Hi!
My name is Marie, but I’d prefer if you’d call me Jess. I’ve been using that pseudonym for all of my artistic activities since I was 13 years old and I don’t seem to be able to stop, even when I am already 32 years old.
Who am I?
I am just an ordinary woman from the Czech Republic, the heart of Europe. During covid-19 crisis in 2020 I started feeling claustrophobic within the closed borders of my country and I decided to leave. I knew I was still searching for something in my life and I felt that this something was not to be found where I was.
Switzerland
Not even four months later from my initial idea to flee the country, I found myself living in southwestern Switzerland. I went there as an Au-pair, because at the time, with all the lock downs and restricted tourism there weren’t any other jobs available. I meant to stay for 6 months, until the situation would get better and allow me to move somewhere else. I somehow ended up staying for 3,5 years.
Malta
Right after leaving Switzerland in February 2024, I moved to Malta to become a teacher of English as a foreign language which was something I had been working towards throughout my entire stay in Switzerland. Malta was not my dream destination – I wanted to teach somewhere else, but as a non-native speaker, I had very limited options. Malta welcomed me with arms wide open and I decided to pursue my teaching dream, even though it meant losing my beloved Switzerland for years to come.
So what’s this blog about?
In my posts I share my experience with life in Switzerland. I write anecdotes from daily life of an Au-pair, I describe the differences between Czech and Swiss culture and I write about the beautiful places I had the pleasure to visit and the people I’ve met. I also upload lots of photos to the photo gallery and sometimes I post videos on YouTube. So if you are interested in Switzerland, especially in what it is like to be an Au-pair in this alpine country, then you are in the right place.
As of 2024 I also started posting photos and stories from my life in Malta.
What is all the music and other artistic stuff about?
Apart from travelling and writing I have a lot of other hobbies. So there is a special section for music and my art. My visual art is scarce at the moment, because apart from photography, I gave up on everything – I simply don’t have time to draw and paint anymore. But the music section and my passion for music is very much alive.
You might find me sharing, for example, instrumental covers or sheet music of my favourite songs. I usually create these for my own usage, but I see no reason why other people shouldn’t use them as well, so I just share them (hoping I am not violating any copyrights).
You might also come across some original music – I used to be a songwriter and a singer in a rock band called ‘Majvely’. So from time to time, I post videos of me singing our old songs, trying to remind myself of the good, old times. But I hope I will be able to share my new music in time, because I’ve been working on some new stuff ever since I’ve left the Czech Republic.
Why am I writing this blog?
I have always wanted a blog. I just never had the guts to start one. I was too afraid of all the criticism and negative feedback one can get online. But then I realised that I am too insignificant and no one cares anyway, so I started this blog. Mostly as a way to keep the memories alive and also as a tool to share them with my beloved ones. But you are most welcome to read my thoughts as well. Maybe you will find something interesting there, apart from the deep dive into the ocean of my mind. xD
Is this blog still alive?
When you take a look at some post dates, you might think that this blog is outdated or dead. But that’s not true. The truth is that I post my stories with a huge time gap. That’s because I have ADHD and my time blindness makes it very difficult for me to guess how much time writing one article may take. So there are still many more stories to come, but it’s probably going to take me some time to deliver them.
I truly hope that you will enjoy the content on this blog, my social media or YouTube. If you’d need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me via social media. And if you don’t like it, well, nothing I can do about it, I just hope you’re having a good day. 😉
Your author, Jess