"What are you eating there? Make sure you get some rice and beans. We don't want you to get sick or starve yourself". This is a typical parent's message that I believe many students can relate to. Cooking is more than just a basic survival skill: it is an art, but it is also about culture and creating bonds between humans.

When I was younger, one of the main activities I shared with my father was cooking. After my parent's divorce, I spent the weekends at his house making delicious meals. 

Now, I find myself far from home but with new sights and flavours to explore. 

Just an hour from Geneva, you can be in either France or Italy. Coming from Brazil, this still amazes me: in an hour, you haven't even left the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Even though international voyages are common features to living in Switzerland, and Europe overall, you don't have to go far to experience the international while living at the Grand Morillon student residence.

To cross the hallway from my studio to the common kitchen is a trip in an of itself. Not because of the distance, because I am just ten steps away. But the smells: you can find all kinds of different seasonings, odours, techniques and dishes. I won't say that you will find chefs at Grand Morillon, since a lot of us, including myself, are on a budget and making the most of discounted food from local markets. 

Yet, our common kitchen is our main resource to making friends, since it is a shared space for socialisation. I mean, we all have to eat, and our mealtime schedules are very similar in that respect. And it is equally nice to share some thoughts while cooking. Just like it was where I previously lived, the kitchen is always the heart of the home. It is no joke that if you want to win someone over, you go for their belly.

I ended lots of chapters in my life before coming to Geneva, but now I am starting a new book. It is not an easy transition, though. I am distant from everything and everyone I know after crossing halfway around the world. It is pretty exciting, but it can also get lonely. Thus, I think staying at Grand Morillon, also known as GM, was a good choice for me. 

Here, I have the company of hundreds of other students in a similar situation, facing an array of emotions about being far from home. We find ways to cope together. 

For instance, we have several WhatsApp groups designed as collaborative initiatives to meet the neighbours. So, if you're going to the Institute, you can ask if someone would like to have some company. It is also possible to schedule a "pizza party" at the common kitchen because we have specific groups according to the floor and building. Or you can even ask what the cleaning schedule is for the week.

Here I am... making rösti for the first time in Switzerland to celebrate new beginnings. The result was approved by two colleagues, even though I had never done rösti before. It was a breakthrough not only in my cooking abilities, but to a whole new process in my life. 

I craved being in a cross-cultural space, and close to opportunities to leave a tiny brick of a contribution towards making the world a better place. 

Now, I find myself in Geneva, the international city, studying at the Graduate Institute. Every day I wake up here is another reason to be grateful, especially for all the people back home that are supporting me. 

My hopes are with you, kind reader, to have a nice experience here and fulfil your expectations. 

And you can count on me for advice, drinks and rösti.