by Chidinma Emenike, Terry campus student
We’ll be departing for Switzerland in about a week, for 12 days of fun and excitement (and learning, I guess). I’m not unexcited, per se, but I think I’ll perk up a bit more once we’re there. Traveling is fun, but there are still logistics to consider. Actually getting to the airport will take several hours, and we’ll have to be there even further in advance for international flights. Upon arrival, we’ll have to wrangle with lines, airport security, and TSA.
Still, this trip promises to be different from others I’ve taken in the past. We’ll have quite a bit of unsupervised free time for a school trip, and I plan on doing a lot of exploring. I’ve never been to Switzerland before, so I’m interested to see what it’s like. I’ve realized that I don’t actually know much about the country, which is interesting considering it has so much to offer, as demonstrated by our class presentations on Thursday. Picturesque views can be found seemingly anywhere in the country, and the people seem polite, if a bit reserved.
Speaking of people, while we’re here, I hope to make some international contacts, especially in the energy field. I haven’t quite decided what I want to do once I finish this program, and it’s never too soon to start thinking about the future. Apparently, many of the people we’ll be meeting are entrepreneurs and innovators, trailblazers in their field. I think it will be really inspiring to talk with them, and see how they got their start. I’d love to be able to do the same thing in my career: find something that lights a fire within me, and harness my passion for it in order to create something that helps people, and that I can be proud of (being able to put food on the table would be nice, too).
This trip is shaping up to be a lot of fun, but I also want to challenge myself while I’m here, both physically (I plan on doing quite a bit of hiking and cycling), and through my diet (meat and dairy prevail in Switzerland, and while I respect farmers’ commitment to tradition, I’ll have to put more effort into avoiding animal products here). Between exploring, networking, and our organized events, my schedule promises to fill up quickly. Hopefully I’ll remember to make time for this blog. I’d like to write a post every day. We’ll see what actually happens.
Switzerland, here we come!