The Best Way to Geneva is By “Mouette Genvoise”

Waking up early Saturday morning, a phone call from Mme. Robert, the kindest lady I have met in Geneva, scheduled an outing on a sunny afternoon. With a rendez-vous at 3pm, I left my apartment at 2 to enjoy the warm sun, cool breeze, amazing landscape and calm feel filling the city. The more I walk through this city, the more I realize how beautiful this country is. Not only is filled with sky high mountains and beautiful nature, the people make this place so special. Geneva is such an international location. You can find people from all over the world gathered in this city for multiple reasons. It gives this place a sense of culture and diversity that I love. Besides being a centre for politics and business, Geneva is a place where multiculturalism is dynamic and vital to the city’s feel. The diversity accentuates the image we capture in our minds when we visit Geneva.

As I arrived to the town center, I met Mme. Robert who suggested we get on a “mouette genevoise”. You might be wondering what that is, well, in simple terms it is a small yellow boat which brings you from one end of the city to the other. As we got in the boat, it filled up so quickly, being such a beautiful day in the city. Genvoise people, international visitors, young and old, everyone was out to see the clear blue sky and the picturesque view of the Alps. With spring being an amazing time to be in this city, the flowers blooming, the trees leafing and the crisp breeze blowing through your hair makes it for a very relaxing experience. We got off the boat and sat in a café that overlooked the whole city. We enjoyed “glace of café” (coffee ice cream) and chatted about life. What I love about Mme. Robert is the stories about her life. You can tell she is someone who embraced life at every opportunity she had. You can always tell when someone who truly lived each day with love and purpose. Their energy is reflected with each word they say. Their stories are more vibrant and colorful. Even through tough times, people who embrace life always have a way to looking at trials and challenges as experiences and a part of life.

The moments I live in Geneva are so unique and special because they are teaching me life lessons through the people I meet and the experiences I live. I hope that I take this desire to listen to people that have had more experience or interesting lives to every city I live in. I value the people I meet for their willingness to share their life stories with me after knowing me for such a small period of time. I think taking the time to know someone and the successes and failures they have encountered in their lives teaches you a bit more about your own life because it makes you reflect on your own decisions, successes and failures. On that note, I say today, indulge in a conversation with someone you might not know, or even listen to someone you do know and ask them what drives them in life, you might just learn something new and amazing that can make you thrive in your own life.

Well, that is the lesson I learned on my Saturday journey on a mouette Genevoise.