My last week at Vireo is in the books! Before returning to the U.S. I met up with some of my family members in Budapest. My mom and grandmother were on a river cruise the last two weeks of my internship. They visited Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and lastly, Hungary! I was lucky enough to meet them in Budapest for three days before we all headed home. Despite the journey being somewhat difficult (mainly because of the amount of luggage I had hahah), the city was absolutely amazing. 

When I arrived my family and I decided to walk around the city to experience everything it had to offer. My favorite part of the entire trip was eating Hungarian food haha! My favorite dish is called Langos. It is similar to pizza, but the dough is fried, and you can put whatever toppings you like on it. We tried sweet, spicy, and savory langos (savory was my favorite). My mom and I really want to try to make them at home!! We also went to the famous Ruin Bars located in the Jewish Quarter. Ruin Bars are pubs set up in abandoned buildings that feature electric decor, vintage furniture, and street art. During the day they often serve as a place for a farmers market, while at night they are the most popular place for a night out.  

After wandering around the city, we decided to walk along the Danube River. Along the river there is a memorial called, “The Shoes on the Danube Bank”, which honors the thousands of Jews murdered in Hungary from 1944-1945. This memorial was extremely moving and at night candles and ribbons are placed on the shoes in remembrance of the lives lost during the Holocaust. Experiencing this memorial in person was a powerful reminder of the importance of honoring history and the people who suffered such unimaginable loss. I found myself recounting my visit to Auschwitz and how emotional and terrible the experience was. These experiences are ones that will stick with me for the rest of my life, and they remind me of how vital it is to keep these memories alive moving forward. 

This summer has been one of the best experiences of my life. Not only was I able to grow personally, but I also learned a lot of valuable skills that will transfer into my time at Pitt and in my future career. My internship allowed me to develop self confidence in the workplace. When I arrived in Berlin I was so scared to do or say the wrong thing to my co-workers; I often felt like I wasn’t qualified, or I didn’t know enough about the sector we worked in. Despite having these negative feelings, I grew to feel comfortable in my new environment, and I realized that I did make positive contributions to the team, whether that be a positive attitude, or a knowledge of something more niche. Confidence in the workplace is something I have struggled with for a long time, but after this experience I know my own capabilities and I’m certain that I will make a great asset to my future teams. 

I have also learned the valuable skill of managing my time. Before starting this internship, I believed I had great time management. I always turned in assignments before the due date, showed up to work early, and made sure that my calendar was planned months in advance. Despite still doing these things, they all had a “due date” which made it easy to complete tasks; while at Vireo, there were no due dates. I was given tasks that I would have to complete over the course of my internship meaning I was doing the same thing every day and week. This definitely took some getting used to, but eventually I made my own due dates that allowed me to feel like I accomplished a task. This ability to schedule my own time allowed me to complete assignments in a timely manner while also feeling like I have accomplished something. This skill will serve me well in my studies at Pitt and in my future career. 

I have learned that I am capable of much more than I imagined; I navigated new cities, new work environments, and new countries all while completing an international internship. Throughout this summer I have gained a stronger sense of independence, problem solving skills, and a very great appreciation for abroad experiences. At Pitt I plan to share my experience with my classmates and friends, participate in study abroad discussions and encourage my peers to participate in global experiences. I will share with them the resources available to help them throughout this process as I have received immense aid from the CBA Global Experience Office and the Pitt Global Experiences Scholarship.

This summer has been such an amazing experience, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to participate in the International Internship Program. I am extremely grateful for the support from donors who made this experience possible. I will never forget the memories I created, and I look forward to participating in more international endeavors.