Greetings from Switzerland!
Today makes exactly 3 weeks since I've been here and it's time I blogged about it, no? I'm here working for the summer. I got a great opportunity to come to Geneva and I've been having a great time. Even though I've only been out of the US for a little over 3 weeks (I stopped in Paris before I came to Geneva) I haven't had any huge emotional breakdowns or an major language issues.
It was a little lonely at first but I've made some nice friends at work and I live in an apartment with other students. I don't see my housemates often, but they are quite nice. I'm the only American. Everyone else is French, African or Swiss, so it gives me a good opportunity to practice my language skills.
Geneva is a nice city. It's very diverse but it's not segregated. It's very family oriented. Even though I'm single and childless, I can appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere here. There are SO many designer stores here! Hermes, Chanel, Kookai, Cartier, Rolex, Armani, Dior, etc. The streets are just lined with fashionable stores. And man, can people DRESS here! I love to just don my large sunglasses so I can just people-watch. Today, I even took some photos of storefront windows for inspiration for when I dress.
Geneva is in a lot of ways very simple. If you like shopping, eating out, walking around, window shopping, going to a park, boats, then Geneva is for you. It seems a little lacking in excitement or flashy nightlife. But that is probably why it's considered one of the safest cities in the world. It doesn't attract that kind of crowd. On Sundays, all the stores are closed, so it was kind of a nuisance to deal with at first. However, I discovered a nice farmer's market just down the street from where I live. And restaurants are open. Today, I enjoyed a nice cafe au lait at an outdoor cafe and had lunch at the very affordable but tasty Chez Ma Cousine.
Like I said in my last post, I'm 98% sure I want to be in Paris in the next 2 years, but it will take some careful planning. I'm trying not to be too overzealous because I'm sure there's still a lot I haven't seen yet, and I know I'm just scratching the surface of living abroad.
I feel like I'm growing a lot as a person, though. Coming out of my shell, putting myself out there, living life. I don't know why I had to come over 3000 miles to do that, but hey, I won't question it. Hopefully when I return to the States in a little over a month, I will still retain the same joie de vivre and not fall back into old boring habits.
2 comments:
I just love reading your blog. I'm sort of at a crossroads in my life. Basically, doing what my parents want me to do and running off to France to live. I haven't even vacationed there yet, but I've been in love with France for as long as I can remember. I know when I get there it'll feel like home.
I have to ask, do you know about the English assistant program in France?
Enjoy your time in Geneva! I lived and worked there for about 4 months last year and nearly went crazy! Well, part of it was the work but the other was because I found Geneva really really boring! It's a beautiful place though and it's surrounded by mountains! Hope you have a good time there!
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