ON THE ROAD
Geneva, Switzerland (Sep 2008)

I am finally traveling again; in a combination of business and pleasure. Suddenly life becomes interestingly different and my mental state needed some realignment. Traveling can be quite funny; it's such a multi-sensory experience that heightens life to the next level. I feel so alive.

My journey began in Geneva. Eurovision - EBU has its headqurters in this small city in Switzerland, where life is easy and fantastic panorama just a glance away. You can only be special if you have the view of the Alps from your top floor canteen. Geneva is special, and the weather for the past few days were great. Suddenly, the voices of my Geneva colleagues I've been hearing in the last 8 months takes a personal form and as FMI said, "life is dandy".

The most amazing thing about being a part of an international organisation is the fact that everybody comes from a different part of the world. It is such an enriching cultural experience just to have lunch with a Finnish, Cuban-American, Spanish, English and Indonesian. One can speak of issues like gender equality without realising how alien this concept is for our Finnish colleague. In Finland, gender equality is never an issue; father and mother has equal rights to take 'parental leave' to spend time with their children, and there is no such thing as machoism. We spoke of families, near and far; The different roads leading to different countries. We spoke about the road in France called Rue de Geneve, and the road in Geneve called Rue de France. I saw flamenco on the street of Geneve. There was a rainbow, quaint little cobble stone streets and numerous placas.

I'm being reminded on the essence of traveling; it makes no matter business or pleasure. Travels teach you things beyond your imagination and takes you places further than that little dot on the map. It creates a buzz that leaves you wanting for more. If this addiction, I can not get enough of it...

Stay here for my Italian wedding adventures. Next destination: Milano.