Survival Kit

My Work Adventure in Switzerland is much more than the story of a migration. It is an emotional, practical, and deeply human map of what it truly means to start from scratch in one of the most organized-yet sometimes most bewildering-countries in the world. Told with honesty, humor, vulnerability, and a precision that only someone who has lived each challenge can convey, this book becomes an indispensable companion for anyone who dreams of living, working, or integrating into Switzerland.Thais Montenegro, the author and protagonist, opens the doors to her real journey: from bustling São Paulo to silent, efficient Zurich. What begins as a job opportunity quickly becomes an emotional roller coaster-goodbyes, doubts, paperwork, cultural clashes, lessons, frustrations, and small daily victories that mark the start of a new life in the heart of the Alps.Through clear, anecdotal, and deeply useful chapters, Thais explores the essential experiences faced by every migrant:• the impact of the first landing, where Swiss punctuality, silence, and order spark both amazement and disorientation;• the bureaucratic marathon required to obtain permits, register at the commune, secure health insurance, and open a bank account;• the odyssey of searching for housing in a competitive, expensive market full of unspoken rules that challenge even the most prepared;• the struggle to find a job without local contacts, adapt to Swiss work culture, understand workplace hierarchies, and survive the quiet of minimalist offices;• the economic shock of realizing the true cost of living;• and the slow, profound, and beautiful transformation that occurs when a foreign country gradually begins to feel like home.This book not only explains what to do to survive in Switzerland; it also shows how it feels to go through each step. Thais speaks of the migrant's loneliness, the tears no one mentions, the discomfort of not understanding the language, the inevitable cultural mistakes, the moments when one wants to go back, and the others when, for the first time, one feels proud of having come so far.Alongside the narrative, My Work Adventure in Switzerland offers an extremely valuable practical guide:• updated lists of procedures, useful apps, and real portals for housing and employment;• clear explanations about permits, contracts, healthcare, transportation, and education;• money-saving tips applicable from the very first day;• multilingual glossaries;• cultural maps to understand the Swiss mindset;• and warnings that help avoid costly mistakes almost all newcomers make.The book achieves a perfect balance between emotion and practicality. It is a work that embraces and guides, that accompanies and teaches, that shows vulnerability without losing clarity. Its premise is simple but powerful: no one should migrate uninformed or feel that they are walking alone. That is why Thais shares her story so openly-so others can build their own with more safety, more knowledge, and less fear.By the end of these pages, one understands that migrating is not a leap into the void; it is a leap toward oneself. It is losing and regaining identity. It is making mistakes, adapting, resisting, laughing, crying, and being reborn. It is discovering that the real journey does not happen on the plane-it happens inside the heart.My Work Adventure in Switzerland is a tribute to those who reinvent themselves far from home, and an invitation to all who dream of spreading their wings. A book for migrants, for the curious, for the brave… and for anyone ready to bloom in a new land.