Hi, welcome to another week of Sammie in Berlin. This week has been both exciting and exhausting, which honestly feels like a pretty accurate description of living abroad. I have been trying to balance exploring a new country, working, and remembering that my body also needs rest sometimes, which is still something I am learning.
First off, I decided to go to Teufelsberg this week. Teufelsberg is an old spy station that the United States used during the Cold War to spy on the USSR and East Germany. I was recommended it by a coworker who told me it was a really cool place to visit. What they did not tell me was that it was deep in the woods. So me in my pink business casual shirt and jeans followed Google Maps directly into the forest. Google Maps decided to take me the worst possible way. I don’t think I was even on actual paths for most of the walk, and it was basically an uphill hike the entire time. I did not see a single other person for about 50 minutes of this hour long hike. However, when I finally did see people, I knew I was going in the right direction.
Once I got there, it was completely worth it. The history behind the location was really powerful. The building was covered in graffiti, but instead of it feeling random, it felt like people were using the space to express themselves and advocate for different ideas. It was interesting seeing how an old military and spying location had been transformed into a place where people could share art and messages about the world. It was definitely one of the coolest places I have visited in Berlin so far.
I also decided to visit the Futurium Museum. It is a free interactive museum, and honestly one of the better museums I have been to in Berlin. What I loved about it was that it was not just walking around reading information on walls. We had an interactive bracelet that allowed us to play games and make decisions about different topics related to the future. It made the experience more personal because it felt like we were actually involved instead of just learning from the outside.
Now for the main event of the week, Budapest. A warning to anyone traveling there during the summer, when everyone around you says to stay inside, drink water, and avoid the heat, you should probably listen to them. I did not. I decided to go to Budapest anyway.
We woke up at 4 a.m. to take a 6 a.m. Ryanair flight and then decided to immediately explore as much as possible once we landed. We went to the Parliament Building, Shoes on the Danube Bank, Chain Bridge, Liberty Bridge, Castle Hill, Fisherman’s Bastion, and a few other places. It was definitely a full day. The temperature was around 100 degrees, the sun was constantly beating down on us, and we were exhausted. The water fountains in Hungary honestly saved us because without them we would have been struggling a lot more. It was a long day, but seeing all of the major landmarks was completely worth it.
The second day we decided to visit a museum called the House of Music Hungary, and it ended up becoming my favorite museum I have ever been to. We were given headphones, and as we walked around the museum, the music changed depending on where we were. It felt like we were in our own little world of music. As someone who normally does not show a huge interest in musical things, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was such a unique way to experience a museum.
I also tried to learn traditional Hungarian dancing, and emphasis on tried. It was definitely not perfect, but it was fun attempting to keep up. After that, we somehow decided that we still had not learned our lesson from the heat and went on a hike to the highest point in Budapest to see an iconic statue. The hike itself was not too bad, but the heat made it much harder. We were running low on water, but we made it and the view was completely worth it. After that, we hiked back down and spent some time relaxing by the river.
Sunday was our last official day in Budapest. We slept in a little bit and got breakfast before starting the day. Unfortunately, the heat finally caught up to me and I started feeling sick. After some electrolytes and air conditioning, I was feeling much better. I was feeling good enough to go on a sunset cruise, and it was one of the most beautiful parts of the trip. The city was completely lit up, and the sky had this amazing purple color. Pictures really cannot capture how pretty it was.
Then Monday morning, we flew back at 6 a.m. I was supposed to work that day, but my body was still recovering from the heat and I kept falling asleep. I decided to take a rest day and return to work the next day. I guess I learned that sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation.
As far as work goes, it has been going well. The work itself is mostly similar every week, but I actually like that because it has helped me improve my consistency and speed. Before this internship, I would not necessarily describe myself as a leader. I can lead when necessary, but I usually would let someone else take charge if they wanted to. I never really saw myself as someone who naturally stepped into leadership roles.
This internship abroad has challenged that view of myself. Being in a completely new environment has allowed me to observe different leadership styles, especially through my managers. One thing I have noticed is how much they focus on personal connections and understanding the strengths of everyone on the team. They create an environment where everyone is encouraged to share ideas and work together instead of making leadership feel like one person has all the answers.
This experience has shown me that leadership does not have to mean being the loudest person in the room or always being the one making decisions. A good leader can also be someone who listens, supports others, and helps people succeed. Before this internship, I thought leadership was mostly about taking charge, but now I understand that it can also be about creating an environment where everyone feels valued.
I am becoming a better leader because I am learning to be more empathetic and aware of how different people communicate. Everyone responds differently. Some people appreciate direct feedback, while others need encouragement and a discussion about what they are doing well before talking about areas they can improve. Learning how to adjust my communication depending on the person is something that I know will help me in future jobs and everyday life.
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