Familiarity
This is the last full weekend that I will spend in the Hague. It has been such an amazing adventure that it is difficult to accept that it is nearly over. I spent the weekend enjoying all of the places that are by now “my old haunts,” and I constantly had to remind myself that I will be leaving soon. I am shocked at how things can become so familiar in such a short time. However, this familiarity does not mean that I don't appreciate these things; in fact, this makes me appreciate them more. I will miss all of the wonderful places that I have spent so much time in such as reading by the pond outside of my apartment, my morning bike commute, and relaxing by seashore in my hammock at the Dunepark.
For my penultimate week at work, I continued writing and discussing the paper on Presidementary Government. In these discussions and writing process, I am struck by how quickly I have adjusted to talking in terms of comparative constitutional building and post conflict justice. This internship has taught me so much in such a short period of time, and I know that I will miss being exposed to such a wider view of the world on a regular basis.
In addition to my writing, I also had the opportunity to proofread the manuscript for an upcoming book written in collaboration with some of the staff at International IDEA. The book’s main focus is on security sector reform in various countries’ development. I enjoyed this task for the scope and diversity of the subject. Many of the chapters focused in depth on countries that either I had not had the opportunity to study or had not studied through the lens of security sector reform. It is truly a testament to how there are always new things to learn and appreciate. I look forward to the next week of learning and appreciation ahead.