We started the day bright and early, hoping to catch Geneva’s sunrise, and headed up to the hotel rooftop only to find the city covered in thick fog that hid the sun entirely. It wasn’t the breathtaking view we had imagined, but watching the city slowly come to life through the mist had its own quiet charm. After returning to the hotel to get ready, we enjoyed an early breakfast to gear up for a day of exploring. Our first stop was the Reformation Wall in Parc des Bastions at the University of Geneva, a striking monument honoring the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. From there, we walked to Pointe de la Jonction, where the Rhône and Arve Rivers meet, usually creating a dramatic visual contrast, though the fog kept the colors from standing out. While we weren’t discouraged, we continued on to the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, a beautiful botanical garden where we wandered among diverse plant species from around the world and explored several small observatories. By the time we left, we had experienced a little bit of everything history, nature, and the unique energy of Geneva before returning to the hotel to get ready for the Convention and our meeting with the United States Delegation.

Strolling the city with no aim and no expectations was a great experience because we were able to see more of the city than we could have if we had planned something out. Going with the flow and asking random locals for places to go and things to see made a great experience and made it easier to accomplish so much in one morning.