I am officially through week three of my study abroad program in Prague, Czech Republic. Looking back at my time spent here, I have adapted so well to my new lifestyle which has brought many new opportunities and memories. It almost feels natural at this point, as I have grown accustomed to the culture, work-life balance, and routine I made for myself. Throughout my internship, I feel that I have experienced nothing but uncertainty. Kuehne + Nagel, being a dominant figurehead globally in the freight-forwarding business, has shown me a whole new area of business. With no prior knowledge, I felt that I was going in blind as I have never experienced work in relation with supply chain management/logistics. I like to be seen as a valuable resource for every company I work for, but I feel that I have met my match. However, this only means that I have room for improvement and the ability to grow into a stronger professional that is well-versed in the business world. Throughout the days, uncertainty continues to be a repeating pattern in my work as I never know what the next day will bring. I truly have not been given any assignments just yet as my supervisor does not believe in giving my administrative work for the entirety of my internship. His philosophy is that he wants me to learn the operations and processes so that I can carry it with me and point out similarities later on in my career. With that said, the various meetings we have had together to teach me the ins and outs of our department and company has brought uneasiness when it comes to comprehending all of the information. While I understand the general basis of what I am being taught, the uncertainty of putting it into practice when the time comes worries me. I do appreciate the time taken to teach me the ways of the industry but with no sense of direction, I feel lost with all of the information given to me. However, I am pushing forward, navigating through this uncertainty. Each day, I continue to stay optimistic, trying to learn as much as I can with the little time I have. I understand that I work on my supervisor’s schedule and if there is nothing to be done, then I just continue to learn more about the processes. It is not easy to navigate the non-existent workload, but I still feel that my days are jam packed with information.

This weekend, I had the fun opportunity to travel to Vienna, Austria. My supervisor allowed me to take off Friday as he insists that I enjoy my time abroad by enjoying the wonders of Europe. He likes my enthusiasm for exploring and does not want to be the one to hold me back with my travels. We arrived midday on Friday and saw many different palaces, gardens, and museums throughout the whole trip. It was crazy to see how much we walked as we reached a whopping 30,000 steps on Saturday. We were exhausted but the views made it worthwhile. On top of that, the food was unreal. For lunch, we had a classic Vienna sausage that was cheese-filled and topped with onions and sauerkraut. Dinner was a meal I will never forget as it was inside a wine cellar from the 1500s. The ribs we had were insane and were very affordable for the amount of food we had. The trip was a great experience and I hope that I can venture back soon. 

I am lucky that I have gone 2/2 with my weekend trips. With this being my first time to Europe, I am trying to make the most of my experience. It is nice that I have become really close with students on my program as having people to travel with makes the journey so much more fun. I am thankful that my supervisor is also very understanding of the trips I want to make as seeing these other countries elevates my experience. I am curious to see where my internship takes me these last four weeks as I know that there are opportunities on the rise. My supervisor has a lot of faith in me that I can change some things around the office, especially helping other employees strengthen their English. While it is scary not knowing what is to come with my workload, I know that I can navigate the uncertainty well enough. I am ready to take on week four!