Connections: A match made in Zurich

What brought Guido and Christin Terruzzi together? Fussball in the student lounge. Trips across Europe. And maybe a few parties...

• Words Jo Caird

F rom the student lounge at the Kilchberg campus to various houses in and around Zurich, Guido and Christin Terruzzi’s relationship has been almost 20 years in the making. Although the pair officially got together in 2007, the bonds they had formed as AISZ students before then were deep set.

“We had quite a small, tight-knit graduating class so it was easy to get to know people well, particularly if people stayed a long time,” says Guido, Class of 2001 (1995-2001). And although he’d caught the eye of one of those classmates, Christin Krüger as she was then, Class of 2003 (2001-03), he remained oblivious to the possibility of being anything more than just friends.

The friendship endured, however, with Christin slotting neatly into a group of friends in Guido’s grade, who spent most of their breaks gathered together in the student lounge or playing Fussball. “I still have a very vivid picture of this particular corner of the student lounge – although everything around it is a blur.

“We all hung out a lot, taking the chance to share the opportunities that were on offer,” says Guido. “There was a lot of space outside, so at lunchtime you’d go out and run around and play football, basketball or whatever sport we could. And we enjoyed the trips, visits to places like Munich, Vienna, London and Eastern Europe.”

After Guido graduated and left for the University of Edinburgh to study Business Studies and Economics, he stayed in touch with Christin. “My parents lived in the Zurich area so I kept coming back, and we saw each other a lot during my breaks,” he says. “It was lots of partying, to be frank, but that isn’t unusual when you’re 20 years old, I guess.”

Alongside the ZIS group, there were friends of friends who had attended other international schools in the area, and everyone enjoyed each other’s company at various different venues on nights out or just hanging out at someone’s house.

“The highlight of those years was when people who had left for university elsewhere came back,” says Christin, who opted to study Law at the University of Zurich. “It was always nice to have them back, even if just for a few weeks.”

In 2007, a year after Guido moved back to Zurich from Scotland, the pair started dating, moving in together soon afterwards. Aside from that milestone, Christin says, “nothing much changed” when they became a couple. “Two of our friends who were already a couple themselves said, ‘Great, now we can go on double dates!’ and we said, ‘We’ve always been on double dates with you!’”

Now working as a wealth manager (Guido) and at a fintech startup in Zurich (Christin), theirs is a relationship with its foundations firmly established at ZIS.

The pair got married in 2012 and their son, Filippo, was born in 2014, and while neither can exactly remember the moment that friendship turned to love, as Christin says: “I think it was always going to happen”. Z

24 hours... in London

Lana Baker-Cowling, Class of 2017 (2004-17) is a junior sustainability consultant at Anthesis. Here’s her ideal day – with a sustainable twist.

10.00

Drink coffee, save the world

Kiss the Hippo in Fitzrovia is a carbon-negative coffee shop – they ethically source coffee, use renewable energy and recycle grounds into biofuel. And their pastries taste amazing, too.

12.00

Shop second-hand

I love browsing Brick Lane and Old Spitalfields markets to pick up vintage second-hand clothes. Make sure you check out the amazing street art or grab lunch from the variety of food stalls.

15.00

Expand your mind

The Wellcome Collection is a library and museum by Euston Station that puts on free, thoughtprovoking exhibitions examining aspects of being human, often through hands-on experiences.

17.00

Go green

Soak up the stunning sight of Battersea Park at sunset as the Thames reflects the changing sky, or head to St James’ Park where the water also has beautiful reflections of London’s big landmarks.

19.00

Savour plant-based perfection

For a special occasion, visit Pied à Terre, the longest-standing independent Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK which also has the top-rated vegan tasting experience in the country.