July 10/11

   As the day right before my last weekend in Geneva arrived, I grew wary of the fact that my adventure was coming to a close. Although it wasn't a desperate anticipation to go back home, I did miss home where I was comfortable and safe. Being thrown in a foreign environment all by myself was a challenging endeavor, but time flew by quickly and I have learned to enjoy these challenges and make the most out of such experience. From learning to ride public transportation to visiting the headquarters of international organizations gave me full confidence that I was transitioning into a young adult. I was no longer a dependent teenager who had no clear plans for the future, but a young adult who aspired to become a global leader one day.

   Knowing that today would be the last time I would take the tram into the city, memories from the very beginning of my trip rushed through my head. I remembered my first failed attempt at trying to find the transfer station from the tram to the bus. It took me more than half an hour scrambling through the same street and buildings. Looking back, I chuckled at how I foolish I was and how easily I travelled around now after 3 weeks of constant practice. After the exploration around lake leman yesterday, I decided to walk away from the river and into the hilly streets and sketchy neighborhoods. It became more apparent that every other shop in Geneva was either a cafe or a bar restaurant. I thought that people here would not have a problem of getting tired of eating food every day. For food connoisseurs, Geneva would be a fit choice to try food from many restaurants.
Making my way up the hill near Molard station, I came across traditional Irish bars and many antique shops ranging from oriental to western artifacts. Although I wasn’t quite sure where I was, this street retained the typical European ambience and style. The brick walls and brick paved streets reminded me that I was walking along a part of ancient history. Then there it was, looming over the top of my head, Cathédrale St Pierre (or the Cathedral of St Peter). Although the building was tucked away in the midst of many ancient buildings and streets, the tall green tower caught my attention immediately. Its Gothic and Romanesque patterns were intricate in design and the worn away colors gave an ancient aura. Built over 800 years ago with some reparation along the way, I was struck by its old age and amazed how long this building has been standing without much damage. The beauty within these ancient walls is inexplicable through writing, but the first word that came out of my mouth was “wow”. Unless you actually visit the cathedral in person, you cannot completely grasp the beauty through writing. 

   After looking around the cathedral, I meandered off behind the building and came across the view of the entire city. Needless to say, the entirety of the view was spectacular and I sat down in a near bench to take in my last moments in Geneva. The slight breeze and the clear air refreshed my senses as the sun started to settle down in the horizon. Before it got too dark, I decided to rush down to the stores in the city to buy some souvenirs. When one thinks of Switzerland, some landmark items come to mind such as watches and Swiss army knives. One thing that most people don’t know about Switzerland is that it is famous for its cows. In Switzerland, it employs strict laws to ensure top meat qualities and so cows are raised in a pristine environment in the Alps. Although I couldn’t buy meat to bring back, I did buy a cute cow doll to remind me of an interesting fact that I learned. As for watches, I couldn’t buy any because all of them were over 1000 dollars for a good one. So I had to settle with a cool Swiss Army knife that had my name engraved in the blade. Because I couldn’t trust the knives they sold on the streets, I actually visited the Victorinox store to buy the real one.

As I headed out the store, it was nearly dark and I had to head back home before the streets got rowdy with drunken people. Many memorable events that happened during my three-week visit made a lasting impression on my mind. Until I became an actual worker at one of these organizations, I bid a temporary farewell to the city and headed back home.