Sarah during her internship in Berlin

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

Hi! My name is Sarah and I live nearby The Hague (the Netherlands). I study Hotel and Event Management at Tio University of Applied Sciences in Rotterdam.

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

After I had everything organised for my internship I couldn’t wait to go to Berlin. Together with a friend, that’s also doing an internship in Berlin, I had looked up nice events, activities and clubs we could go to. The moment we actually went to Berlin, I started to think about my internship. In the end, this work experience is something where I will spend most of my time. Only then did I become to feel a bit nervous.

What was the most shocking difference between your home country and your new country?

There is not really a shocking difference between Germany and the Netherlands. The only thing that was shocking for me was that there’s SO LITTLE to offer in the supermarkets. In Germany, they don’t know the kind of bread you can take to work or ready to eat meals. And you should really not ask for lunch snacks, because they just don’t exist here.

Karaoke Mauerpark on Sunday

What does your usual working day look like?

My day starts at 10:00. I work in the office of an event agency. Most of the times I prepare event proposals, look up restaurants and locations that I can introduce to guests and contact people from restaurants and locations to ask for their available event spots. Normally, my day ends at 18:00, but if I have tasks to complete I stay to finish them.

Next to work in the office, there are also events taking place. For example, I had a shop opening of Superdry. Superdry wanted to improve their brand position in the market. They made a big party out of it: there was a dance battle, a beat boxer, a graffiti workshop and street food. This was very nice to attend! Furthermore I’ve helped during diners, transfers and activities.

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

No, I haven’t had any homesickness. I keep in touch with my friends and family very often, so I don’t really have the feeling that I miss them. Furthermore, my friends and family also came to visit me throughout the internship so I didn’t have a reason to miss them.

In the beginning however, I did have to get used to a new language, new surroundings, a 40 hours working week and living by myself, but after two weeks I luckily found my rhythm.  

Did you feel at home in your new country? Why (not)?

Actually, yes. There are not many cultural differences so it feels the same as at home.

View from rooftop bar ‘’Klunkerkranich’’

Please give us tips about who to befriend when living abroad. The Russians? The Irish? The Chileans? (Honestly, we want to know some gossip about other internationals you’ve met.)

Berlin is an international city with many young people so you actually come across people from everywhere! In Mauerpark (really visit this place when you’re in Berlin!) we met a nice group of people: they really knew how to make the best of it. Furthermore, I’ve also met nice Germans, French, Americans, Dutchies (always easy to communicate…) and many other nationalities!

Describe the inhabitants of the new country in three words.

Alternative, free and open

What did you learn from your experience abroad? Was it the loving community you liked? The cheap cocktails? The overwhelming nature? Or was the experience less helpful than expected? Details, we want details!

Yes the cheapest cocktails for sure! There are Happy Hours almost everywhere, actually Happy Days because these Happy Hours are valid throughout the day. A cocktail costs around 4 or 5 euros… We don’t know these prices in the Netherlands!

Furthermore, I think Berlin is a great city because there are so many crazy, special and nice places to discover. For example Badeschiff: a swimming pool in the Spree with a nice beach, beach bar and relaxing chairs right in the middle of the city, or the Mauerpark where everyone dances and sings with the weekly karaoke on Sunday.