A gentleman once told me the difference between Americans and Europeans was simple. Americans live to work, Europeans work to live. This is true. Come to Charlotte, the new city of the South and ride through neighborhood after neighborhood of million dollar houses, drive into the city center and marvel and all the new buildings, world headquarters for Bank of America, Duke Energy, Wachovia. It is impressive, this city of trees and growth and sprawl and congestion. In February I will become a grandfather for the first time. My daughter chose the road less travelled and after leaving Virginia Tech with her Hokie husband (a mechanical engineer) decided life would be different and exciting some place far from home. They live in Untersiggenthal, near Baden, Switzerland and work for ABB, the General Electric of Switzerland. He designs gas turbines, she is a graphic designer, they can see the Alps from their bedroom window on a clear day. There is no crime. There are no poor people. You can not tell how wealthy people are by the number of cars in the driveway because they all have one car, a BMW. There is no garbage, no landfills. They send the garbage to France for a fee. Switzerland is beautiful. France is beautiful too, but has lots of garbage. The most difficult decision my daughter makes each day is to decide how to get home. Do I take the bus and walk the last couple of hundred yards through the village or ride the train one stop to Turgi and walk along the river and enjoy the wild flowers. Michael loves to ski. They can see the Alps. Amy and Michael love to hike. They can see the Alps. My wife and I had a bet as too how long they would last in a foreign country, the language is strange, you can't find Grape Nuts, and your family is far away. She said a year or two, I said your dreaming. Michael once told me he could stay in Switzerland for the rest od his life except for family. He loves to ski and hike and this is Switzerland. They are going on four years now and the baby will be born in Baden. Being born in Switzerland does not make you Swiss, they are very pragmatic and will send you home if your services are no longer desired. Baby Griggs will have to be content being an American. But Baby Griggs will come home some day. Family is important and it will begin to tug on them one day, this feeling of being part of something, this feeling of missing family. What will they come home too? Will they be disappointed or will they be able to adjust to they way they used to live. Charlotte has lots of money, a high standard of living. It has crime and bad air and urban sprawl. The are few parks. Switzerland has lots of money, a high quality of life. It doesn't have crime, the air is nice, and they ride the bus. The entire country is a park. Standard of living vs. Quality of Life. We all have choices to make. They will come home one day. Regards, Robert Cowan