Switzerland - A Getaway One Could Never Forget

By Sabina Turcan

“It’s tough to find a place not to like in Switzerland.” This saying has been stuck in my mind ever since I first visited this country last summer. I didn’t get the chance to discover all its beauty, but the fragments I did left me speechless and have been deep-rooted in my brain ever since. Back then, I mostly visited the small villages hidden away deep in the mountains. Simply gazing at those landscapes made me realize how much I admire the beauty of nature, how much I wish to one day live in such a place. I cannot describe the feelings that overwhelmed me every single time I woke up at 5 am and climbed on top of the mountain just to admire the thin blade of sunlight illuminating behind them. It was my favorite part of the day. I never thought there could be anything else better than that. Yet, I was wrong.

Two weeks ago I was offered the opportunity to come back to this country and this time discover it all over again from another perspective. I got the chance to visit one of its most-visited and astounding cities - Geneva. And traveling there was just a small section of the journey. The most significant part of it was experiencing what proved to be the favorite event I’ve ever attended in my life - “Education for Future”, the International Cooperation Forum Switzerland. Some of you might think that I blow things out of all proportion, yet it’s true. The people I met there, the interactions I had, the memories I created are all worth every single moment spent there. As part of this conference, together with another student and our teacher, we got the chance to represent one of the most influential organizations working in the area of tackling crucial global issues - Take Action Global. It was an honor to act as a representative, convincing other people that dedicating time to this community is one of the best choices they can make. The conference lasted for two days and it was the second day that proved to be my favorite. Besides meeting and connecting with a group of students from the city of St Gallen (which was, indeed, one of my favorite parts), I also got the chance to make an extremely important speech in front of a large public, without any serious preparations. I was selected as the speaker from my team, which only consisted of adults, in order to share my thoughts on the topic of Food Waste and its Eradication until 2030. At the end of my speech, two journalists approached me in order to get an interview. At that exact moment, it felt like the place where I belonged the most, the place I would never like to leave. Interacting with representatives from UNESCO, ETH University, United Nations, made me realize that this is exactly the path I want to take in the future and I wholeheartedly believe that one day I will eventually end up in such a place - a place where international relations sit at the base of every interaction, everyone working together in order to achieve a common goal.

Yet, besides the opportunity to meet new people, I also got the chance to discover the beauty of the city. One factor I simply cannot forget to mention is how clean and well-taken care of Geneva is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lake so transparent and clear as the one in this city. The swans, the 140-meter fountain and the rainbow perfectly added up to the overall atmosphere. And the parks… a must destination when you go to Geneva.

Everything about this trip exceeded my expectations. I never thought that I would get the chance to be a part of such an experience, yet here I am, sharing the best moments of it (ignoring the one time we almost lost the stopover flight). I’ve been to many places before, but I’d have to admit that Switzerland was my favorite - it is the place where I feel most at home.