Kevin during his internship in San Francisco!

Hey! Who are you and where are you from? Where do you study/live/work?

Hello! My name is Kevin and I’m a third year student Application Development in Den Bosch (The Netherlands).

What was the first thing you thought when you got off the plane? (bus/train/car)

"Wow, it’s hot here!" It was freezing in the Netherlands when I left and when I arrived in San Francisco it was 20 degrees Celsius.

What was the most shocking difference between the Netherlands and San Francisco?

That everything is possible here! Nothing is too crazy - you will just find it out here on the street.

What does your usual working day look like?

I work daily from 9 to half past 5. My work is a short 20 minute walk through the beautiful Golden Gate park.

What's the working atmosphere at your internship company like?

The atmosphere is very relaxed. You need to finish tasks in time but while you are working on them, you can chat with everyone and you shouldn't be surprised when you hear somebody sing or play the guitar every now and then.

Did you ever feel homesick? How did you cope with this?

Luckily, I haven’t been homesick yet. It’s probably because going to America was my ultimate dream. I still have daily contact with my friends and family through WhatsApp.

Do you feel at home in San Francisco? Why (not)? 

I definitely feel at home in San Francisco. The city is beautiful and the people, while sometimes a little strange, are very nice and friendly. I live next to Haight Street and there you come across all sorts of people.

Wat there a typical local dish that you REALLY couldn’t eat (or actually REALLY liked)?

There isn’t really a typical local dish that I have tried. In San Fransisco you have a huge Asian community. You will find a lot of food from Asian countries. Besides that, it’s America, so you will see a fastfood place on every corner.

Describe the citizens of San Francisco in three words:

Social, Helpful, Curious.

What have you learned from your experience abroad? Was it the lovely community that you liked? The cheap cocktails? The nature? Or was your experience less than you expected? Details, we want details!

I really learned a lot. One of the things I learned is being more independent. You are literally on the other side of the world and while people here are helpful, you also need to do a lot of things on your own. Other than that, I learned a lot about the beautiful city and the American (working) culture.