Dear Shaviiiiiiiiiii,
You were just nine months old when you went on your very first international adventure, and what an adventure it was! Mumma, Pappa and you packed our bags, boarded your very first flight and set off for Switzerland. We had no idea what to expect from travelling internationally with a baby, but you surprised us in the most wonderful way possible—you were an absolute angel throughout the entire trip.
Right from your very first flight, you handled everything like a little pro. You slept when you were sleepy, whether that meant curling up on Mumma, snuggling with Pappa, sleeping in the carrier or peacefully napping in your stroller. You never seemed to care where your bed happened to be that day! And somehow, despite all the excitement and all the travelling, you slept through the night every single day. Even our flight back home, with all its delays, couldn’t disturb your champion traveller status—you simply slept through it all!
We had carried your familiar home-cooked meals with us, and you happily ate your food wherever we happened to be. But being the curious little foodie that you are, you also wanted to know what Mumma and Pappa were eating. You tried a little bit of everything from our plates, discovering new tastes along the way. And then there were the fruits! You absolutely fell in love with the berries in Switzerland. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries—you were happy to eat them all, and your love for fruit meant we hardly needed any of those random “nonsense snacks” people insist you need when travelling with a baby. You had your meals, your water, your fruits and your giant appetite for adventure, and you were perfectly happy.
And adventure there certainly was. Every place we visited seemed to become a little more special because you were there. Bern, Gurten, Thun, Wengen, Oberhofen, Montreux, Gruyères, Broc, Corsier-sur-Vevey—every single place gave us another memory to tuck away forever. You looked at the mountains, lakes and castles with those wide, curious eyes, completely awestruck by the beauty around you. We would stop to admire a view, and there you would be, quietly taking it all in before suddenly breaking into the biggest smile or one of your wonderfully shrill little squeals.
Bern gave you your very first playground abroad, at Rosengarten. And naturally, you had to try everything—the swings, the slides and every little bit of the playground that caught your attention. Watching you experience your first Swiss playground was one of those simple moments that somehow became a huge memory for Mumma and Pappa.
And you quickly established a rule for the trip: if there was a playground, you were going to play on it. If there was a garden, you explored it. If there was a sandpit, you were in it. Your first proper sandpit adventure in Oberhofen was especially memorable, and watching you discover the sand, gardens and open spaces made us realise that it didn’t take much to make you happy. A little space to explore, something new to touch and your Mumma and Pappa nearby were enough.
You became a little people magnet everywhere we went. Strangers smiled at you, waved at you and stopped to admire you. And, much to our amusement, you were constantly mistaken for a baby girl! Maybe it was your curls, maybe your cheeks, maybe those beautiful expressive eyes—or maybe you were simply too handsome. Every outfit Mumma dressed you in somehow made you look even more handsome, and we couldn’t resist taking approximately a million pictures of you in every possible Swiss backdrop.
You also became a complete public-transport professional. Trains, buses, cable cars and everything in between—you handled them all like you had been travelling through Switzerland your entire life. Sometimes you watched the world go by through the window, sometimes you happily interacted with everyone around you, and sometimes you simply decided it was time for a nap. Mumma and Pappa were busy figuring out tickets, platforms and routes while you calmly went about your very important business of being a nine-month-old traveller.
And somehow, every restaurant and café visit became fun with you too. You sat with us, watched everyone around you, enjoyed your food and brought your own little energy to every meal. You made even an ordinary coffee stop feel like a memory worth keeping. We loved taking you everywhere with us because you never made us feel like we had to stop living our holiday just because we had a baby. Instead, you simply became part of everything we did.
From the beautiful streets of Bern to the mountains of Wengen, from the peaceful views of Thun and Oberhofen to the charm of Montreux, from the cheese-filled world of Gruyères and chocolate heaven of Broc to the laughter and fun at Chaplin’s World, every destination had something different to offer—and you loved experiencing all of it in your own little way. You saw castles, lakes, mountains, gardens, playgrounds and some of the most beautiful scenery we had ever seen, and while we don’t know how much you’ll remember of Switzerland when you’re older, Mumma and Pappa know that we will remember your expressions forever.
Montreux gave us another reason to celebrate you. At the beautiful Quais de Montreux garden, we had a little birthday photoshoot to mark you turning 10 months old. We put up a “Happy Birthday” garland, put a tiny party cap on your head and brought out Ladurée macarons for the occasion. There you were, celebrating your 10-month milestone in Switzerland, looking like the star of your own little birthday party. Of course, you were far more interested in being your happy, curious self than in posing perfectly for Mumma and Pappa—but those pictures are all the more precious because of it.
We will remember the way you smiled when you saw something new. We will remember your excitement, your curiosity and those incredibly shrill squeals that announced your happiness to everyone within hearing distance. We will remember you napping peacefully while the world went on around you, waking up ready for the next adventure, and then ending the day by sleeping peacefully through the night.
We went to Switzerland to give you your first international experience, but somewhere along the way, you gave us something much bigger. You made us experience the trip differently. We noticed the little things because you noticed them. We stopped at playgrounds we might otherwise have walked past. We spent more time in gardens. We explored sandpits. We smiled at strangers who stopped to admire you. We slowed down for your naps and celebrated your meals. We watched you look at mountains and lakes as if the whole world had just been created for you to discover. And perhaps that is what made this trip so incredibly special.
It wasn’t just our first international holiday with you. It was the first time we watched our little boy discover a completely new part of the world. You were happy, curious, fearless, playful, well-fed, well-rested and wonderfully, completely you. You made every place brighter, every journey more fun and every memory a little sweeter.
So, Sharva, when you read this years from now, remember this: at just nine months old, you flew across the world, conquered Swiss public transport, explored every playground and sandpit you could find, charmed half of Switzerland, tried new foods, became everyone’s favourite little people magnet, slept through the nights, slept through flight delays and spent your waking hours smiling your enormous smile and letting out your signature shrieks of joy.
Your first international adventure was Switzerland. And you, our little traveller, were the very best part of it. Here’s to Switzerland, your first passport adventure, and to a lifetime of places still waiting for you to explore. ❤️🇨🇭
Love,
Mumma & Pappa
(24 September – 4 October 2026)
