Top Ten Reasons to Study Abroad: What better way to wrap up my four months spent overseas than to explain why you too should study abroad?? So, in no particular order…
A BREAK:What could be better than running away from the MSE library to a place of your choosing.
A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE:Sure, other places in the world are a lot like how you have come to imagine them from reading about them in the news and in books. However, to experience culture requires you to actually go to the place. How else would I have been able to taste Rivella (a Swiss soda)? Realize just how expensive it is to live in Switzerland? Seen just how clean the water and air is in Switzerland? Learn that Switzerland is a lot like Disney World? And how else could I prove to myself that with an amazing public transportation program it is possible to never get into a car for four months?
Gain INDEPENDENCE:Simply said: there are few other ways that you can gain so much independence (and freedom from your parents) than to run away (…I mean, study abroad).
Learn about YOURSELF:Many people think study abroad is a time to learn about other people and their culture. But perhaps just as much, it is a time to discover things about yourself that you may not have realized. How easily can you make friends? Are you willing to try food that you’ve never tried before? And honestly, by the end of it, I think you gain self-confidence knowing that you are able to survive even without your closest support network.
Develop LANGUAGE skills: No, I did not learn Switzerlandish nor Brazilian. And yes, I have been asked if I learned both of these languages. And although I took a French class, I did not get too far. However, simply being able to read menus, ask for directions, and learn how to get by with simple words in the native language are great skills. For others, that are nearly fluent in a language, study abroad is an invaluable way to immerse yourself in that language.
A unique ACADEMIC experience: The academic part of STUDY abroad can really range. Some people I know have decided not only to run away from Hopkins to study abroad, but also to run away from their academics. For example, to take a break from science or engineering classes to study the humanities. For me, I decided to continue my interest in public health. However, I definitely would not have been able to get the same academic experience at Hopkins. One of my classes included field trips to several NGOs. Another class included an internship at the World Health Organization. Others I know who studied abroad have had independent research projects in third-world villages. Although the Homewood campus can offer a lot, these unique experiences simply cannot be offered in Baltimore.
An appreciation for the UNITED STATES (this includes Hopkins):You know what they say: you never truly appreciate something until it is gone. And just as I did not fully appreciate my study abroad experience until returning home, I also did not truly appreciate the United States and Hopkins until I returned. Seriously though: Hopkins students are one of a kind. And they can’t simply be replaced by people from other schools. I also believe that I appreciate my family and closest friends by having to live without them. And, of course, I appreciate bagels, a relatively low cost of living, and the English language even more so than before.
A supportive PROGRAM: So maybe now you think that traveling abroad is important. Or that even researching or working abroad is important. And, well, it definitely is! However, one of the great things that comes with study abroad is that it means you are studying through a program. Many of these programs have been in existence for years and years. This means that not only is the study abroad office at JHU there for you if you experience problems (whether health problems or academic problems), but the program itself is set-up for people just like you and they can help you answer questions about getting a cell phone or help you with housing problems, etc.
New FRIENDS (and adventures!): Sure, there are plenty of people to meet at Hopkins. But there are a ton of more people to meet outside of the JHU bubble. I loved being able to meet other people with a public health interest from across the WORLD. And, well, I now also have plenty of new stories to tell around the dinner table. Like that time I went camping in Venice, tried to feed a Swiss cow a piece of grass, and went to the World Health Assembly.
A CHANGE for the better: Before I left, I was told by multiple staff members at JHU that people change when they return from study abroad. The idea of me changing makes me uneasy. And although I do not want to fully admit that I changed, I am already realizing little changes in me. I think I have come back more confident about myself in my abilities to adjust to new situations and to grasp public health problems. But more importantly, I think my time in Brazil and Switzerland (two countries that are often seen as polar opposites) have made me more accepting of other cultures whether this simply means trying new foods or considering other political systems. I have changed and, let’s hope, for the better.
Still torn? Let me just say that I have never heard of anyone regret studying abroad. So, with that, go out there and explore the world!!
I started writing this blog while flying high above; the French countryside still visible way below me from my window seat. My mind began reflecting on the last four months spent in Switzerland. It had been a bittersweet last couple of weeks—filled with visitors from home and goodbyes to a city, an office, and friends that over time grew on me and make my experience what it was. Needless to say the flashbacks overwhelmed me and put me to sleep for the majority of the flight and this blog was never finished.
My brother visited me for a week...and we went hiking!!
I managed to purposely skip my connecting flight from Washington Dulles to Newark and escape to another home of mine for five days: Baltimore. And there, once again, my time was bittersweet—a trip that began with hellos and deliveries of chocolate to friends I had not seen in months quickly turned into forced goodbyes to the members of the JHU Class of 2010, some of whom I met before I even stepped foot as a student at Hopkins. And so many of them have made my Hopkins experience what it is.
And now, well, here I am back in New Jersey, in yet another home. It has perhaps been the most unusual week for me in my life. It seems like everyone’s question to me in the days before I left Switzerland were, “Are you ready to go back to the United States?” And how quickly that question turned into, “Are you ready to leave Baltimore?”
Honestly, the answer has been no to both of those questions. A sense of home and a period of certainty are two things that I do love.
Me living the life at the WHO.
In Geneva, a three week period of solely interning without classes, warm weather, meeting new people, seeing people from 192 member states at the World Health Assembly (and listening to President Sirleaf and Jeffrey Sachs speak), loving my co-workers at the World Health Organization, created a daily routine that I began to enjoy and diminished the eagerness I had to go back to New Jersey.
And although Baltimore is not going quite yet (I know it will be the end of August before I know it), many of the people who have made Baltimore home are going. My MSE library crew and my boyfriend, who for years now has made his apartment in Baltimore my oasis, are headed out into the real world.
My junior year M-Level crew.
If there is anything I have learned during this rollercoaster of a month it is that people really do make a home. And, for Hopkins in particular, the people have made the place. I am so thankful for the people throughout the world that I have connected with. Hopkins students are especially something. To those soon-to-be college students out there, get excited for the people you will meet over the next four years.
I am back in a period of uncertainty. I do not have an apartment yet for the fall. I have a December graduation date looming in the future, a date that just calls for uncertainty (What will I do next? Graduate school? Job? Another adventure?). However, I remain optimistic.
Two of my senior friends (Janine and Stephanie) at a Senior Week cocktail party...in the library!
I thought college was supposed to be a period of certainty. But I have quickly realized that if you go out there and seize opportunities as good college students are supposed to, how quickly it turns into a time of uncertainty. So, soon-to-be college students out : please do not prepare yourself for certainty as I did.
I think back to the night before I left for Hopkins and the times sitting at the gate just before my flights to Brazil and Switzerland. I was filled with uncertainty and nervousness and thought about just running back to my bedroom in New Jersey. Yet, each time, I have taken a deep breath and plowed ahead.
And so, once again, I will take another deep breath and plan my next step starting with heading off to my new internship on Thursday. In the mean time, thank you to all of those who have made my junior year the adventure that it has been.
To all of my fellow readers out there, I apologize. I’ve been falling behind in my routine blogging schedule. Honestly, I always know what day of the week it is, but I rarely know the date anymore. Life has just been going by too quickly. One minute the mountains have snow and the next they have wildflowers. Oh, life.
The stereotypes are true...cows on my train ride to Zurich!!
Luckily, the next three weeks will be a catch-up period for me. And as a result, you get a Jess Kraus blog marathon!!!! That’s right folks… two blogs back-to-back!! The first one will be a life update (for those interested) and the second one, posted later this week, will be a much more exciting one (that I’ve been planning for a while)….
I’m currently sitting in a rather empty bedroom in Geneva. My roommate left at 5:45 this morning, as did nearly the entire program. My floor, which had ten people on it this morning, now has one: me.
Why am I still here? Well I’m on an internship study abroad program. Meaning not only have I been talking classes, but I also have been working 8:45 am until 6:30 pm (on average) four days a week.
The lovely carpeted walls in my office.
The title slide to my internship project.
Anyway, I was asked to stay longer at my internship. So I applied for a partial MERCK grant, offered by the Hopkins public health studies program (it’s actually the same grant I got for my Brazil aventura last summer). I got the grant! And now I’m staying here for three more weeks while working my hardest at the World Health Organization. This is yet another example of an opportunity that Hopkins has given me.
I’m honestly so thankful for not only the assistance of Hopkins, but I’m also so thankful for Boston University. Not only did they provide me with such a great study abroad program, but they also provided me with aid to cover additional fees. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine being here, in one of the most expensive places in the world, without this support.
What else has been going on in my life besides for staying up late writing final papers, learning how to use a European keyboard, saying goodbyes, not sleeping, touring the UN aka “my office”, and analyzing intellectual disability data? Well…a lot.
Gandhi and I say "hi" to one another on my way to work.
As I hinted at in my last post, I got an internship for the summer. Well, I guess it’s technically summer for me right now. But I am not facing the fact that I’m a senior (with ONE semester left) until I get back to the States.
Finding an internship this summer was a bit difficult since I knew I wanted something with at least a stipend and something in New York City (which, despite Bloomberg’s efforts, is not known as a “public health city”). I knew after so much traveling over the past year and with my boyfriend leaving for LSE in the fall, that home would be the best place for me. Of course not everything went perfectly. I was rejected by a couple of the things I applied for. Rejection is hard to deal with, but one that I’m glad I’ve faced throughout my college years. And, of course, I ended up finding a great opportunity…
Starting in June, until the day before I move back to Hopkins, I will be interning in New York City at the Global Business Coalition (GBC) for Tuberculosis, Malaria, and HIV in the Knowledge, Evaluation & Performance Department. This will be a very unique public health experience for me.
The GBC is an alliance of over 200 international companies that leads the private sector in funding these epidemics. They have offices in New York, Paris, Johannesburg, Beijing, Nairobi, and Moscow. The department I’m working in provides technical services to GBC member companies and prospects.
Trivia: What does this statue represent? (Public health majors are exempt)
Although my mom, dad, and brother have entered the “business world” at some point in their lives, I don’t think they (nor me) thought I would. I’m really excited about getting the opportunity to see public health in a completely different lens. I face a decision relatively soon of whether I want to go into research or not and I really hope that this helps me with that decision. It’s going to be a bit crazy moving from one summer internship into another (with Hopkins graduation in-between), but I think I’m up for it.
I also managed to not only cross off “summer internship” from my to-do list, but “fall housing” as well. I’m happy to say that it looks as if I will be living in a studio apartment near Homewood for the fall. Another stress lifted. I was also re-appointed as co-president of Public Health Student Forum for the fall.
So, as you can tell, it’s been quite a crazy couple of weeks. However, it’s been rewarding to be able to cross off tasks from my to-do list. But as I cross off “junior year,” the biggest item of them all, I know that in my mind it’s being replaced by an even bigger task: “post-graduation plans.” But at least I know that with all the opportunities Hopkins has given to me, I won’t be limited.
Now it’s time for me to catch up on sleep.
Until later this week,
Jessica
PS To those at Hopkins, you may have gotten the snow week of the century, but I got the ash cloud of the century…and it made for great sunsets!! (See pictures.)
Another beautiful sunset over Lake Leman (yes, the Christmas lights are on every night).
I’m going to be honest: I’m overwhelmed by my life right now and just how fortunate I am. I usually am living a life that’s somewhat of a balancing act, but it seems to be even more of one here in Geneva. It’s not overwhelming in a stressful way, just in a, “Is this really happening” kind of way. I don’t think I realized the overwhelming-ness until yesterday when I had one of those naps that you wake up from and are completely delusional from. After only an hour, I woke up and had no idea where I was, what day of the week it was, nor what time of day it was. After about a minute I got my act together: Geneva, Switzerland. Thursday, April 15, 2010. 8:00 pm.
I thought of writing about something Hopkins-related for those admitted students out there who are still deciding whether or not Hopkins is the right school for them. However, although I’m technically a Hopkins student right now, I also happen to have affiliations with Boston University, University of Geneva, and the World Health Organization. So not only is my body not in Baltimore, but my mind is simply not there right now and it probably would be more interesting to hear about my life. So for those admitted students out there, I hope that this blog at least shows you the benefits of seizing opportunities, such as study abroad, at whichever school you end up at.
So update on life. Ready, set, go…
I have been told numerous times that a semester of studying abroad follows a rollercoaster ride. I’ll admit, my experience has fit this stereotypical ride. You arrive. You are overwhelmed (by the language, the prices, the people, etc.), but you try to be open about everything. You suddenly begin to go from a vacation phase to a studying abroad phase. You realize that this is going to be your home, so you should probably find out your favorite restaurant, what time the grocery stores close, where the fake meat section is (well, maybe that’s just particular to me…) and build-up a social network. You travel. And in the middle you miss home and feel like you still have a million days left. You for some reason miss things that you maybe shouldn’t be missing like the MSE library, SAAB meetings, and planning the undergraduate public health conference (…which was today and went well!!). And for me I even questioned whether I picked the right place to study abroad. And then, well, the end begins to appear and you are overwhelmed: How in the world will you get everything on your to-do list done? How are you going to get these final papers down? And then it sinks in: you are going to miss this place.
I’m in that final phase and I’ve begun to realize how fortunate my life is right now. Last weekend my dad visited in between business trips in Europe. We went to CERN, had macarons, went wine tasting with my program, walked around old town, and somewhere in all of this he looked at me and said, “Do you realize just how lucky you are?” And maybe it’s because I’ve been in slums throughout the world before where kids beg to come back with me to NYC, but I really do realize that I’m so fortunate and am thankful for this.
I’m in the internship phase of my program meaning for four days of the week I intern. I wake up at 7:20 am, get my work clothes on, have breakfast with the others on my program, and head to the WHO on the bus, arriving at 8:44 (preciously the same minute every day, because, you know, this is Switzerland). My days go by quickly. I have no idea why since my project, estimating intellectual disability prevalence in the entire world throughout time with limited data, is slightly overwhelming and frustrating. Perhaps the challenge of it makes me work harder? Perhaps it’s because I enjoy the company of everyone in my unit. I’m not sure. I enjoy my lunch break. The other interns come from throughout the world and are mainly older with fascinating experiences and views. I usually don’t wrap up my work until just before 6 pm. To which I take the bus back to my apartment, make dinner, catch-up with people from home, and try to do check off things on my never-ending miscellaneous checklist which involves everything from school work to finding housing in the fall.
One day a week I have a long course entitled Controversies in International Health. It’s taught by a professor on-leave from University of Washington. My favorite part of this class is the site visits that we get to take. Honestly, I feel like I’m on the Magic School Bus. Today we went to Handicap International and Doctors Without Borders (Switzerland). I was overwhelmed with just the thought of being able to visit two Noble Peace Prize winning organizations in just the span of a few hours. I just can’t learn what I learn form the site visits in the classrooms at Homewood. At Handicap International I was overwhelmed by the chance to talk about Camboida and landmines (a topic I’m passionate about and spent my middle and high school years focusing on) with someone who has dedicated their entire life to the topic. We have also had the opportunity to visit IAS, UNHCR, WHO, and soon ICRC (yes, it’s monopoly soup here—especially when all the organization acronyms are then translated into French as well).
Life is going faster than I can take it. And it’s a tough balancing act between trying to make the most of each and every day, staying in touch with those at home, planning out the next step(s) in my life, interning, studying, and well, sleeping. It’s a balancing act, but one that I have learned to enjoy. I honestly came back with just a few hours of sleep on Thursday and still happened to have a smile on my face.
And I know I’ll soon be back in Baltimore hearing Bloomberg speak at the senior’s graduation. And I’ll be staring at the Swiss army knives and chocolate that I bring back, trying to convince myself that I wasn’t dreaming for a semester. And before I know it I’ll be beginning a new internship in New York City. Until then, I’ve got to go write about iodine deficiency 100 years ago in Switzerland….
A 15 ft chocolate rabbit is being built at the chocolate festival.
The alps on the train ride to Italy for Easter.
And more mountains…
Me in Venice behind the Guggenheim.
And went to Juliet’s house and tomb in Verona. Lots of love notes for Juliet.
My friend and me on Juliet’s balcony.
A view of Verona.
My dad and me at the CERN museum. So cool.
Possibly the biggest and bestest macaron in the world.
My dad and I went wine tasting with my program. The winemaking business had been in this family for over 650 years.
Last time I wrote, I was crossing my fingers about study abroad, for two reasons. I submitted my application just in the nick of time, postmarking on the day it was due from Colorado where I was vacationing (though I didn’t publicize that one to the people reading my application). Secondly, I have never met two people less enthusiastic about me studying abroad in Africa than my parents….
As best as I recall, they’ve never ever forbid me from doing something (within reason), so I was a bit thrown off when they expressed their serious reservations about South Africa. They were worried about the safety in the city, the distance from home, and whether or not I would be comfortable in a city that restricts your personal freedom out of necessity.
I’m a fairly independent person even at school, and my parents worried that I would be frustrated by not being able to go running by myself, for instance. Their concerns seemed to outweigh any good things about the city, and I was genuinely concerned I wouldn’t be able to go.
In the end everything worked out alright though, and Dr. Citti at the Office of Study Abroad spent some time chatting to my mother on the phone, reassuring her that the city was safe, I would be okay, the program was amazing etc. etc. I’m not sure what she said to her but it must have been something great, because my parents agreed to let me go to Cape Town just in time for me to receive my acceptance!
My sister is a high school senior now and I had such a flashback to that college decision time as I sat in Social Psychology last week with my roommate Laura, and the email popped up on the screen, “CIEE FA 10 Cape Town AS Program, Acceptance Email.” Laura and I caused a mess in class as we tried to celebrate really quietly while at least pretending to take notes. My parents sounded as enthusiastic as they could be when I called them later, and I’ve been giddy all week about it.
As I was applying, I decided that if I didn’t get into Cape Town, I didn’t want to go abroad, so it’s only just now becoming clear to me that I really won’t be at Hopkins this fall. Because the University of Cape Town is in the Southern Hemisphere, my semester will begin in mid-July and end in mid-November, just in time for me to be back in the States for Thanksgiving.
As excited as I am to finally go to South Africa, I know I’ll miss my friends and Hopkins itself so much while I’m gone. I won’t be able to see too many people from here while I’m gone, as shockingly Cape Town isn’t the #1 destination, but I am going with my friend Pearl, and Laura will be in Durban for an Engineers without Borders project in August, so it won’t be entirely Hopkins-free.
I’m so, so excited to go, and I can’t wait to see what it’s like. I’m sure it’ll be a bit of a culture shock but I cant wait to see what it’s like to go to school in another country, on another continent for a semester. I’ll be sure to update you all once I’m there on what it’s like, I can’t wait!
Every year I have writen a blog entry about my “crib.” This year has been a little different for me since I’m not sure exactly what I would consider my “crib.” By the end of May I will have spent four months in my lovely efficiency in Homewood in Baltimore, two months total in my room in New Jersey, two months in my apartment in Vitoria, Brazil, and four months in my apartment in Geneva, Switzerland. Nevertheless, every “crib” I’ve had this year I’ve managed to make into my home. So without further rambling, I’ll welcome you to my most recent place…Geneva.
The City
First, a little about Geneva. The city itself has only 187,697 residents, but the metropolitan area has 1,240,000 people, many from France. The city has been ranked to have the third-highest quality of life. All the stereotypes are true—cheese, chocolate, watches, and punctuality. Geneva is a city that struggled for independence. They were ruled by the dukes of Savoy. In the sixteenth century, the Genevans used the Reformation to rid themselves of the Savoy influence. Independence was given in 1602 and the city became the “Protestant Rome.” To anyone that visits Switzerland, it’s quite obvious that Geneva doesn’t have the same feel as the rest of Switzerland. Perhaps this is because, for religious reasons, the city didn’t become part of the Swiss Confederation until 1815. Today it is known as a wealthy (and expensive) city with a prominent role in international diplomacy and banking.
Here is a video of the city that I took of Geneva while on a run…
My “Crib”
Secondly, a little about where I actually live. I live in an apartment building that was bought by Boston University on a cute little side street in one of the nicest areas of Geneva (although, they’re pretty much all nice). I have a bus stop to work just a few blocks away--right next to the amazing farmer’s market. I also have a cute (though expensive) Italian restaurant on the corner of my road (in fact I am kind of in the ‘Little Italy’ of Geneva), and I have the amazing Lake Leman just down my street. I live with 50+ students on my program, all but seven are girls, and just thirteen are on the same public health track as me.
Oddly enough the building used to be a brothel until it was bought a little over a year ago. I honestly can’t imagine the building as a brothel, but supposedly, until they changed the door, there were many people coming here looking for the brothel that had moved. In addition we were told that if we (young girls) tell locals what street we live on they might give us strange looks. I honestly can’t complain about the brothel that I call my home. We have a resident director, a building manager, and two RAs who take care of us if we have any problems.
Below are pictures of my apartment. I think that these will better depict the place that I call home…
The view up my street--cute Italian restaurant!!
The view down my street--towards the lake!!
The brothel or well I should say my apartment.
Each of the five floors shares a kitchen.
The study and printer room on the main floor.
Probably the nicest bathroom I’ll have for a while (and the water pressure is amazing!!)
Our lovely Ikea beds with a built-in somewhat oddly placed reading light on the headboard-mine is on the right.
My desk area (post cards of a few of my favorite places, my Hopkins banner, my amazing travel mug-thanks Matt!!, and pictures)
The laundry room in the basement. Unfortunately, just like Hopkins, it comes at a cost.
Me on move-in days in Homewood this past fall.
I should also note that there is a very cool basement with a kitchen for the breakfast that is supplied to us during the week and a TV and couches for us when we just need time to relax (or, rather, watch the Olympics). My apartment is definitely a lot different from Building A, Charles Commons, or Homewood, but I definitely do not have any complaints.
schnazzy skiiers celebrating st. patrick's day. wow.
I’m writing this from sunny but cold Colorado, where I’m taking a great Spring Break with my family….
the lovely view from the top
We’ve been lucky enough to have a great week of conditions, with new snow and pretty empty runs almost every day. As half my family snowboards and the other skis, there have been some serious debates over the relative merits of each, but other than that all has gone smoothly. My lovely mother recently won a self-nominated bid for “most improved brown family skier of the year,” so obviously it’s been quite an entertaining vacation, as well.
I’m taking a day off from the slopes today, as my Lindsey Vonn aspirations have come to nothing, and my legs currently feel like lead. Also, as the only gold medal I could take home is in procrastination, I’ve got quite a bit of work to catch up on
my sister and i taking a break
The week before Spring Break was a good one…
hopefully i'll be here next semester! (africa, for the less obsessed)
My parents finally relented on what has nearly turned into World War III (where will Lauren study abroad?!) and said that I may apply to a program in Cape Town, South Africa. I’m still waiting to hear where I’ve gotten in, and there will be more debate on the decision side of things, but at least I got the application in! I’m really excited about the chance to not only study, but see Public Health first hand, in such an amazing country.
!!!
The Study Abroad process is a little like the college application process all over again, and it left me much more sympathetic to my sister, who has finished applying to schools and is now just waiting it out, nervously. My mom pointed out this week that neither of us know where we will be next fall–I could be anywhere from Copenhagen to Cape Town, and while Suzi’s options are limited to the East Coast, hers are all the more nerve wracking. I feel like I’m getting into college again!
Other exciting things in the pre-SB week included Blue Key (tour guide) training, which makes me feel important, but it turns out my walking backwards skills really need practice. I also found out that I have been offered a position as an Admissions Representative, which means that not too long from now I’ll be able to interview prospective students when they visit campus. I’m so excited about this! If it wasn’t already clear, nearly everything I do on campus revolves around Admissions, which I really enjoy, but has started to make my resume look a little crazy.
Mason Hall!...my new home, apparently.
The only downside to this lovely week was the amount of work (midterm season), but I’m really enjoying my classes this semester so it wasn’t all bad. This is also the first semester since I’ve gotten to Hopkins where I haven’t taken an English or Writing Sems class, so the work was quite different as well–problem sets and exams, rather than papers and presentations. It’s nice to change things up a bit, and brush up on different skills….plus if I do study abroad, most of the foreign university systems rely heavily on exams so this is good practice!
the whole family!
I love having this week off of school to regroup and maybe sleep a bit, but it’s been hectic. I arrived home in NJ much later Friday night than I had intended, due to a train booking debacle in which I thought I could leave said booking until Thursday night. It didn’t go all too well, so I got home around 9. Saturday was occupied by frantic “Big-Little” shopping prior to dashing to the airport, where our flight was delayed around four hours. This week has not been a transportation success, but almost every flight out of New York was delayed that day, so we had good company at least. I’ll be heading home with my family on Saturday afternoon, and returning to Hopkins Sunday night. This week has been busy but great, and there are lots of exciting Baltimore Spring things to look forward to when I return.
As I mentioned before, “Big-Little” week is coming up after break. Another weird but fun sorority tradition, we each get a “little” (Little Sister) and we try to keep her in the dark about who we are, delivering gifts and clues all week long before we reveal our identity on Friday. I’m so excited about it, and the new additions to my Phi Mu family are simply fabulous, I can’t wait for revelation! There’s so much going on after break and it seems the end of the year is way to close for comfort, this has been such an amazing semester thus far I really don’t want it to end.
Good luck to all the high schoolers still waiting on RD acceptances! Hope everyone’s having an amazing Spring Break, enjoy the great weather!
Sometimes I don’t believe this crazy planet that we call Earth and this crazy life that I live in. I finished my French final and then… one day I’m in Amsterdam, the next day London, then back to Switzerland, and then, you know, just a weekend in Paris followed by my first day at the World Health Organization as an intern. No biggie…just kidding. I just finished my ten-day spring break and have started the second-phase of my study abroad program a 9-5 pm for-credit internship followed by a five-hour public health class on Fridays. Although it was weird to return to a place that I don’t quite consider my home, it was nice to give my legs a break from endless days of walking foreign streets looking for good food and famous sites. In the back of my head I know that my future will have many more endless days of navigating streets around the world—hopefully without such terrible currencies as the Swiss Franc, Euro and Pound.
I don’t even know where to begin with my spring break. I guess the 500+ photos that are being uploaded to my computer will prove to myself that I’m actually not in some sort of dream. But, really, even today felt like a dream. Coming back to Geneva and dressing up for the “real world” and having the usual not-dreamlike “first-day on the job” experience that included many technical failures—a computer that decided to open random applications, a password that wouldn’t agree with me, and needed to be changed by IT three times, and a badge machine that didn’t work for 30 minutes—still felt like a dream. I mean I’m working in THE World Health Organization where so many of the reports that I read about are produced and a place that has always, to the public health major (that would be me), felt like some sort of fantasy land. And there I’m this morning just hopping on the number 8 bus to the WHO.
And though I admit I get home sick and sometimes campus sick for spring at Hopkins filled with lacrosse games and cherry blossoms and long M-level days, work days at Center for Livable Future, I also know that studying abroad was the right choice. I know that in just a few minutes I’ll be missing Geneva. So, like I always say, please prospective students and current students, consider running away from Hopkins life and studying abroad.
So instead of writing on and on about my dream, I’m just going to include my favorite and interesting pictures of my travels throughout Switzerland and during spring break… So get ready, set, go!!!!
A funny character and me in Lausanne.
The curling exhibit at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The beautifully clear water of Lake Leman.
Dogs are free to roam in restaurants in Switzerland!!
I don’t think they like Bush here.
Interesting spray painting….
A building reflection of Lake Leman and Geneva.
The view at Basel, Switzerland.
I’m obsessed with taking pictures of spray painting.
My writing in front of Abbey Road Studios in London.
Matt’s taco pancake in Amsterdam. At least that’s what I call it.
A funny boat on a canal in Amsterdam.
Matt found a dead mouse.
Matt and me in Amsterdam!!
Matt ate liver and was on a British TV show!!
An unfortunate anti-minaret bumper sticker.
The wonderful Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris.
I found the Mona Lisa!!
The view from inside the pyramid at the Louvre.
The beautiful Sacre-Coeur!!
The view and performance from the Sacre Coeur.
Nutella crepe!! Yum.
Oscar Wilde’s grave kissed by hundreds!!
And then we took the Paris metro and got a free puppet show performance!! (I tipped, it was that good)
I dragged my dad to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was a bit cold but the views were amazing!!
The Musee d’Orsay. If I created a museum it would look just like this one. Beautiful.
The beautiful mountain view from the train ride back from Paris to Geneva.
Me snowshoeing after crossing the border into France
It’s not always easy to write about life at Hopkins for an admissions blog for prospective students, however we manage to do it. And it’s especially harder to write a blog when you’re not at Hopkins and are instead enrolled in another university’s program on a different semester schedule than Hopkins that doesn’t include a one-week snow vacation….
Every semester we blog about our courses. I’m notoriously known as the person that takes weeks to decide on a schedule. At least this semester one of the stresses that I usually have to deal with—making a schedule—was nearly diminished because of being abroad on a small program with limited selection
So here is the structure of my semester…
A picture of my Principles of International Health on the final day.
Firstly, Principles of International Health. Well, the funny part is that this course just ended for good yesterday. The course met nearly every day for a total of 40 hours over the last 5 weeks. The course was really cool in that it featured a different lecturer from the World Health Organization (WHO) each session. Although I thought this course might be repetitive for me, I quickly learned that a lot of the sessions were topics that I haven’t really talked in length about at Hopkins such as female genital mutilation, antibiotic resistance, unsafe abortion, etc. It’s definitely been different to have class every day and tests every week, but by the end of it our class—made up of the thirteen students on the public health track of this program—we definitely bonded.
Secondly, Beginners French. I’ve wanted to take French for a long time. Geneva, and particularly the area around where I live, is definitely French speaking. And though I’ve been told that everyone speaks English here, I would beg to differ. And once again, just as I passed as Brazilian, I seem to be able to pass as Swiss. I’ll admit, sometimes I just feel like quoting Jack Johnson and singing, ”Je ne comprends pas francais. So you’ll have to speak to me, some other way.” However, I try to control myself. Like many other Americans, I’m often faced with constant desire that I was as multilingual as the rest of the world seems to be and also regret quitting Spanish. Anyway, my French class meets nearly every day and is taught by a professional translator and lawyer for the University of Geneva. We don’t have a formal textbook, which allows the class to be a little more unstructured and tailored to our daily life. Although, I definitely am not a natural when it comes to French, I’m glad I now know a little. This class too is ending soon and I’m actually preparing for my final that’s on this coming Wednesday.
Me on my 21st birthday dinner
Although it’s definitely different to have so much class a week, I’ve been enjoying only having two classes on my mind. Next Friday I actually head off on my spring break to London where I will be meeting up with my boyfriend to look at graduate schools and explore!! I am so excited to go to London with him and to get a break in an English-speaking country. I plan to finish up my spring break in Paris at the end of the following week (and maybe even run into my Dad!!). It’s been really nice to connect with other Hopkins students studying abroad. I actually just met up with two Hopkins students who are visiting Geneva yesterday (and we’ll continue our adventure to Basel tomorrow) and I plan to visit another student in Paris!! It’s also been somewhat reassuring for people studying in other parts of Europe to tell me that Geneva is more expensive, there’s now hope that the rest of this continent will not be as bad. My general rule is to half the price and to ask myself if I would pay that much in the United States. And, well, sometimes the answer is no.
Once I get back from spring break I will have a very intensive few months ahead. I will be taking a Controversies in International Health Course that meets once a week for five hours (this is in order to get 40 hours in eight weeks). I’m really excited for this class and the site visits to places like Handicap International, Doctors Without Borders, International AIDS Society, the Red Cross, etc.
So you might ask what I’ll be doing with my rest of the time during the week? I’ll be interning at the WHO for the other four days!! I’m super excited for this!! Although I know my week will definitely be a little more full than at Hopkins, I know that this opportunity is going to be invaluable. During this time I’ll be helping with the Global Burden of Disease publication. And although I could write all about this now, I think I’ll wait for later. But in the mean time, you can check out the website: http://www.who.int/topics/global_burden_of_disease/en/. I actually have decided to stay a few weeks extra in order to get the most of this WHO experience. But don’t worry, I’ll still be back for Hopkins commencement….and summer in New Jersey!!
Phew. Well I could go on and on but the blue sky outside means that a beautiful run along the lake is calling my name. I didn’t even mention my 21st birthday here nor my trip to the Olympic museum this past weekend nor the amazing Italian food here nor my future trips around Switzerland. But hopefully the pictures give you some sense of what it’s been like!! As you can see I’ve been keeping myself busy and although the days have gone by quickly I’m still impressed with the amount of stuff that I have been able to get done (and yet still not run away from Hopkins life since I’ve been video chatting into admissions meetings and working on the undergraduate public health conference…). Luckily, I just rewarded myself with 10 hours of sleep and plan to leave my computer in my apartment for spring break. And I know, and have been warned, that the second part of this program will be even more packed!!
Until next time,
Jessica
P.S. Although I thought I had acquired a new addiction to chocolate. I just googled “addiction to chocolate” and supposedly you can’t be addicted to chocolate (http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/does-chocolate-addiction-exist/):
“Although there are similarities between eating chocolate and drug use, generally researchers believe that chocolate “addiction” is not a true addiction. While chocolate does contain potentially mood-altering substances, these are all found in higher concentrations in other less appealing foods such as broccoli. A combination of chocolate’s sensory characteristics — sweetness, texture and aroma — nutrients, and chemicals, together with hormonal and mood swings, largely explains chocolate cravings.
Chocolate is seen as “naughty but nice” — tasty, but something which should be resisted. This suggests that the desire is more likely a cultural phenomenon than a physical one. The inability to control eating may be a result of inborn traits and today’s environment.”
In this case, I’m definitely blaming the environment for this craving. I didn’t really think Switzerland would live up to its stereotypes—precision, trains, cheese, watches, wine, and, of course, chocolate—but it absolutely does.
Sometimes I wake up in Geneva and think I’m still dreaming. Perhaps it’s because for months I knew I was going to be in Switzerland for the semester and so it sometimes feels weird that I’m finally here. However, I don’t think that’s entirely the reason why I feel like I’m dreaming because as I go through out my day I keep thinking about how I must still be dreaming. It must be because Switzerland often seems like a giant fairytale in itself so I feel as though I’m just one of many characters in a fairytale entitled Switzerland, or Suisse, or Svizzera, or Schweiz, or however you say Switzerland
in Rumantsch.
This country oftentimes doesn’t make sense to me. In comparison to Brazil, it really doesn’t make sense. And sometimes it makes too much sense that it doesn’t make sense. For example: the crosswalk button when pressed will actually change the stoplight to red and backup traffic, the public transportation system is run on an honor system, the trains from city to city never fill up and are always exactly on time and exactly the same price, the streets are not filled-up with chain restaurants (nor trash) and are instead filled up with local chocolate stores, and for some reason it’s practical for nearly all advertisements to be for watches.
Other times I just stop and look around and feel as though I’m in a fairytale setting: kids are free to play on the streets, the alps are on the horizon, the buildings are centuries old, one of my classes is taught entirely by World Health Organization lecturers, etc.
This fairytale that I am in was definitely not written by me. In my fairytale I wouldn’t have gotten a stomach flu last week (nor have passed it onto my roommate), nor blanked on a French test, nor had hundreds of readings and French verbs sent my way. If I wrote the fairytale my closest friends and family would be here (my dad would have definitely gotten to see the awesome Swiss Transport Museum I went to yesterday, my mom would have walked along the lake with me, and Matt would have shared fondue…), the world news would not be as depressing as it is, and this country would not speak 8,942 languages and dialects (a slight exaggeration), and the prices would not be so, so high (although $ may be what runs the fairytale). And so maybe Switzerland is not the perfect fairytale, but it’s pretty darn close to it.
Next blog: A little about my accelerated six-week classes, my internship starting in March, snowshoeing on my 21st birthday weekend, and spring break plans. Stay tuned!
Photographs: 1, 3, 4: Luzern, Switzerland
Photographs 2: The “beach” on Lake Geneva or Lac Léman (taken on my morning run).
