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Three Lessons from an International Internship
About
This past summer I had the opportunity to intern at EFE Egypt Conveyor and Stainless Steel Equipment through an international internship exchange program, AIESEC.
I have always wanted to travel. Until this past summer, my travel had consisted of visiting my extended family in Mexico. Thus, when I was accepted into the program and given my assignment in Egypt, I jumped at the opportunity.
This is what I learned from my summer abroad:
1. The world is big, explore it, and learn from it. It took me a couple of days to get to Egypt. I’m a student on a budget, so I flew on the budget airlines, which means lots of legs and layovers. I flew from Dallas to San Francisco to Iceland to London to Athens, and finally to Cairo. It was amazing to get to spend some time hopping cities and exploring the cities. I, also, traveled extensively throughout Egypt, and post my internship; I spent time in Greece, Turkey, Hungary, and Germany. I always felt welcomed and made friends through my travels. I had roommates from Germany, Turkey, Ghana, Kenya, Colombia, India, and Pakistan. We were all from different parts of the world, with different cultures and languages. It was amazing to learn more about their lives, their food, and their customs.
2. Don’t let fear stop you from trying, even if you fail. This was my first extensive solo international trip. You read how many stops I had on my way to Cairo. Since I was on a budget, I relied on the train and bus systems (most economical) to get around. I would try to plan my trip in advance, but in the end, there’s only so much planning you can do when you don’t know the country or sometimes the language. I asked a lot of questions. I even had to text my sister halfway across the world for directions because my data on my phone was so slow I couldn’t get the GPS to work. 2G saved me. I didn’t let anything stop me. Hey, I made it back to the US in one piece.
3. People are remarkable. Sometimes when I read the news, I feel as if the sky is falling. There is a lot of negativity being spread and it seems like our country is divided. I traveled and met people from different countries. Egypt is now recovering from the Arab Spring. Turkey is experiencing an economic crisis. Spending time abroad made me realize people rise above circumstances. I broke bread with people from different backgrounds and in the end, gained lifelong friendships. We can’t let our differences stop us from realizing how remarkable we are as individuals. In the end, it’s all about connecting over dinner and drinks.
I learned so much from my summer abroad. It was an incredible opportunity. I cannot wait to hit the road again.
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