Nils during his internship on the Canary Islands, Spain

Dear students, travelers, and other readers!

My name is Nils van Oosten, a student at Tio University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht, studying Hotel and Event Management at the HBO level. For my first year, I had to complete a three-month orientation internship in a hotel's Food & Beverage team (back in 2009 when I was 19 years old), and I really wanted to do this abroad.

Due to my lack of effort and determination, I was way too late in arranging an internship.

Then I found Abroad Internships, and in a very short time, they provided me with many options. To my own surprise, they came up with an internship that was a dream for me: Gran Canaria! Three months of sun, sea, and sand on a beautiful island!

The arrival was very welcoming. The staff was aware of my arrival, and I was given a room in the hotel. Besides my room, I was also allowed to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the staff canteen—even on my days off! Additionally, my flight ticket was reimbursed by the hotel! I could also use all the hotel facilities. There were two large outdoor pools, a gym, and two bars where I could order free (non-alcoholic) drinks all day long.

As for work, I had to do my best in the restaurant, which operated as a buffet all day long. I was constantly clearing and setting tables. Sometimes breakfast was served outside, and the temperature was just on the edge of being too hot (38°C!!), but still fantastic! After a while, I had enough of working in the restaurant and asked to switch to the bar/entertainment team. The bar was amazing—I made cocktails and mixed drinks, and the system they used was super easy, even in Spanish!

Entertainment was also a blast! In warm weather, there were often pool games, and we participated too. Although it wasn't entirely the intention for staff to jump into the pool, the guests loved it—and so did I!

The best part of the hotel was the other students. Besides me, there were about 20 to 30 other interns from different nationalities. They came from the Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, Finland, Poland, and Mexico. Since I didn't know anyone there, I spent a lot of time with the other interns, and that led to strong friendships. In the evenings, we went out as a big group, and during the day, we were either swimming in the hotel pool or hanging out at the beach. We even rented a car a few times to explore the island. I still keep in touch with many of these students—not just the Dutch ones, but also many from abroad!

The internship was very well organized. It has now been two years since I returned, but every time I think about it, I get butterflies in my stomach. The island is stunning, the hotel staff is very accustomed to interns and is always willing to help, and your fellow students usually don’t know anyone else either, so you rely on each other, creating a very special bond. The hotel itself is beautiful, and you get to experience unique things you would never have otherwise—too many to list.

Just go for an internship abroad, it will be the best time of your life!