Departing

Trip Start Jan 18, 2011

Trip End May 03, 2011

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of United States Andover, New Jersey
Monday, January 17, 2011

Tomorrow I will depart on the adventure of a lifetime. I will be spending the spring semester of my junior year of college in Europe. This is something I have always dreamed of doing and I feel very lucky to have this opportunity. I will be living with a host family in a town right outside of Geneva, Switzerland. My host-sister contacted me via email for the first time a few days ago. Her name is Laure and she is 20, just like me. She has two older brothers. She hasn't told me much else but she seems nice and I am hoping she can speak English as well as she writes it! I will be in Switzerland for 3 months. I am doing a program called "International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy" through a study abroad company called The School for International Training (SIT). Since we are not studying with a formal university, we can only acquire a 90 day tourist visa. At the end of the 90 days we are required to leave the Schengen Zone (which is comprised almost many, many European countries.) So, for the last two weeks of our program we will be in Pula, Croatia.
For the first half of our semester, we will be taking classes. These classes will include many briefings at the United Nations, the International Red Cross, the International Labour Organization, the World Trade Organization, and so on. We will also be required to take a French course. As I have never taken a French class ever in my life, I will start at the beginner level. I hope that I am not the only person in my program without any French skills. Halfway through the semester we will take our finals and then embark on our Independent Study Projects. We will have approx. 5 weeks to interview approx. 7 experts on our topic while we are in Geneva and write a 30 page paper on any topic of our choice. I've never had so much academic freedom and I am looking forward to the challenge.
I will be collecting my thoughts on my experiences as they happen via this blog!

Andover hotels

Next Entry