In less than two hours, several of my GPP peers and I will be traveling up to Washington DC in preparation for our presentation at the Swiss embassy tomorrow morning. Although working together was definitely much easier during our in-person Global Summit, I think my team has worked well to refine our final presentation from our different parts of the world. Tomorrow, at the Swiss embassy, we will be joined by our Swiss colleagues, who have already made their way to the States and have been touring universities. Although I have a sense of what to expect at the embassy and the luncheon at the Ambassador's residence, I remain apprehensive about how our presentation will go, what the dynamics will be, etc. While I am a bit nervous, I am excited about this opportunity and am confident that it will serve as a memorable event to mark the culmination of our learning experience in Switzerland--which was itself a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity.
This Friday, I will finally leave for Switzerland--an experience I have been anticipating and preparing for all semester long. Although I still have tons to take care of before leaving, I am ready to finally be going on the journey. Some of the most important items on my to-do list include packing (!), finishing up some responsibilities at school, and preparing my family for two weeks without me (self-identified family manager). The latter responsibility includes getting my daughter's hair to last for two weeks (this should take about 4 hours), creating 15-20 pre-set outfits for her (for her final week of school and the week afterward), packing for my friend's wedding in Delaware, which happens the day after I return from Switzerland, and attending some meetings and appointments.
I had to make the difficult choice of not attending a coalition meeting in Richmond yesterday as part of my assistantship, but I think it was the responsible choice as I would have to be have been gone before sunrise and do not have much energy/ stamina these days due to health reasons. I hope that the report I created for the meeting was helpful and that I will not be penalized/ looked down upon for not being able to make it. Saying "no" can be difficult, especially in certain situations, but thinking about all that I still have to do, I am resolved in my choice. In one of our first preparation meetings, Dean DePauw told us that the time had come to travel, we would not be able to believe it, and she was definitely right! I'm still having trouble envisioning myself in Switzerland, but I guess it won't really hit until I get there. Although we have discussed it and gotten advice from past scholars, I am still not confident about what I should pack. I believe the attire for our group activities and meetings should be similar to conference attire, but it is difficult to gauge what the best wardrobe choices will be given the need to minimize baggage (we will have lots of walking, sometimes with our luggage), my uncertainty about the weather there (I have checked online, but it seems that one day can have a high temperature of 80 degrees (F) and a low temperature of 40 degrees (F)), and my desire to look professional but still feel comfortable. I feel compelled to go out and buy ten outfits that I feel confident about, but that would require hundreds of dollars, which I do not have at my disposal. Speaking of dollars, finances are one of my top sources of anxiety for this trip. The GPP program covered my flight, most of my lodging, and the majority of my meals, but I will still need to spend hundreds of dollars for my travel to and from BWI airport in Maryland, lodging the day before and after the program begins, some meals, and any cultural activities that are not covered by the trip. I asked my department head if there might be supplemental funds available to me since I have not yet used any of the department's funds for conference travel, and was hopeful by his initial response to my request, but I later learned that he did not think this was an appropriate use of dollars. Thus, I will be further in debt come June. (Note to self--If and when I am a professor/ advisor/ professional with discretionary funds--make the choice to support a student in need to realize her/his/their dream to help alleviate their financial pressure/ guilt about engaging in education.) This part really dampens the experience for me. One, I wish I had been successful in acquiring additional support from my department. However, since that was not a possibility, I am faced with spending hundreds of dollars that I do not have. As I have committed to the trip, I have already made the choice to incurring this debt, but I had not anticipated how this choice would affect me emotionally. I am already being harassed by bill collectors and am dreading returning home to even more debt. I hope that this anxiety will not take away too much from my experience, but this is my reality--a reality I am desperate to escape--a reality that keeps me in school. Well, enough about money (or lack thereof). Despite all of the anxiety associated with departure, I am doing my best to maintain a positive outlook and to approach this journey excited to learn, connect, and reflect. I will certainly keep blogging (and journaling) to document this exciting journey. Onwards! |
GPP Blog
I have been selected to participate in the 2016 cohort of Virginia Tech's Global Perspectives Program in Switzerland. This blog will be my space to share and reflect on my experiences preparing for, going to, and returning home from Switzerland! ArchivesCategories |