Intern Jennifer Goswami and her sister Jessica both experienced all that London has to offer in their fall internships. Check out her adventure:
London was calling…and I answered.
About a year ago, I found myself in a bit of an internal struggle that always led me to ask myself, what’s next? I had a great job and was in the process of completing my MBA, but I was yearning for more. I knew that I needed to step out of my comfort zone, so I did what any rational person with a dilemma does…I googled it.
Move to California and become an actress…no. Relocate to New York City and make it in the city that never sleeps…no thanks. Join the Peace Corps...interesting, but no.
Okay, so this wasn’t going to be as easy as I had originally hoped. However, after filtering through several other ideas I came across Global Experiences and a light bulb went off in my head. Why not get my feet wet (no pun intended) in London. GE assured me that I would be placed at internship that would enable me to further develop the skills I had honed both at school and in my previous experience and I immediately signed up.
Now, let’s fast forward to August 2012. Let me paint a picture of my packing process for you. Two enormous red polka-dotted suitcases lay on my living room floor and an explosion of sweaters, boots, scarves, belts, handbags and makeup lie everywhere, but in my luggage.
“I can’t do this, I can’t do this” I said out loud to myself… and to my clothes. (Panicking leads some people to talk to inanimate objects…at least this is what I tell myself when I find myself chatting with my belongings.)
After a few hours of deliberation and quite a bit of stress my bags were packed and two days later I found myself at the airport.
Being a Miami girl, I knew that parting with the sunshine wouldn’t be easy for me, so before I walked inside the building I looked at the sun and thought to myself, “it’s not goodbye, it’s just see you later.”
As I approached the British Airways check-in counter the gentleman working behind the desk said (in a very British accent)
“Good morning love, brilliant news, you’ve been upgraded to Business Class”
God Bless the Queen…I think this is a good omen that England and I are going to get along juuuust fine!
Okay, buckle up we are moving forward in time again. About a month later, I had settled into my, let’s say, European-sized accommodation, and had met all of the lovely girls with whom I am sharing my experience. I began my internship at an online marketing agency that specializes in the travel industry, and I absolutely loved it. Every day, I worked hands on with the operations manager and the managing director on different projects and increased my portfolio of knowledge tenfold. I wrote blogs, learned about key word research, attended a seminar and managed different social media platforms. It was truly an eye-opening experience and one that I will always treasure.
Aside from my internship, I also gained so much from the experience of living in London. I became a natural at navigating the tube, tried new cuisines, began to really understand the English culture, and learned that jackets aren’t just worn to look cute (Hey, I told you in the beginning, I’m a Florida girl!)
Stepping away from what I had always known was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Throughout my three months I travelled to Edinburgh and saw the magnificent Edinburgh Castle. I also took the Eurostar to Paris and came face-to-face with the Eiffel Tower…oh my godddd the Eiffel Tower. It was just as magical as I had always hoped!
So let me make this long story short, moving abroad and partaking in an internship program will allow your senses to be captivated with new sights and smells and you will be forever grateful for the experience.
