Interning Abroad With Siblings

 

Over the past few years, we’ve had many different family members that have interned aboard together including over 5 different sets of twins. We know all the great reasons why someone should intern abroad, but what are the benefits of doing an internship with your twin or sibling? We asked a few of our alumni who interned aboard with a family member to discuss the benefits and challenges of interning abroad with a brother or sister.

internships in London

Jennifer and her identical twin Jessica, interned in London in 2012. Both of them interned in similar fields, but at different internships in London for 12 weeks. Jennifer talks about the benefits of interning with her twin:

"Going abroad with my twin definitely made moving to Europe much easier because I knew no matter what I'd have someone with me that I knew I could relate to. We were also roommates so we both avoided the situation of potentially not “meshing” well with a stranger. Another great part was the memories we made together. While everyone that goes abroad certainly makes lifelong memories, the fact that I was able to do so with my sister made it extra special for me. We have photos together in front of so many famous sites that I will treasure forever and can use, for example, in a slideshow for my sisters wedding (when she gets engaged!) and there is just something really special about that.

I don’t know that I would say there are struggles about traveling with your twin per-say, however I do feel in some instances it may hold a twin back from things. While I listed having my sister as a roommate and companion as a benefit (which I still believe it is), it does sometimes make you not try as hard to step out of your comfort zone and meet new people. Some may say that the whole idea of moving abroad is to branch out, live with “random” people and experience life for yourself, which you don’t totally get if you travel with a twin. My sister and I are VERY close and we do everything together so naturally we wanted to do this together as well, but I probably would have had a completely different experience if I had gone alone. It’s not to say it would have been better, just different."

Lauren and her brother, Michael, did an internship in Dublin, Ireland in 2011.  Lauren worked in marketing and her brother worked in photography. She details some other great benefits of interning with a family member:

"I was the one who found you guys and I knew it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I've always wanted to go to Ireland and Michael, who I call 'Boobie', wanted to go even more than I did. We decided we wanted to go together. I guess you could say it was of a security blanket kind of thing. We also made it very evident that we also wanted to room together which was a little unsure at the beginning, but worked out perfectly- our roommates were awesome, room 403! Once we got there, we fell into our internships pretty seamlessly. I worked as a marketing assistant in a marketing firm he worked as an archiver at a photography studio. It was nice to have that bit of home with you at the end of the day. Not that we were homesick, just enjoyed each other's company.

Whelans_Dublin_Lauren

We explored all of Ireland together. From Cork to Galway to Belfast. We still remember all the streets of Dublin. I would definitely say we made the most of our time there. There are two particular trips that stand out. One had to be Galway where we stayed the weekend, hit all the local pubs with friends, and rode bikes through the Aran islands. You couldn't capture the magic of Ireland any better. Second, we took a personalized tour, just the two of us, to Armagh- the county our grandfather came from. It wouldn't have been the same without him there. I'm sure we got into fights. I don't remember (but I'm sure he does), but it was no different than the regular at home. Overall, it was a great experience to share together that we will never ever forget." 

 

If you and your family members are interested in joining some of our alumni you can inquire on our website to start you very own internship aboard experience!

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