Mari Chazen, who is a dual citizen of Switzerland and the United States, lives in Northern California with her husband and two children.

She traveled extensively before she had kids, but realized she had to be more thoughtful about accommodations after a trip that memorably included $8 room service milk and a double ear infection.

Her essay, “An Inconvenience off Bahnhofstrasse” appeared in Ticking Along Too: Stories About Switzerland, and she once had the great good fortune to hear her husband (who was trying out his Swiss German) say, ”Gruezi mitenhund” (Hello with dog) when he meant “Gruezi mitenand” (Hello, to more than one person).