When applying for an internship either at your
home country or abroad there are a few things to keep in mind. Number one for
me has always been to keep an open mind for new challenges and opportunities
and to push yourself that extra mile and go for it even though the thought of
leaving everything familiar behind would seem scary at the time. I
have always felt that you can look at life in two ways: take it as it comes and
live a safe, secure life or affecting the way your life plays out by taking
chances and stepping out of your comfort zone. In the end it’s the chances you
never took that will cause regret, not the things you did that might not have
gone exactly as planned.
I spent my year 2013-2014 as an exchange
student in Santiago, Chile and after an amazing year abroad once again, I
thought to myself that now would be a great time to stay put, finish school and
continue at my job in Finland. But one day I was fortunately looking through the work placement ads at my school and one in particular stood out: Lazy Seal Diving
Company. It has been my dream to pursue a career in the scuba diving industry
and when I saw that there would be a possibility to apply for an internship at
the Lazy Seal Diving Company, I ditched all my plans of a stable and steady
life in Finland and chose to take on this opportunity and send in an
application. Another dream came true when I was informed after interviews that
I in fact had gotten the spot as an intern and you can only imagine the smile
on my face - I looked like I had slept with a hanger in my mouth for months!
Life in Finland continued to be the same while
temperatures went down and days got shorter. In the back of my mind I didn’t
feel down as much as I could’ve because there was that little voice in my head
telling me that come January and I’d be happily flying away from the cold and
sleet and on my way to sunny Thailand. But reality didn’t strike until January
14th when I was standing at the airport with my bag and scuba gear ready
to embark on a new adventure. It was a scary and pleasant feeling at the same
time because I had no idea of what to expect and that was both the thrill and
nerve wrecking part of this new experience about to happen. But I felt ready, I was ready and
while it was hard to leave home again after only being back for 6 months I felt
so incredibly grateful that I was chosen for this position that it’s hard to
put down as words, and that's why eagerness to see what was going to happen beat the nervousness that had lifted its head.
From my previous experiences from living abroad
I had learnt that no matter what, you should always take an opportunity that
presents itself to you. I have once come back way before I was supposed to
because I had attachments back home that felt at the time as the biggest
commitment of my life and I have also been guilty of not living in the moment
when being abroad because I have always had my mind on things and people back
home and I used to keep one eye on the rear-view mirror and did not know how to
live in the moment and enjoy what I had while I was experiencing new things.
But now as I was saying goodbye to my regular life in Finland again, I made it
very clear to myself that I had to look forward, seize the moment and enjoy
what I have while I have it. Home will always be there, things might change but
the most important things will always be there. My mom has always courage me to
do and experience things and when I am about to leave, I always hear her words
in the back of my mind: ‘You can always come home, all you need to do is try
your best’. These words are at the same time both encouraging and reassuring –
not everything is for everyone but we only do have one life and when an
opportunity comes along, it is important to take it and live your life with a
little bit of adventure and uncertainty, because that’s how you make memories
and get content to your life, not by sitting on the couch watching others live
their, and your, life.
As the first week has rolled by, I still
sometimes can’t believe that I am actually here. Waking up to sunlight and
warmth with a view of palm trees from your window still feels like a surreal
dream, but little by little I am starting to believe that this is really
happening. I am so thankful for my previous experiences, because even though
they might not have played out like planned, they have thought me so much and
now I know how to keep myself focused on today and the opportunities that
present themselves to me. Seize the day, seize the moment and enjoy your life as
it comes. The future will come and it will play out like it will, so don’t
worry, be happy and do the things you want to do. One day it may be too late
and as said earlier, it’s not the things you did that you end up regretting but
the things that you dreamt of but never did.
Yours truly,
-M-
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