Here we are, hours away from ending what has been one of the most memorable six months of my life. From a summer in Namibia, Wales and Greece to a semester abroad in Geneva things are finally coming to a close. Last week I finished my 8 week internship at the WHO. We had our Farewell Cocktail party on Friday night, and now our final weekend in Geneva has crossed over to the day of departure.
This final weekend was all about reaffirming our already established and deeply rooted love for Geneva--our home for the past three and a half months. Saturday morning I had breakfast with Mags and Danny at Celine et Sebastien, our favorite cafe right around the corner from Rue Muzy. We enjoyed the most delicious reverses and pastries before meeting up with people at Manor, a department store, to make some final purchases. Following that, Danny, Kathleen and I ended up wandering aimlessly for several hours. With no particular destination in mind, we strolled the right bank all the way to the WTO and decided to walk all the way up to Nations where we were greeted by the usual protest outside of the UN. Since we had already come that far, we decided to make the trek back home. Literally, we hit some of my favorite and most travelled destinations in Geneva and it was so refreshing visiting them while enjoying ceaseless conversation and good company. Later that evening, 9 of us walked back along the right bank and had a fondue feast at the infamous Bains de Paquis. While some of the girls had gone to Chez Ma Cuisine, I wanted one last genuine Swiss fondue indulgence. We scraped the pots clean and devoured multiple baskets of bread and it couldn't have been more delicious. We wandered out on the jetty and had the most incredible view of the city from one of Geneva's secret niches none of us had previously discovered. As an end to the night we even threw coins into the lake and made "Geneva wishes" before leaving.
Sunday was a day of mixed emotions. While the majority of the day was composed of packing and spending as much time as possible around everyone, we managed to slip in a polar bear plunge into the freezing cold Lac Leman. Needless to say we made quite the "un Swiss" scene off of the Bebe Plage. After that, everyone headed into Old Town to celebrate Fete de l'Escalade. There was a huge procession and reenactment of the fall of the Savoyards to the Genevois, complete with costumes, fire and lots of vin chaud and lanterns. We then proceeded to make our last visit to Parc de Bastions before finding our way home. After getting back to Rue Muzy, half the house compiled all the remaining food everyone had and made a huge and delicious feast. We had stir fry, pasta galore and cookies to somehow try and consume by the end of the night. Bottles of wine were passed around and everyone was at ease and enjoying comfortable conversation. Post dinner, things took a turn for the emotional worse. Some goodbyes were said and there were hours spent embracing and reminiscing.
Looking back on it all, we all shared endless, unforgettable memories throughout the entire semester. Pictures tell more than 1000 words and with the amount of photos taken across the semester, novels could be written. Everyone says it but it is 100% true: time truly does fly. As much as you may try and soak in each and every moment and live each day to its fullest, somehow the end will always catch up with you and goodbyes must be said. For me, one of the hardest things to deal with has been the fact that a lot of these people will realistically be seeing each other in the near future. One disadvantage of living on the West Coast: not being close in proximity with some of the lifelong friends I have made this semester. We all have unexplainable shared memories that no one else outside of this program will ever be able to understand and this is an undeniable fact. It is as if we have a million secrets that even if you share them, people on the outside cannot quite comprehend the sentiments and stories behind them all. However, in this plain and simple fact lies the sole reason I am reassured throughout this whole "end experience." These experiences will be relived and retold to the best of their abilities throughout the entirety of my life. I will never forget the friendships I have made, the lessons I have learned and the memories I have made with the help and guidance of these 46 unique and individual people who have grown into my abroad family. For that fact alone, I know this semester along with these people will always remain in my heart.
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