It is my last week in Geneva! I can NOT believe how fast this summer went.I am not going to lie - I am SOO ready to go home. Three months is a very long time to be away from the beautiful, wonderful, amazing, awesome, fabulous United States.
I love Switzerland and Europe in general, but Dorothy from The Wizard of OZ says it best when she says, "There is no place like home."
It is funny how you do not realize the things that you miss about America, until you are not there anymore. Such things as - a car (I am sooo sick of taking the tram...lets be real.), CVS, 7 eleven being open 24/7, sweatshirts and tennis shoes (people here basically go to the gym in heals and NEVER wear sweats in public), talking really loud and being super annoying in public places, people who use deodorant and shave on a regular basis, dairy queen blizzards (I heard through the grapevine that there is a new Girl Scout cookie blizzard....I am soo trying that when I get home!), people who smile at you on the street even if you do not know them (aka. friendly people), Whale Wars on Animal Planet...
um this list could go on for a while - but those are just a few of the many things that I miss about America.
I had a great last weekend here in Geneva. Saturday August 1st was Switzerland Independence Day. There is a HUGE festival going on - it is actually going on for 3 weeks. big deal friends. big deal. It is like a carnival type thing all around the lake. In front of the park that I go to basically everyday there is a big green roller coaster. So it is a bit distracting when I am reading because all I hear are people screaming. haha. I however, am getting used to it.
Work is going well I guess. I mean, if you count having nothing to do as going well then it is GREAT! haha. My entire department is on holiday until after I leave. I finished all the work my boss left me within an hour of getting to the office today. Thus, I decided to leave a little early and get some things done (aka. go to the park and read). It was super fabulous.
I do not have too much planned for my last days here. I am just packing things up. I have NO clue how I got all of this stuff over here. I am having some serious problems. ahh too many clothes! haha. I am going to have to do some major re-packing in the coming days. but I will make it work.
I am getting a bit nostalgic about leaving Geneva - I have become very attached certain things about the city and also really random things. like grapefruit 7up. and plain yogurt. and hot chocolate for breakfast being normal. and the stray cat that lives here. I named him Neville Longbottom. I feed him cheese and bring him inside to eat dinner with me. That is super weird, I know.
I will miss the park that I go to everyday. It is my place to think and read and escape. I will miss people speaking to me in French on the tram and me nodding and pretending that I understand them by just saying "d'accord" (ok in French). I will miss how people here treat their yippy yappy little dogs better than children. I will most certainly miss having the ability to hop on a train to anywhere in Europe that my heart could ever desire. I will miss working at the International AIDS Society - and all the wonderful people that I have meet along the way.
This is making me sad. so I am going to stop now.
I am going to do one last blog when I get home to fully wrap up this amazing experience. I think being home will help me to put it together in a better perspective.
Talk to you all soon :)
