanging in the market that evening was undoubtedly what I needed.

Danse sur la Doux, Delémont

Like the year before, I also visited a local festival in Jura called Danse sur la Doux, which blends music, nature, and community.

Hike to Chaumont Mountain, Neuchâtel

Another memorable moment was a sunrise hike organized by the university’s sports club. We climbed Chaumont Mountain in the early hours and watched the sun rise from the peak, a breathtaking experience. I participated in it with a friend from uni. I need to admit it, though; the hike was too sporty for me mostly because of its speed. We climbed the mountain in around 1 hour without any proper breaks, which was not ideal for me. I appreciate breaks not only to regain strength but also to enjoy the hike more. 🙂

Getting Ready for the Job Search in Switzerland

I also attended several seminars hosted by the Neuchâtel University’s career center to better understand the Swiss job market and prepare for the near future.

Easy German Live Podcast and Meetup at Basel

Lastly, I joined the Easy German meetup in Basel; this was such a great mix of language learning and community vibes. If you are curious, you can see my vlog about it right here.

What is the situation with friendships in Switzerland? Do I have any Swiss friends?

I feel quite content with my friendships in Switzerland right now. I continue to show efforts to strengthen the friendships I made in Switzerland in the last years, and I stay open to getting to know other people when there is an occasion to do so. Yes, I do have a few good Swiss friends, and also Turkish & international ones. I think having Swiss friends is great to feel at home here. But also, having friends in Switzerland from my nationality and from other nationalities makes it even more complete; I can share different things with each of them.

How much of Switzerland have I explored so far?

15/26 cantons visited by June 2025. To be named, with cities I’ve visited in them:

1. Basel (Basel-City)
2. Bern (Bern, Thun, Interlaken)
3. Geneva (Geneva)
4. Fribourg (Murten, Gruyère)
5. Jura (Delémont, Porrentruy, St. Ursanne, St. Brais)
6. Lucerne (Lucerne)
7. Neuchâtel (Neuchâtel)
8. Schaffhausen (Schaffhausen)
9. St. Gallen (St. Gallen)
10. Ticino (Lugano, Morcote)
11. Valais (La Forclaz, St. Martin, Brig)
12. Vaud (Lausanne, Montreux, Les Diablerets)
13. Zürich (Zürich)
14. Graubünden/Grisons (Maienfeld, Scuol)
15. Solothurn (Olten)

Thank you

Thank you for your interest! If you have any questions, I’d answer them happily when I can. Wishing you a great morning/afternoon/evening/night, health, prosperity, good luck, and motivation in life.

Take care, and talk to you next year.