Ginebra, Genève,Geneva, Ginevra, Genf ..Here I am!

June 24, 2011

Here it goes. Blog post #1. 

Location:  Up in the clouds somewhere in between Madrid, Espana and Ginebra, Suiza (as they announced in Spain). 

Really I can’t believe I’m in Europe already.  There is something astounding and strange about waking up on a new continent, in a new country, after a red-eye plane flight. I’m not sure if I like the feeling or not. 

Regardless, I’m excited to be here.  I am actually shaking with excitement. Except, I’m not sure if I’m really shaking from hunger, jet lag and/or traveler’s exhaustion.  So, I decided to order a jamón baguette con aceite de oliva just to calm my jitters in case they were associated with hunger.  Sort of worked…ha ha  

Overall though, the strangest thing about this whole experience is I have no idea what will happen today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year…. For the first time in my life I am forced to live completely in the present.  The “here” and “now” are the only moments that I can comprehend and take in at this point.  I’ve never really experienced a feeling of total unknown before.  I’ve always identified “what’s next.”  I’ve planned out years and years of school, down to individual lunch dates, my weekends, and my summers…

I already know from the start that my time in Geneva will be different.  While I am still going to school, everything else is just….well, up to how the wind blows.  There are no sororities to join here, and I’m not going to go to squirrel camp before my classes start.  There is no R.A. to give any living guidance, and everyone of course doesn’t speak English. Gotta learn that French s'il vous plaît!!  But that’s what makes this adventure all the more exciting.  I’m ready to seek my potential.  What will I make of myself in this busy international city? Luckily, I have quite a bit of time to figure things out, and I’m in no rush. 

PS:  Spotted; a whole slew of native Swiss school children chanting a tune that mostly contained the words “Reuse & Recycle.” Their thick French accents reciting words like “recycle” with such enthusiasm over and over again made me giggle.  Boy the Swiss are sure on top of their sustainable environment education agenda!