Five Organizations to Support on International Women’s Day and Beyond (Because We Actually Exist Those Other 364 Days As Well)

Stop Street Harassment

How many times have you been catcalled? Wolf-whistled? Followed? Assaulted in public? Street harassment is part of a spectrum of gender-based violence that makes public spaces considerably less safe for women and minorities, especially those with disabilities, trans and LGBTQIAA+ folk, and religious and ethnic minorities. Stop Street Harassment is dedicated to collecting robust data on sexual harassment, sharing stories, supporting local groups to change gendered norms, and provides the only street harassment support hotline. Learn more here and support them here.

Curamericas Global

A vast majority of maternal deaths are entirely preventable. Curamericas hopes to eliminate maternal and child deaths by providing safe birthing centers, nutritional support, and more. They are rigorously evidence-based and dedicated to projects that are ultimately self-sustaining and community-driven – the white savior complex prevalent in so many international development orgs doesn’t fly here. Learn more about their work here, and consider joining or donating to their big annual fundraiser, a “Mom-A-Thon” that requires no actual running but is a “race to save lives.”

Your alma mater’s survivor support and/or GBV prevention center 

The landscape of gender-based violence resources and support on university campuses has changed drastically over the past ten years, and with MeToo, Devos’ proposed hacking of Title IX, and general budget cuts in education your university’s center could probably use some support. Consider donating time or money, or if you feel strongly about the matter use your clout as an alumnus to write a letter to the school’s newspaper or contact campus administrators explaining why supporting survivors and prevention efforts is so important to you. My University of Mary Washington fam can support the Center for Prevention and Education on Giving Day here, while #MasonNation can learn more about the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) here. A quick search of your uni’s website should provide you with details for your particular college; if not, that’s another issue to raise with campus leaders!

One Love Foundation

Prevention and education materials for students tends to be a bit dated…or condescending…or just hard to relate to. The One Love Foundation is dedicated to producing high-quality, relevant, and FREE materials aimed at promoting healthy relationships among college students. Having worked with them in the past, I really can’t say enough about them. They also support One Love Clubs on college campuses across the nation, which seek especially to involve college athletes in relationship education. Learn all about them here.

The Abortion Access Front

Abortion AF (formerly Lady Parts Justice League) describes themselves as “Habitat for Humanity for Abortion Clinics” – basically, they visit clinics around the country volunteering time to spruce up centers and basically make sure the employees, volunteers, and patients feel loved. They also provide daily updates about reproductive health issues and host pretty awesome events like comedy shows to raise money for reproductive health access. Donate here, volunteer here, join the newsletter here, and learn more about them here.

Antsy for Annecy

If you tire of the mechanical efficiency of the well-worked Swiss clock that is Geneva, Annecy provides a quintessential day or weekend trip from the city.

Annecy is known as the “Venice of the Alps,” and while I consider that to be a bit of a stretch, it is still well-worth the journey. Annecy (which I’ve heard pronounced both “Ann-eh-see” and “Ansy”) is surprisingly easy to get to – depending on if you get the direct or indirect bus it’s only 45 to 1 1/2 hours from the bus station (Gare Routierre) in Geneva.

Quick reminder: Annecy is in France. France uses Euros, NOT francs. Plan accordingly. You’re advised to bring your passport just in case, but they don’t often check as you cross the border.

I highly recommend hoping on a tourist boat – we got a one hour tour of the lake and its surrounding towns and castles (yes, castles as in plural) for 14.50 euros, and it was a blast. One highlight was a drool-worthy view of Château de Menthon. Alternatively, if it’s a hot day definitely pack a swim suit and plan to rent a paddle boat or go for a dip. Or, just spend a couple hours staring at how. incredibly. blue. the water is.

As tempting as it is to spend the whole day by the lake, you need to explore old town. Follow the tip of Lake Annecy to its source at the river Thiou and you’ll find canals lined with ancient-looking homes and charming bridges, sure to have you daydreaming of all the fairy tales you’ve read as a kid. Plus there’s a castle overlooking it all.

I personally didn’t find Chateau D’Annecy tempting enough to fork over the entrance fee (a steal nonetheless at 5.5 euro), but the walk up to the castle was certainly worth it. A winding set of staircases and steep alleys will leave you breathless and possibly spontaneously breaking out into “This Provincial Life.”

Be forewarned - on a nice summer day, you will not be the only person with the grand idea to visit Annecy, and peak crowds in this tiny town can rival the biggest tourist attractions. To avoid some of the crowd, try to arrive early in the day to explore the old town canal area before too many folks show up (and try to snag that coveted Palais de l'Île selfie without an extended Norwegian family in the background). For lunch, avoid the restaurants along the main canal - while plenty yummy, you’re guaranteed to pay tourist prices at this spots (though, these are still comparatively cheap coming from Geneva!).

For additional food and lodging recommendations, I recommend this review from Vogue Exploring Annecy, the Venice of the North or this guide from Vine Pair: Your 24-Hour Guide to the Pearl of the Alps.

Reminder from the Past: RFK and Optimism

There’s a point in any road trip where you realize there is an acute chance you have lost your mind. It’s inevitable. At some point, as the pavement flashes past and past and the kamikaze bugs slowly obscure all sight from your windshield, you begin to ponder thoughts of life and death and the endless expanse of time and whether the meaning of life might truly be purchasable in a truck stop gift shop.

My partner and I binge-listened to the RFK Tapes, a pretty awesome investigatory podcast on the assisiation of Robert F. Kennedy (it combines politics and conspiracy, so it’s one of the few podcasts my partner and I can both fully get into). Anyway, one episode features an interview with one of RFK’s former speechwriters. We hear the speechwriter and Kennedy himself deliver, in a round, the most amazing summation of Americana.

Perhaps it was the rough, stretching landscape that immersed our car; perhaps it was the effects of detoxing from a particularly caustic political season. No matter the cause, I found myself entranced, letting Bobby’s words from 1968 lilt me away into a sense of optimism and price.

“Our Gross National Product, now, is over $800 billion dollars a year,

but that Gross National Product - if we judge the United States of America by that -

that Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. 

It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. 

It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl.  It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. 

It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. 

Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. 

It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. 

It measures neither our wit nor our courage,

neither our wisdom nor our learning,

neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country,

it measures everything,

in short,

except that which makes life worthwhile. 

And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud

that we are Americans.”

I’ll be honest, folks. It’s been hard to feel pride in my country lately. I don’t need to summarize the news for you all - things have been rough and show no sign of balancing out. It’s exhausting to care; it’s a slow death not to care. I’ve talked before about my struggles identifying as an American, and no, I still don’t have any magic answers for myself or others.

But I can tell you…my man Bobby was right. This country is something special. Not a manifest destiny sort of special; not a world hegemony sort of special. The sort of special that flashes before your eyes like the dashed road lines on an endless road trip; vital, overlooked, constant.

Top 10 *Free* Can't Miss Moments in Geneva, Switzerland

It's that time of year - the fresh-faced interns are flocking to Geneva to embark upon careers in humanitarian work, global health, or diplomacy. And their bright faces will dim just a little when they realize that, fulfilling though their internship might be, Geneva is dang expensive city to live in on a *non-existent* budget.

No fear, dear interns and other tourists! Geneva is an exquisite city, and there are in fact plenty of things to do for free. 

1) Visiting the Jet d'Eau

Ok, let me be clear. The Jet is actually just a big stream of water shooting into the air. It’s the world’s biggest fountain, and has some really cool details about it, but really – I can just picture a group of engineering students smoking some pot one day and going “Duuuuude. You know what would be cool?”

I recognize that. It’s a silly, slightly-phallic nonsensical bragging point. But at the same time…

It’s flipping awesome.

For obvious reasons, they only run it during spring, fall, and summer, and not when it’s particularly rainy. But on a warm day, venturing out onto the pier, getting soaking wet, seeing the city from a completely different standpoint, and marveling at the rainbow created by the falling water catching in the sunlight…it’s a must for any Geneva visitor.

2) Strolling Place des Nations

Geneva is home of a boggling number of humanitarian organizations, and a high density of them are clustered around one gorgeous public square and foundation display. From Place, you can view the stunning entrance to the Palais des Nations, headquarters of the United Nations, the famous Broken Chair sculpture dedicated to victims of land-mines, and monuments to Mahatma Ghandi, victims of the Srebrenica massacre, and much more. The Place is also a key public transport hub, meaning you'll be caught up in a bustle of tourists and busy professionals alike. Though much of the material on display here is certainly heavy, during the summer the plaza comes alive with fountains that delight businessmen and children alike.

3) A run through the outskirts

When I picked a neighborhood in the suburbs of Geneva in which to live, I expected it to be quiet. I didn’t expect it to be quite so charming and gorgeous. It seems like every time I went out for a run I would turn down a new road, get distracted, and well…the run would dissipate a bit. Take the bus to Grand-Saconnex on the edge of town, and enjoy a lovely trail past a wheat field and towards a gorgeous overlook of the lake. 

4) Stroll Carouge with Cheese

Carouge is a delightful neighborhood in Geneva known for its historic, Italian-inspired architecture. On it's own, Carouge is a great place for site-seeing, but try to make it out on a Wednesday or Sunday, when the Place du Marche features a mouth-watering display of local cheeses, wines, bread, and produce.

5) Stuff your face at Plainpalais

The largest open-air market it town, Plainpalais is open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. But that's not all - on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the plaza boasts an impressive flea market. Regardless of the state of your pocket money, the Plainpalais market, especially on the weekends, is bustling, stimulating, and hands-down the best people-watching in the city. If you have money to spend, come hungry - in addition to your traditional produce and bread, you'll also find food stalls with Moroccan, Chilean, Brazilian, American, and more...my personal favorite stall featured a giant wall of rotisserie chicken, slowly cooking and dripping juices onto a veritable trough of potatoes below.

6) Visit the St. Pierre Cathedral

An impressive and historically important site, this church is definitely worth your time. The church is typically open between 10am-5pm, but be mindful of any worship services or other programs occurring. Throughout the summer, it's not unusually for the church to host free choral or organ concerts. For 5 CHF, you can climb to the very top of the spires - read more about my adventures with that here! 

While in Old Town, take the time to wander. Old Town is the oldest part of the city (SHOCKER) where you can see the original city wall, the oldest house in the city (dating back to 1334 and also free to visit!), and some of the original streets, fountains, and architecture. The small, winding streets are charming, and though it may or may not be the longest bench is the world, the Trielle Pomenade is still pretty relaxing to sit on and offers a pretty view of the rest of the city.

7) Hike Mont Saleve

Switzerland is hikers heaven, but most of the big hikes are a couple hours outside of Geneva. If you just have to scratch that hiking itch while in town, Mont Saleve is here for you. There are several ways up the mountain, including hiking trails and a cable car for those who would rather enjoy the view without breaking a sweat.

8) Outdoor Movies and Outdoor Music Festival

Since Geneva is such a famously expensive city, I was shocked to find so many free, outdoor entertainment options while visiting, particularly in the summer. Stand-outs include celebrating Swiss National Day on August 1st, which features country-wide celebrations including a blow-out at Parc des Bastions, fireworks on the lake, and followed by the annual Fêtes des Geneve. June's Fête de Musique is a phenomenal, lengthy and sprawling celebration of all things musical, when the heart of the city turns into a performance center. The United Nations Headquarters offers free tours and events throughout the year, including screenings, outdoor yoga, and more, so keep an eye on their page.  Outdoor movies are popular in Geneva, with free summer-long showings at CinéTransat, Ciné Plage, and Ciné Laconnex (for best results, pair with a bottle of cheap wine and some cheese from the grocers). In December, the Fête de L’Escalade, is a reenactment-heavy celebration of a failed military surprise-attack on the city circa 1602. 

9) Think Deep at Parc des Bastions

It can be hard to remember that Geneva is a college town. Parc des Bastions offers a glimpse at the nerdy delights of living among an intellectual crowd, paired with creative ways to enjoy the outdoors. This little oasis offers life-size chess and checkers, weird turf-covered loungy chair thingy-ma-bobs, plenty of faux-philosophers debating their latest reads, a playground, food stands, a skate rink (in the winter), and great people watching (year-round). Situated between the University of Geneva, Old Town, and several museums, your IQ goes up with each hour you spend there. The park also features the impressive (occasionally creepy, in the wrong light) Wall of the Reformation.

10) Free Walking Tour

Geneva's compact size, well-maintained public spaces, and safety make it an exceptionally walkable city. It's easy enough to set out in one direction and explore as you go; for those interested in a little more structure, the city now offers free walking tours - can I get an amen? 

That Time I Volunteered on a Goat Farm

Despite the needling threat of snow flurries that continue to haunt the morning news, it is now officially spring.  Sunshine is becoming less rare, the beautiful flowering trees are thrusting pollen up my nostrils, and people are slowly emerging from their Netflix-and-fuzzy-socks hibernation routines. This time of year, my biological clock starts ticking, and I find myself thinking about babies – sweet, squealing, fuzzy, cantankerous goat babies.

I realize that goats are somewhat on-trend at the moment (when, I wonder, will cows become chic?) but this is a story that goes far beyond goat yoga, eco-farm AirBnBs, and goat cheese salad.  This is the story about that time I volunteered on a goat farm.

It was a weird time in my life, I’ll give you that. I was temporarily living in Durham, North Carolina. I was doing a heck of a lot of sitting on my butt – between my job as a communications specialist and a public health master’s degree program that seemed like a lot more fun before I actually had to start studying for it. And with a big move looming in my future, my anxiety levels were absurd. I needed a distraction. I opened Instagram. I saw a photo of a baby goat. I realized it was the cutest thing on earth. I did some internet investigation and learned that this particular baby goat resided on Prodigal Farm, a dairy farm just 20 minutes from my house that was in need of baby goat volunteers for kidding season.

I signed myself and my husband up immediately, though I didn’t tell him until after the fact. Whoops.  We attended volunteer orientation, a big crowd of us crammed into a farmhouse living room, learning about the various different ways goats could more or less explode on our watch, and then….we waited. And waited. For an email.

ABIES ARE HERE!

You know when you’re in your mid-to-late twenties and all of a sudden it seems like everyone you know and have ever known is pregnant or trying to get pregnant or bouncing a new baby on their hip (and if you’re like me it makes your blood pressure steadily increase with each new baby photo you see)? Goats are the winners of this game. One goat will drop her kid. And then the next. And then all of a sudden you have thirty babies coming a week (did you know that goats tended to have twins and triplets quite frequently?)

My first couple times volunteering at Prodigal were probably the stupidest I’ve ever felt. I spilled a lot of milk – on the floor, on myself, on goats. I was constantly asking my co-volunteer if this or that goat looked fat because she was full, or because she had a potentially fatal case of gas (happens a lot with the babies…they eat too quickly and can’t deal). I wiped a lot of goat butts (also a health concern). I was too weak to lift the five gallon paint buckets of milk and too short to successfully lift the bigger babies back over the fences to their pens. I was outsmarted by many a hungry little goatie. I came home with bruises on my shins, straw in my hair, and quite literally covered in shit and mud.

It was awesome.

As many mistakes as I made, I started learning, too. I learned how to coax a balky two-day old goat to take to a plastic nipple. I learned how to administer vaccines to a squirming month-old. I helped tube-feed a malnourished baby, who thanked me by peeing all over my lap – and I honestly didn’t care. Eventually I could, if not gracefully, efficiently lug the gallons of milk and mix around the farm thanks to a trendy new work-out routine called mucking out stalls. Everyday that I came home dirty, exhausted, and smelly, I was working a part of my brain that had started to calcify under years of academic work and mind-numbing hours at an office computer. How often do you get a chance to try something you have honestly never tried before?

That was my last spring in North Carolina. My big impending move went more smoothly than I had imagined, with a job offer landing swiftly and surprisingly in my lap. At my final interview, my future employer asked me what I did for self-care – I was, after all, applying for a potentially stressful position.

I remembered how it was physically impossible to worry about my email while running after a baby goat making a break for a weak spot in the fence. I remembered how nothing in my public health or economics text books felt as real as properly vaccinating a living being, or speaking with the farm owner about what went into her goat cheeses and how seemingly abstract shifts in the economy could affect their farm acutely. I remembered the glorious, freeing feeling of being covered in crap and mud and straw and goat milk and just deciding not to care.

I smiled. “Do you know of any nearby goat farms?”  I said.