Meeting New People

Doing summer courses at the university inside classrooms or at home would give you knowledge. But,
doing a summer internship abroad would give you knowledge and invaluable experiences to your life.
One benefit of an internship abroad is meeting new people who would change your life. During my internship in Australia with Johnson and Johnson, I was able to create a number of relationships with
various people in Australia.
The first relationship I built up during my internship was with my boss. He has been a role model to me
ever since I started my internship. Unlike a typical boss who would explain his job and my tasks, he had a
casual conversation with me to get to know me well even if I was here for a two months period. He
warmly welcomed me to the company as well as the department I am working with. Some other
important relationships I build up were with my coworkers who were very nice to me and taught me
about the minute things about the company. Except for these relationships, I was able to have small
talks with some strangers while I was doing leisure activities around Australia.
All of the people I mentioned above were very approachable. Even the supervisors of my boss were very
friendly with me. Due to its flat organizational structure, people at my workplace are laid back and easy to have a casual
conversation while having a quick break. Even though I was a bit nervous to approach the managers and
directors of my department, them cracking a joke here and there made me feel more relaxed and
welcomed to have a friendly conversation with them.
Approaching the last week of my internship, most of my coworkers were friendly and nice enough to
invite me for dinner with them. I would not say to their homes, but I believe it would be at a restaurant
just to keep it professional. All the others I met outside of my workplace were temporary relationships,
but if I could spend more time with them, I believe they are approachable enough to have strong
relationships.
Although, my relationships were not only limited to Australians. This internship experience gave me the
opportunity to step beyond my comfort zones. Sharing and caring for each other at my apartment with
three other mates from USA is a memorable experience. Even though we were strangers at first, we
have reached to a point where we would miss each other after this internship. When talking about my
comfort zone, this is the first time I traveled abroad by myself. Managing my own expenses and making
decisions on my own significantly boosted my self-confidence. One of the best experiences I had during
this period was getting along with some individual travelers during a trip to Cairns and enjoying a day
trip together while creating new relationships. All in all, my internship experience was an unforgettable
and an invaluable one since I was able to create relationships (professional and non-professional) with
various people and explore my inner self as an adult.