We’ve been in Zurich for almost two weeks now and I think I’m finally coming out of the culture shock fog. I hadn’t expected to have a hard time transitioning, maybe because I’d been assured everyone spoke English and I simply didn’t have time to think about anything other than how to get a toddler across the Atlantic Ocean. But last week, I couldn’t get my bearings, so much so that I didn’t want to leave our little apartment. I don’t speak German, I get so nervous on public transportation no matter where I am (thanks Law & Order reruns), and suddenly in a sea of blondes, I stick out like a black girl.
This brings me to my new playlist.
I was sick of walking around and feeling weighed down by my otherness and American-ness and listening to music has helped me feel more confident and made the constant walking (like I said, I’m afraid of trains and trams) more bearable. And with my mind occupied by tunes, my eyes have been able to see Zurich a little clearer. Here’s the curated beat I’ve been stepping to:
Ain’t It Fun by Paramore
Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon
Million Years Ago by Adele
On My Mind by Ellie Goulding
Skinny Love by Birdy
Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift
Love Yourself by Justin Bieber
In the Night by The Weeknd
Cough Syrup by Matthew Schuler
Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
Death of a Bachelor by Panic at the Disco
Alive by Sia
Water Under the Bridge by Adele
Private Eyes by Hall & Oates
Hundred by The Fray
Some Nights by Fun.
Reflections by MisterWives
Elastic Heart by Sia
Young Forever by Jay Z