All Safe & Sound In Geneva

So yesterday was... exhausting, to say the least! I was far too tired to post anything last night, so let me tell you about in in retrospect.
Our flight was at 7am, so we had to get up at about 4:30 to wash, check in, have breakfast, and get on the plane in time. And of course, because I was so nervous (and because there's some sort of law in the world that means that things like this ALWAYS HAPPEN) I couldn't sleep at the airport hotel.
So I ended up getting on a plane to Switzerland with roughly two hours of sleep. That was fun. (I dislike planes. They are impossible to nap on.)
Upon arriving in Geneva, we took a train and then a tram to the hotel my parents were staying in, courtesy of the free public transport tickets provided by Geneva Airport! (with three large suitcases and three small ones, which was a struggle.... I promise I tried to pack light!)
We freshened up, had lunch, and then went to meet the family I'll be staying with for the next few weeks.

Let me explain a bit about this -
In Geneva, there is a horrible, horrible shortage of accommodation, particularly for students who only want to stay here temporarily. As student halls go, there's something like 1,000 applicants for every TWO places, which is ridiculous (and more than a little bit scary when I was applying...).
Thankfully, I got my application in early, and I was able to get accommodation in a nice flat provided by the university. HOWEVER, due to the shortage, I can't move in until October.
I only found out about this in August.
And so began a last-minute panic to find somewhere to live before I moved in this September. (I'm making the whole thing sound terrible - it's really not so awful, I just enjoy the drama!) One of my Dad's old friends from 30-odd years ago, with whom he is still in contact due to the magic of Facebook, used to live in Geneva, and he asked her if she still had any contacts in the city who might be able to find me a room somewhere.
Miraculously, someone DID come through for us - a lovely British family who, coincidentally, live a very short distance from the student accommodation I'll be moving into later.
Their house is gorgeous, and they're providing me with food and conversation and advice about the local area. I honestly can't say how grateful I am to them for their generosity :)
I've completely unpacked now and have settled in quite well. I can easily see myself getting along well here in Geneva!

But that was yesterday. A post about today's adventures will be coming soon - with pictures! Watch this space.