Hello everyone!

I've been in Geneva for exactly a week now, and am settling in pretty well. My jet lag is gone, I can get on a bus without ending up accidentally in France somewhere, and I'm well on my way to becoming a morning coffee regular at the cafe in my office building.

I started work right away at UNITAR, a whopping 12 hours after I arrived at the airport. For those of you less well-versed in the endless acronyms that the UN loves so much, that's the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. I'm in their climate change program, officially as a Climate Change Program Fellow (unofficially as the new Canadian intern- significantly less glamorous, I know).

I'm new and niaive enough around here to still get excited when I see the UN crest on the front of my building every morning. I'm also pretty excited about my UN badge and security pass, even if I am only a "fellow" and not an actual permanent staff member!

If there's anything I'm learning, it's that Geneva is a city of expats. I got lost walking around town the other day & had to stop 6 people to ask for directions before I could find someone who spoke French or English. Most people who live here weren't born here- in fact, I'm beginning to become convinced that real "Genevoises" are an urban legend & they don't actually exist.

Okay, that's it for now. I promise to post some fun pictures soon & maybe (gasp!) have some interesting stories to tell. For now, I hope you're all doing well & I send you big hugs from Geneva.

xox
Liz