Overall my experience in Berlin was even better than I ever could have imagined. I met so many new people, saw so many new places, and ate so much new food. I could not have asked for a better time abroad. When I first got on the plane to leave, I was very nervous, as I was not sure what to expect. Still, I went into the program with an open mind and a positive attitude. This helped me overcome any initial fear I originally had. Berlin was a much larger city than I had ever expected. At first, it was intimidating, but I soon realized how great this was because there was always something new to do or see within the city. We ended up doing a little bit of traveling while we were in Berlin and got to see both Amsterdam and Prague. I really loved Amsterdam and definitely want to return eventually to spend some more time there. The food in Berlin was great, and overall my favorite meal I had was Currywurst. I even bought some of the Currywurst seasonings to bring back and recreate the meal. My internship was another aspect that I couldn’t have imagined going better than it did. I loved working with Lisa every day, and I feel as though I got so much out of this internship. I met so many fantastic people in the office that I would never have had the chance to meet if I did not participate in this program. Additionally, the work that I did felt very valuable to both the company and my professional future in digital marketing. Walking into the office on the first day, I was very nervous and did not know what to expect, but my nerves were eased right after meeting Lisa and many others who worked in our co-working space.
Over the course of my internship, I developed much more confidence in myself and in my skills. I also was required to learn many different platforms and skills along the way. Much of this I picked up quite quickly. One of the most important skills that I learned was time management. I would often have a set deadline for certain projects and would need to figure out what I should prioritize. This is something I will certainly be implementing in my everyday life back at the University of Pittsburgh. I feel as though I always have a sea of assignments during the school year, and it can feel very overwhelming at times. Making a list of priorities is something that makes the work feel much less stressful. Another thing that I will definitely be bringing back is my new sense of confidence. I believe this will greatly help me in future interviews, as I am much more confident in my skills after this summer. The last thing I will bring back is my networking skills. I was pushed into meeting many new people this summer, and despite my worries, I found to have liked talking to new people more than U ever have before. I think there is always something to learn from everyone you meet, and networking in the business world is crucial for success. You truly never know who could help you find an answer to a problem you have been working to solve.
I am now home and looking back, and I do miss Berlin a lot, but after being gone for so long I am very happy to finally be home. I had the chance to travel to Italy with my mom after our program had ended, and it was a nice relaxing break from what I had been up to all summer. There is not a doubt in my mind that I will have to go back to Berlin one day, as it is a very large city, and I still feel as though I have not seen it all. This summer was better than I ever could have imagined, and I am so happy I chose to participate in this program. I have learned so much from these last eleven weeks of my life and am so grateful to have been given this amazing opportunity to travel and work abroad. I am certainly going to recommend this program and the many others offered by the University of Pittsburgh to anyone that has any interest in studying abroad at all. I feel as though I have developed so much as a person, both personally and professionally, and I cannot wait to see what skills I truly implement on a day-to-day basis once I return to school.