Our intrepid traveler and student, Caroline Izzi, is wrapping up her summer-long London adventure. She writes to us during her last week.
I think about how much I’ve packed into 12 weeks abroad and I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do. London, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Dublin, Geneva, in addition to a full-time internship and two classes—not bad for one summer.
Through my internship at Original Travel, I’ve practiced my writing, found insight for my career and developed new ways of thinking. My previous internships have given me work experience, but I feel like this one has had the most impact on shaping where I want to go. A luxury travel company is about as on the nose as it gets for me. Networking with seasoned travelers is an invaluable experience, as I’m always impressed by what they’ve done…
The company and studying abroad, in general, have formed many realizations in my mind. For example, knowing more than one language will open many doors. Most of the employees here speak at least two or three other languages. Specifically, at the United Nations in Geneva this past weekend, I was impressed with how people could flip between multiple languages like it was nothing. When I traveled to other countries, the store owners and city natives were able to converse with me in English, and, of course, in their country’s language…
I cannot urge people enough to travel. That has been my favorite part of this whole experience—getting to see new places. My most recent trips were to the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland and a festival in Switzerland. There’s a Game of Thrones quote that talks about how many people only stay in the corner of the world where they were born… I don’t want to be a part of that. I think most people don’t study abroad because of money, safety, fear of missing out at home and fear of being vulnerable. All of these are valid concerns– I’ve had them myself– but I don’t think they’re good enough reasons not to go. Of course there’s risk, but I’d rather have tried it then wondered ‘what if?’ (Photo from Caroline Izzi)