Hello All,

 I arrived yesterday to the Hague, Netherlands and today started my first day of classes at the Hague Academy of International Law located in the Peace Palace.  The Hague is an enchanting city–and when I get rid of the jet lag I’m hoping to be able to explore beyond the traditional legal institutions where I will be spending most of my days.  The first day of classes were fascinating–but even more exciting is the mix of 340 students.  We represent 84 countries (including Iran & Iraq) and come from a diverse range of backgrounds (law student pales in comparision to the WTO, UN, State Dept. backgrounds my colleagues have).  My roommates are from China and Italy–but thankfully, they and my host mother both speak a substantial amount of English.  Since an extensive education in international law is prerequisite, the classes assume a lot of knowledge, and it is exciting to know how quickly my learning curve will grow. 

Hope you are all enjoying your summers!