Switzerland

Switzerland was our penultimate stop. We split our time between Zurich and Geneva, the two largest cities in this beautiful country.

Our stay here began with a short and brisk hike through one of the famous "vitaparcours", or fitness trails. Afterwards, we visited a cute sustainably-run farm and learned about which practices small-scale subsistence farmers in Europe take advantage of to maximize their output while remaining kind to the environment. Here, I had what I think was the best meal of the trip -- hand-made sausage, with a refreshing potato salad and fresh greens.

Keeping with our pattern, we toured the University of Zurich and learned about the various courses of study, in addition to the academic and clinical labs hosted on their campus. This was quite a humbling experience! The microbiological technology that European institutions had sitting around was many years ahead of the equipment that our labs at UF used.

On our way to Geneva, we visited a cheese factory and sampled a variety of cheeses, some of which were pleasant. We were also able to stop by a vineyard that had a beautiful view overlooking Lake Geneva!

The highlight of my trip was in Geneva. Here, we were lucky enough to tour and sit for a talk at the World Health Organization! As an MPH student, this experience was highly rewarding and helped contextualize my efforts in my classes to the broader global health outlook. Immediately afterwards, we visited the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, which was filled with exhibits highlighting the work that the IRCRC has done to provide aid globally; this was a great learning experience and affirmed my decision to pursue a minor in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance.