Ashley P. wanted to expand her horizons and learn outside of the classroom. Through Global Experiences, Ashely was able to have an internship abroad in Sydney, Australia. During her internship program, the McHenry County College student traveled all over Australia and had the experience of the lifetime. Ashely wrote a blog about her time abroad to give you a glimpse at the life of an international intern.
ICUR Internship
Every day I take the train for about 10 minutes to work. I work in the "Artsy" district of the city where all the advertising, creative, marketing, PR, and fashion people tend to work. The diverse group of people I meet in one day is amazing. I am working for ICUR for eight weeks, and so far it has been an experience with some of the best people I can ever imagine working with.
My boss has told me things that make me confident that I am headed in the right direction in my career and that one day I can make a difference in the world. I work in an office of 7 people who are all extremely helpful and understanding. Hands-on experience has made me understand the field so much better than any book, professor, or classroom ever can or ever will.
The contacts that I will gain from this internship will help me for years to come, and I am grateful for the opportunity.
Sydney
With only eight weeks in Sydney, it’s hard to do and see everything this incredible city has to offer. In my first four weeks, I’ve already learned so much and accomplished many of my goals, but with four weeks still left I still have a lot I want to do. "The Rocks" is one of the coolest areas of town with upscale bars, pubs, shopping and to top it off you are right under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and have a fantastic view of the Opera House.
At sunset, it is a photographer’s dream. During the month of June, they have a light show going on down at The Rocks and the Opera House which has provided some of the coolest pictures. Walking along the ocean boardwalk at night in the light of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge is indescribable. Each city has something of a landmark, but the 20-minute walk down Sydney's boardwalk will stun anyone.
That's only one end of Sydney at the other end there is Darling Harbour where more bars and shopping awaits, but it also is home to the I-max theater, aquarium, and wildlife zoo. One thing I really enjoy about Sydney is the endless number of small cafes and shops. I visit my favorite café three times a week; it’s close to where I live and has one of the best mochas in town.
Roy's Famous Cafe is the spot where I can spend hours on end with a book or just a couple minutes talking to the owner, Roy, about the day’s activities. Ordering a regular coffee with cream isn’t an option, and you may have to go the fancier route to get something similar. The weather here is what they call 'winter,' but to someone from the States, it feels more like mild spring. Sydney tends to get all four seasons within one day. It will be hot, cold, raining, and perfect all in one day. Bring your umbrella everywhere!
The People
Through Global Experiences, I have met some really great people who have turned out to be excellent friends. We are always with each other, because who wants to go home after work when you live in Sydney? Somehow we all get along and were from all different walks of life. We cover each coast of the U.S. from Chicago, LA, Indiana, to Pennsylvania! It's crazy, but we love it, and there are always random funny things happening.
Traveling Australia
The Blue Mountains
My first trip out of Sydney and my first time in a hostel. The first hostel was excellent and not quite unlike an experience in a dormitory. It's one of the cheapest ways to travel. The Blue Mountains are incredible and worth seeing once in your life. We hiked up into the mountains for about 5 hours and went down the famous 1000 case stairway to see the 'Three Sisters' rock formation which was a crazy sight! It's cold up in the mountains, but after hiking it's not such a big deal anymore.
Jenolan Caves
We took a coach bus for an hour ride up the mountains which was an experience. Drop-offs of hundreds of feet were right below us on a rode made for barely two cars that wound its way up into the mountains where the caves are. I give props to the driver for maneuvering a giant bus with up to 45 people on board up a mountain each day. The caves were first discovered back in the 1800's, and they are still discovering new ones to this day.
They were the coolest formations and pictures don't do them justice. It's just something you have to see. Rocks are rocks in pictures, but listening to the history and what processes people took to discover the caves is enthralling. There are many caves at Jenolan, and you can only see two in a day. We did two tours which both lasted an hour and a half called the Lucas Cave and the Orient Cave.
Melbourne
The artist's city was an hour plane ride, and once we landed, we decided to take the chance and rent a car. The first day there we went on about a 4.5-hour road trip down 'Great Ocean Road' and saw waterfalls, fantastic views, wild koalas, the 12 Apostles, and windy roads along the ocean. There was so much to see in only two days. The second day we went to downtown Melbourne and shopped the Victoria Markets and had a blast spending money on original artwork and jewelry.
Global Experiences has internships all over the world including Australian internships in nearly every career field. Apply and setup a call with a member of our Admissions Team to find out where you can go with Global Experiences!
