When I first arrived in Berlin, we did not have even a second to rest. Our contact in Germany–Britta–was kind enough to take the time to introduce us to the city, the public transportation system, and all the important landmarks. She made sure that our initial transition to living in a new city in an entirely different country was seamless, also providing us with historical context to many of the landmarks we visited to ensure we are knowledgeable about the importance of these renowned memorials. Her presence was very comforting and maternal, and I do not think I realized just how significant her contribution to our introduction to Berlin really was. When the weekend came, and eventually our first week of work began, it dawned on me for the first time that this experience is real. I really am living in a completely different country for two months, away from all things comfortable and familiar. The rose-tinted lenses of excitement for all things new started to wear off. At first, this realization was quite isolating. After speaking to a few friends about their experiences studying abroad, however, I learned that this feeling is quite natural and goes away with time. As I continue to explore and get to know Berlin better, it is starting to feel more and more like a home. Although I know there is still so much more to do and see, being able to walk around and recognize where I am, or use the public transportation by memory without having to rely on Google Maps is a small reminder that I am slowly but surely adapting.
My first week of work was quite overwhelming. Although the first day consisted mostly of me becoming acquainted with the workplace and my colleagues, discussions about the work I would be doing for the remainder of my time here left me feeling worried and behind. I would be working with systems and software that I have either never worked with before or only have very limited exposure to. I realized I will need to spend a lot of time watching tutorials and reading documentation so that I am more adequately prepared to complete my tasks. Throughout the rest of the week, I started to work on setting up the softwares and becoming familiar with the Integrated Development Environment I would be coding in. I also began reading documentation which is specific to audEERING, in terms of how things should be formatted, what types of information I should be filtering through, and various rules and regulations that need to be followed in terms of privacy. As I started to chip away at my many tasks, all of which are designed to help get me up to speed so that I can finally begin my official project, the next two months that lay in front of me started to be less daunting. In fact, I started to become excited about all the new things I will be learning and the valuable experience I will gain through the work I do at audEERING.
When you are living in a new city in an entirely new country, and working an internship at the same time, there is something to be said about the importance of managing your time. While I want to explore and get to know Berlin even more, I have to make sure that I do so in a way that does not affect my ability to show up and perform at my job. Therefore, it has been important to establish a routine and a sense of balance in my days. Every morning, I try to wake up around the same time, giving myself the ability to get ready in a leisurely manner. After getting ready, I come down to the lobby and drink a cup of coffee while going through my emails and catching up on any messages I may have missed. I then leave for the train station–I take the S bahn to work everyday–and either listen to music, a podcast, or read a book during my commute. Once I arrive at work, I greet my colleagues and take a seat at my desk, starting off my day by creating a to-do list of all the things I hope to accomplish that day. This list is important for many reasons: not only is it a great way to keep track of my tasks, but it allows me to put everything down on paper and properly visualize the work I aim to do throughout the day. Additionally, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to physically cross off items on the list, signifying my productivity and the achievement of my goals. Once the work day is over, I either stick around the area in which I work and explore shops, restaurants, and cafes, or if I am tired I head back to the apartment. After resting for a bit, I set out again to explore the city a little more and come across new things, making sure to be home at a reasonable hour so that I can get a full night’s sleep and arrive at work rested and refreshed.
