About the Author: Meghan Cioci interned at the U. Consulate General of Strasbourg from June to August Within a day, my feet were already aching from my adventures wandering around la Petite France, up the famous Cathedral and through the Orangerie Park. I knew I was in for a great summer. And this was all before starting my internshipโฆ. That Monday, I presented myself at the gates of the Consulate General, not having the slightest idea what to expect.
My first week at the Consulate General was a blur. One of our smallest diplomatic missionsโI came to learnโConsulate General Strasbourg only has six employees.
Needless to say, I got to know the entire staff very quickly and was extremely grateful for their warm, Alsatian welcome as well as their guidance during my first few days.
I grew accustomed to the routine or lack thereof of working at the Consulate General. Attending weekly meetings at the Council of Europe as well as its week-long Parliamentary Assembly gave me a keen insight to the human rights issues and questions in the 47 member States of the organization. My work days may have been nine to five, but they were far from routine.
I was afforded the privilege of working on fascinating projects. A personal favorite was interviewing the Head of the Registry at the European Court of Human Rights about a new law passed in Romania concerning Communist Era restitution, and writing a report thereof to our Embassy in Bucharest. So, thanks are in order to the Consulate General and the city of Strasbourg for a whirlwind summer fling.
