Tomorrow is my last day at CERN. I've been here for almost 10 weeks now, yet it feels like just a few days ago I was scrambling to get my Spanish visa and figuring out what I needed to pack for the next 7 months abroad. I have had such an incredible experience here over the past 2 months and am extremely pleased with my summer--I have traveled all around Europe, learned particle physics, experienced living in a small foreign town, enjoyed nature, eaten delicious food, and formed friendships that will, hopefully, last long into the future. The past 10 weeks have gone by extremely quickly but have left me with unforgettable memories. They have also encouraged me to think deeply into my future and what I want out of it. Despite occasional workplace frustrations, I spent my summer researching at an international collaboration and the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. I went to numerous lectures led by the top names in particle physics, saw and worked with the largest particle detector ever built, and experienced scientific collaboration at its finest. Regardless of how I choose to shape my future, this experience was extremely valuable both academically and personally.
The title of this post may be a bit misleading. In fact, I still have 2 weeks left of summer, and possibly the best 2 weeks, before I begin orientation in Madrid. My parents fly into Geneva this Friday afternoon and are spending the remainder of my summer with me travelling. We are spending the first 2 days in Geneva (with a day trip to Gruyeres on Saturday), then driving to Chamonix, France on Sunday and spending 2 days near Chamonix and climbing Mt. Blanc. From there we fly to Bordeaux for another 2 day visit, transfer to Barcelona for a four day stay, fly to Granada for three days, and then end our time together in Madrid. I am really looking forward to seeing my parents and spending a decent amount of time with them. Skype and texting is great, but the time difference makes coordinating difficult and technical difficulties via internet connection always persist. It is definitely not the same as picking up the phone to call whenever I'm walking, or giving them a hug when I am home. It's going to be a great trip. I can't wait.
My time in Switzerland/France may be quickly coming to an end, but I still have over 4 months left in Europe. I had an online pre-departure orientation yesterday and my fall semester away really started to feel real. It is undoubtedly going to be a much different experience abroad than my last two months have been. I will be living with a homestay (which I am very excited for), I will be completely out of the "Yale bubble," not know anyone in my program/at the university at first, and, probably the greatest difference, English will be next to obsolete. I am very excited for this next part of my abroad experience, but needless to say, I am beginning to get a bit anxious. But for now, I have two weeks with my parents to look forward to and enjoy to the fullest!
Dashboard..
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