Back to School
September 11, 2017
SIT (the School for International Training, my study abroad provider) really knows how to put the study in study abroad. Today starts my third week of classes, and w o w have they been wild. We've held classes at the United Nations (peep the sticker) and Doctors Without Borders, pretended to be representatives of nations in a geopolitical negotiation exercise, and enjoyed lectures from ambassadors and leaders of several NGO's. Not to mention the 9 hours a week of french class (oh la la).
It's been a lot, but it's been fun. I'm already knee deep on three research projects, as well as an interview assignment. We're also all looking forward to heading to Brussels and Paris in a couple weeks to
I thought that the best way for you to get a good idea of what life is like lately would be for me to post an hour by hour schedule of a "typical" SIT day. That way all my friends can know what I'm doing, and maybe future SIT students will know what they're getting in to (;
A Day in My Life
7:00: I wake up to a view of the tallest mountain (Mont Blanc) and fountain (Jet d'Eau) in Europe. Can't complain too much, but it's a little early. Before heading out for the day I say "coucou" to my host cats, and enjoy a yogurt and fruit for breakfast.
8:25: I leave my host home for the train to Geneva. If I'm lucky, there's a bike at the bike share station and my 20 minute walk turns into a 6 minute bike ride. If I'm not so lucky, I get my cardio in for the day. If I'm very, very unlucky, I miss my train. It's happened. Multiple times. Eh, c'est la vie.
8:50: The train to Geneva departs. I listen to yesterday's edition of Monocle 24's The Briefing while chatting with my friends.
9:30: Classes at the SIT main office begin. Lectures are given by one of the academic directors or a visiting expert. I take notes on my computer and sometimes research flights for weekend trips.
12:30: Lunch time! Usually we hit up a shopping center called Manor which has a wide variety of food with names I can't pronounce. They make a mean almond croissant though, and there's always chocolate samples. Me and my pals sit next to a gorgeous chapel and fight off the pigeons.
1:19: The train to Nyon for french class departs. You can usually find me drinking a cup of coffee and pretending to study my vocabulary.
2:00: French class starts at Club Migros.
3:30: We take a break and I buy something to snack on out of the vending machine even though I told myself at lunch I wouldn't. Oh well. C'est la vie.
5:00: French class is finally over and I walk briskly to the train station so that I can catch the 5:05 train back to my homestay. Or I stop by the supermarket and grab whatever random thing I've decided that I need that day.
5:30: I exchange greetings with my host mother before I head out on a short run. The views are great as I run towards the lake, but man do the hills take the breath out of me.
7:00: After catching my breath again I sit down for a wonderful dinner with my host mother, the sweetest little swiss-german you ever did meet. She asks me about what I learned in french class and my plans for the weekend.
8:00: I settle into my spot on the couch or my desk and do my readings, my french homework, and try to start whatever paper or project is currently looming over my head. Also I spend a good amount of time on facebook.
11:00: After a shower and a bit of netflix nightly reading I set the 12 alarms that it takes to get me out of bed in the morning and settle into bed, ready for another day living my best life.
0 comments