Perhaps I’ve started to feel like I have a routine in Switzerland, even if that routine is characterized by unpredictability and the little challenges that come with living in a foreign country. I think studying abroad is truly an exercise of open-mindedness. It’s important to be kind to yourself and allow room to adjust expectations.

On Tuesday, we had a morning meeting at the World Trade Organization (WTO). We gathered at the “bubble door”, a decorative art piece in the main entryway of Geneva Cornavin station, before our expedition into the streets. Like a school of fish, we oscillated between conversation groups but generally walked as a unit. We were freezing cold when arrived at the security gate at the WTO. We were given a tour of the main meeting room where all the WTO members sit facing each other at rows of long tables. We sat in the seats closest to the stage as countries like “Armenia”, “The United States”, and “Sri Lanka”. Our guide, a member of their Communications department, explained to us how the process to enter the WTO typically takes a decade because it means negotiating thick books of tariffs on all the goods and services a country trades. The WTO is built on the basis of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) from 1947 which many countries signed in agreement to limit the barriers to free trade. This World War II revitalization effort for trade goods evolved into the WTO in 1995 and now covers services and intellectual property as well. All decisions made in the WTO are made unanimously which means every single member has to agree. This means that it’s very hard to have a member leave, as they need to vote themselves out as well, which came up at the start of the War in Ukraine in regard to Russia.

The stated purpose of the WTO is to improve the welfare of people worldwide. However, the WTO concedes that globalization has not benefitted everyone equally. At Whitman, my classes discussed how some countries have become producers, where cheap labor and the environment are exploited, while others have become wealthy consumers. The new Director-General of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is the first African and the first woman to lead the organization. She’s sought to bring this understanding of inequitable globalization to the forefront of policy discussions. 

It was electrifying to be in the room where fiercely debated policy decisions are made. During very tense times, members can stay for hours hashing out decisions with members sleeping on the floor and pizza delivery. The light-filled futuristic architecture, with towering glass and rounded walls, had a lightness that did not divulge the weight of its importance.

For days after our WTO visit, I had time off from classes to conduct interviews for an internship, a substantial component of my program. I was able to interview with marvelous organizations and received offers from all three. It was hard to choose, but I have decided to join International Bridges to Justice, starting in March. Their mission is to help those in developing countries secure justice by way of competent legal aid and resources in an effort to stop torture before it happens. I will have six weeks with them where I will be working on writing grants to fund their grassroots resource centers in twelve different countries. I will also be conducting some legal research independently to help expand their legal advice Wiki page.

I had a free day mid-week to explore Geneva and I ended up going out by myself to the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire. It has to be the most uniquely curated museum I’ve ever been to. So stunningly immersive. I visited the church of Protestant Reformer John Calvin, St. Peter’s Cathedral. Then I bought a scarf in an effort to fit into Swiss fashion and much-needed warmth. While I enjoyed these days, being deeply surrounded by French and unfamiliar things plus the stress of moving around a foreign city made me very tired. After a busy few days, I had hit my limit and that was ok. I sat in the Basilica of Notre Dame and allowed myself to be quiet. Not every moment of study abroad needs to be packed and, in reality, I am still the same human with the same needs as I was in the United States.

Over the weekend, I decided to take it easy. I walked in the medieval city of Morges by the water, I drank wine al fresco in Lausanne with my friend, and we saw a unique underground concert in Nyon by a Swiss band singing pop-rock in English. On Sunday we went up to the Jura, the mountains just beside the lake to the north. While clumsily trekking in our snowshoes, we couldn’t believe how lucky we are to be here. Looking up at a weather station, leaning against an old stone wall, madeleines and sandwiches in hand––the sunshine reflecting off the snow made me feel renewed and adventurous again.

Talk soon.

Finances (Tuesday 2/8-Monday 2/13):

– 107 CHF on food (covered by SIT food stipend)

– 20 CHF thrifting sweater + shirt

– 38 CHF scarf from Zara

– 27 CHF charging cable

= 192 CHF/209 USD (107 of which was covered by SIT)

* calculations are not exact but close estimates