A Week Away: E’s Diary from Zermatt, Switzerland
E, one of our au pairs placed through the Italy program, spent a week off exploring Zermatt, Switzerland — the small mountain town beneath the Matterhorn — after a month of sightseeing in Rome. Below is her weekly reflection, in her own words: what she was grateful for, what challenged her, and the quiet “wow” moment that stuck with her.
Key Takeaways
- Au pairs are encouraged to reflect weekly on gratitude, challenges, and standout moments — a habit that helps process a fast-changing year abroad.
- Zermatt, Switzerland offers a slower, quieter contrast to a busy city placement like Rome, with the Matterhorn as its backdrop.
- Not every week abroad is picture-perfect — E’s week included a friend’s medical mishap alongside the highlights.
- Small, unplanned moments (like teaching sign language at swim practice) often become the most memorable part of the experience.
- Time away from a placement city, when it fits a host family’s schedule, can offer a different kind of perspective on the trip as a whole.
What were you grateful for this week?
Fondue!
What was the most challenging part of this week?
When S burst her eardrum.
Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.
I went to swim practice with the kids and taught them some sign language.
Tell us about your week!
I don’t know where to start this. I don’t even really know what to write about, because every time I try I find myself in a kind of daydream — a vast, crooked mountain watching over a little town tucked into a valley that is green and bursting with wildflowers. Sounds idyllic, but it’s the reality of Zermatt, Switzerland, where you can find the Matterhorn: a towering specter of a rock jutting high above the land.
It’s quite a lonely peak, bleak and weather-beaten. I’ve heard that often it’s obscured by clouds, but I was lucky. When I visited, the sun never stopped shining. There was a cool breeze through the canyon. And a polka concert welcomed me at the town center as I stepped off the train. Overall, my timing cannot be characterized as anything but providential.
It was worth the price of the train ticket just to be there. If you’re following along with me in my travels, you might remember how last week I was in Rome — and there is so much that is beautiful and amazing about Rome. I wished I could have stayed there a week at least, but a month would probably still not have been sufficient to discover Rome how I wanted to. And I veritably ran to each site I visited.
Sweet Zermatt was different. It wasn’t that it was less beautiful, or even that it was more beautiful. I think it was that the beauty was presented to me differently. I didn’t have to run through cobbled streets and take underground trains to spot what I was there to see: it was right there. All I had to do was walk to the end of the lane, and I didn’t even need to walk quickly.
I guess it was also a little bit that it reminded me that I am the sort of person who can appreciate the beauty of a sprawling city, but who thrives on mountain air, dirt paths, and wildflowers. Zermatt felt like a rare gift in the midst of constant newness — familiar, comfortable, easy. Kind of like one of those friends you don’t have to struggle to find the words to say to. Kind of like seeing someone you really love after a long while and realizing that although many things have changed, your friendship hasn’t.
And honestly, since it’s me talking, and I love to talk about romance, I have to mention — I have been to some of the most romantic places on Earth. Like y’all, I’ve been to Paris and everything. And oh my goodness Portugal. I can — and did — write a whole ‘nother piece about how romantic it was. But for all that I’ve seen and all the places I’ve been, Zermatt was the most romantic to me.
I just felt safe there. Safe to be me; to be American; to be silly and dance around; to stop for photos; to eat nothing but bread and cheese and chocolate (which is the dream, for real); to have pink hair; to wear a plaid shirt; to pick flowers; to daydream, and to speak, which are two very powerful things.
FAQ: Weekend Trips and Weekly Reflections Abroad
Do au pairs get time to travel during their placement?
Time away depends on each host family’s schedule and the terms of the placement, so it varies from pair to pair. Many au pairs use days off to explore nearby cities or countries, as E did with her trip from Rome to Zermatt.
Why does Rome Abroad ask au pairs to reflect weekly?
A short weekly check-in — gratitude, a challenge, a “wow” moment, and a recap — helps au pairs process a year that moves quickly and changes a lot. It also gives future participants and their families an honest, first-person look at what the experience is really like.
What is Zermatt known for?
Zermatt is a small, car-free town in the Swiss Alps, best known as the base for viewing the Matterhorn. It’s a popular day or weekend trip for travelers already exploring Western Europe.
Is Switzerland part of the Rome Abroad program?
No — Rome Abroad places au pairs in Italy, Spain, France, and Australia. Trips like E’s to Switzerland are personal travel that au pairs take on their own time, separate from their host family placement.
Weeks like E’s — a little homesickness, a lot of wonder, and a mountain view she didn’t expect to fall for — are what a year abroad with Rome Abroad is really made of.
Part of the Rome Abroad team helping young women live and work abroad as au pairs since 2015.
