Interning in a New City

Classes ended yesterday and we all are preparing for the next chapter on this trip. We leave for New Zealand in a few days and after that, we start our internships.

I visited my internship site today for the first time to introduce myself to my Supervisor and future colleagues. I am interning at Urban Walkabout, which is a local travel magazine in Sydney. They specialize in finding nice boutiques and hole-in- the- wall restaurants here in Sydney. Whether you are a local or a tourist, Urban Walkabout tries to make your experience better. 

I was surprised when I first got there at how relaxed the environment was. My supervisor, Nadia, was very nice and seemed excited to have me working there! She introduced me to all of my colleagues, who all seemed very friendly.

They told me that I will be apart of the team and I am invited to lunch with them and all their staff meetings. I will be working four days a week from 9- 5:30. This is perfect because I have Fridays off, which gives me time to travel on the weekends.

When I talked to my supervisor about what I would be doing, she told me I had a lot of freedom. Since I am interested in writing, I can write my own stories and do my own research that contributes to the magazine. I can write reviews for local restaurants and find trendy places to shop. They said I can pitch ideas and they will bring me along to all their meetings and staff lunches. 

The work environment in Australia seems very different from the work environment in America. Everyone is treated the same, whether you are the boss or the intern. Our ISA guides have told us this before, but it was cool to get to go and see it for myself. For example, I sit at a computer next to my supervisor and everyone seems to have an equal role. 

This is different than America because interns usually aren't considered part of the staff. Instead of getting coffee and cleaning, like interns do in America, I will have the opportunity to pitch ideas and really work. The way people work in Australia is more beneficial, I believe, because interns get more hands-on experience. I will also be a lot more comfortable here because it is informal, so there is a better chance I will get to know my colleagues.

Another thing that I found really awesome was that most of the people who worked there started out as interns, like me. This makes me think that I will enjoy this internship and maybe be able to come back and work here after I graduate from college.

I think this internship is really perfect for me because I want to  become a travel writer. I hope to one day work for a magazine that is in an international city, like Sydney, or one that lets me travel to international cities.