First day jitters...

I approached the glaring white towers of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with the classic “first day” jitters, an even mixture of excitement and trepidation. Yesterday was my first day at the ICC where I am working as a consultant in the Immediate Office of the Prosecutor for the next three months. Everyone was very friendly and helpful and my office orientation and set up was remarkably seamless—especially in contrast to my first couple of days at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) last year. I find myself constantly thinking back to and talking about my experience in Arusha. It is hard not to mention it frequently and compare the two, partly because my time at the ICTR is part of credibility and legitimacy at this new institution and partly because there are a lot of ICTR alums roaming the ICC hallways. However, I know that I must divorce these experiences and it will certainly be a challenge for me to balance the relevance of my past experience with my new role here.