Elice during her internship in Mexico City, Mexico

It has now been half a year since I was about to start my internship in Mexico. What an amazing time I had there!

Through my HBO degree in Commercial Economics, I had the opportunity to do my third-year internship abroad. And yes, as someone who had dreamed for years of spending an extended period abroad, I didn’t hesitate for a moment! Where I would go was also quickly clear to me—my university could arrange a place in Latin America, and for me, that would be Mexico. Initially, I was supposed to be placed in Tampico, but since that city wasn’t very safe at the time, my destination was changed to Mexico City just two weeks before departure. At that moment, it wasn’t ideal, but I’m incredibly happy that things turned out this way. Within two weeks, I had arranged a new internship, and I was still able to leave on time.

The first time I saw Mexico City from the plane, I could hardly believe my eyes. Usually, everything looks smaller from a plane, but this city just kept going—it was endless! Everywhere I looked, there were houses and buildings, even on the slopes of the mountains surrounding the city. I thought: This is truly a global city. During the first month, my housemates and I were only exploring—we wanted to see as much as possible and experience as much of Mexican culture as we could. And I can say that we definitely succeeded! Not just that first month, but throughout my entire stay in Mexico, I was never bored for a single moment.

Alright, so my first month of internship was almost over, and everything was going well at the company. That was until I unexpectedly had to find a new internship due to internal issues within the company—something I wasn’t involved in. And there I was! In a gigantic city, with a language I didn’t fully master, and the main purpose of my stay had suddenly become a question mark. Something unexpected like this can happen, and you need a lot of flexibility to handle such changes. Luckily, I knew beforehand that things might not always go as planned, so I just saw it as part of my adventure. But that didn’t mean I suddenly had a new internship lined up.

Through my university, I was connected with Abroad Internships, and I couldn’t have been happier! I have nothing but positive things to say about them. Of course, I had to find a new internship in a very short time, and doing that on my own would have been incredibly difficult. Abroad Internships provided me with several options, and in the end, I found an amazing company that perfectly matched my studies and interests. They helped me in such a supportive and involved way, and they completely saved me from this difficult situation!

Once I started at the new company, I could fully enjoy the country and Mexican culture even more. What I loved about Mexico was the diversity you encounter. In the city, you can go in any direction—you can visit traditional Mexican markets, stroll through parks, and eat tacos on the street corner, but you can also shop at Zara and have a fancy lunch in one of the indoor shopping malls. Of course, you don’t always have to stay in the city! It’s actually better if you don’t because there’s so much more to see. Sometimes, it’s also nice to get out of the city and breathe in some fresh air.

Your international experience is exactly what you make of it. If you want to enjoy it to the fullest, don’t tell yourself, I don’t feel like going out because I’m tired. Because I was tired from all the new experiences, but it was absolutely worth it! I’m back in the Netherlands now, and I miss my life with all my friends there… Mexico will definitely see me again!