Four people in one family applied for Swiss citizenship. Three passed the interview. One didn’t.
Margaret and Dave relocated to California with their children almost twenty years ago. Everyone thought they were crazy. They had the American dream — steady jobs, a good life. But the idea of another twenty years in the commute-and-weekend cycle didn’t sit right. So they moved to Switzerland to learn another way of life.
After ten years in their Gemeinde, they were finally eligible to apply. That’s when the real work began.
The Interview Wasn’t the Hard Part. Getting Ready for It Was.
Margaret describes two major hurdles. The first was the B1 German exam — not just passing it, but feeling confident enough to take it in the first place. For her, it became one of the biggest achievements of her life. The second hurdle was the naturalization interview itself. Not because the questions were impossible, but because the stakes felt high and the preparation required real commitment.
Their Gemeinde took the process seriously. Phone interviews weren’t an option. They knew they’d be sitting across from the Bürgerrat — three people asking questions about geography, history, politics, and local infrastructure. Dates mattered. Details mattered. Dave memorized the names of everyone on the committee before walking into the room. Margaret studied the town’s water system so thoroughly that when they asked about it near the end of the interview, she had the answer ready before anyone else could speak.
Their son Riley, who interviewed separately and studied less, didn’t pass. „That’s how serious they were,“ Dave said. The family’s collective knowledge didn’t matter. Each person had to qualify on their own.
The Letter Came Two Days Later
When the approval letter arrived, they jumped around the house. Then they ate pizza. But the real shift didn’t happen until the red passport showed up. That’s when it started to feel different. Not symbolic — different.
Margaret now travels on her Swiss passport whenever she can. Showing it to her American uncle, who had been trying to buy citizenship elsewhere, felt surreal. „Oh, you’re so lucky,“ he said. „Not just any country. Switzerland?“
But the voting turned out to matter more than either of them expected. Four times a year, ballots arrive. Margaret, Dave, and their two younger children sit down together at the table and go through the information. They talk about the issues. Sometimes they agree. Sometimes they don’t. Then they vote.
„I don’t remember any feeling like that when I was voting in the US,“ Dave said. In California, he barely knew the propositions. Here, the process feels participatory. Real. Like they’re part of something that actually responds.
You Don’t Find Home. You Build It.
Before applying for citizenship, Margaret and Dave considered leaving. Switzerland is expensive. The weather isn’t always welcoming. They looked at other countries. They even took a trip to explore one seriously.
When they got there, the weather was warmer. The cost of living was lower. The people were kind. And they looked at each other and said: I don’t want to live there.
That’s when it clicked. You don’t move somewhere and wait for it to feel like home. You make where you are comfortable. You learn the language. You show up. You help your neighbors water their plants. You host Thanksgiving dinner and invite people who’ve never heard of it. You study the water system even though no one asked you to.
Belonging isn’t something you’re granted. It’s something you construct, one conversation and one ballot at a time.
Listen Now
Hear the full story of how Margaret and Dave prepared, what the interview was really like, and what shifted after the passport arrived.
Episode: How I Became Swiss — Margaret and Dave’s Story
About Margaret and Dave
Margaret, David and their children relocated to Switzerland from California many years ago. Everyone thought they were crazy because they were living the American dream and only fools would give that up. But the idea of just continuing the rat race with long commutes for the next 20 plus years didn’t seem very appealing, so they moved to learn another way of life.
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