My internship abroad was the best thing I’ve ever done.
It was 2019, I was in college, packed all my bags, and went on a six-month internship in London, England. Now, it feels like ages ago… Brexit, spending a season working in Italy, and living for a year in Australia. This experience introduced me to long-term travel and gave some of the best memories and times of my life. It is a experience that will always hold a special place in my heart.
Why I did my internship abroad
During my degree I had to complete a work placement. At 19, I had never lived abroad.I remember being 14, walking through Camden Market in London with my blue hair, and feeling immediately at home. I was also a huge Directioner (a bit unexpected, huh? haha). Ever since that moment, I wanted to move to London.
I vaguely remembered that students could go abroad during their degree, so I thought: Why not? It looks amazing on your CV, it’s close to the Netherlands, and I’ll improve my English. Making the move to go abroad was incredibly difficult, though. My study advisor at the time was not helpful at all. I emailed different departments at my college, and none of them were much help. I remember speaking to one of the teachers who specialized in internships, and he told me that no one in four years had gone abroad. The whole process was incredibly hard, and because of this, I wasn’t able to get the Erasmus+ grant. Anyhow, I did it regardless due to determination and had the best time of my life.
My internship
I worked as a marketing and studio intern at a photography ‘studio,’ which was a really small company mainly run by interns. Looking back on it, I didn’t learn that much, to be honest. My co-workers were so lovely and came from all over the world. I met some fellow Dutchies (whom I am still in contact with!), but also people from Italy, Spain, Denmark, and even the Caribbean. I helped out with photography workshops in primary schools across England. Because of this, I was able to visit many random places. At one point, I also went to the Isle of Wight, an island I would have never visited if it wasn’t for my internship. Additionally, I helped with print orders, general admin, and marketing tasks.
I became more confident in speaking English, gained marketing experience, made new friends, explored a new country, and now London feels like a second home.
“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” ―Anita Desai
The most exciting part of moving to another country
As cliché as it sounds, I think I was most excited for a new and completely different experience. Being in another country for the first time, meeting new people, being exposed to different views, beliefs, cultures, and experiences allowed me to see much of England. Apart from exploring London, I visited Brighton, Cambridge, Oxford, Canterbury, Isle of Wight, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Bath, Bristol, and even Edinburgh in Scotland! It was quite crazy to realize my life was completely different from before.
The differences between Amsterdam and London
Being from the city made adjusting to another city quite easy. London is not much more expensive than Amsterdam, except for the rent, which was crazily expensive. I noticed a big difference in the work culture between Amsterdam and London. Whereas my boss would write paragraphs and paragraphs in emails, I would go straight to the point, which sometimes came across as rude. Also, in personal communication (haha), I suppose Dutch people like to speak without much fluff. There is a bigger drinking culture as well in England. I feel like happy hour and bottomless brunch are much bigger over there.
The hardest part is leaving a country you just felt home in
After six months, you start to build a new life. You make new friends, start feeling comfortable at work, decorate your room, and have your go-to cafe, gym, bars, parks, and bookshops. Leaving the country and all those places is hard and, frankly, quite sad. But I’ll never forget the memories and the amazing people I met. It’s been almost four years since England. I travel, I have an international group of friends, I speak English every day of my life. There are so many headaches and heartaches that come with travel, but they have all been worth it. I’m fulfilled. I’m happy. I’m fueled in a way that I never imagined. And it all happened because of my internship abroad.
Choosing to do my internship abroad was the best decision I ever made
