When I first heard about an opening as an
intern in Thailand, I was obviously thrilled and excited, because who wouldn’t
have been? I have only been in Thailand once before so my knowledge on this
beautiful country was limited to endless hours of browsing through pictures of
picture perfect beaches and crystal clear waters. As in everything you do in
life, you have expectations that can sometimes be set to be a bit too high
based on limited knowledge. Not in this case. When the plane was gliding
towards Krabi airport and the sun hit these perfect waters I knew I was in for
a treat. This is what I had always wanted to do – take off from my regular life
and set of for an adventure not knowing what to really expect, doing the thing
I love.
It’s funny to think that something you’ve
wanted for so long can feel so scary. I’m not going to lie to you, I was
petrified at the airport as I was about to take off. It was only then when it
hit me that I was actually about to leave everything that was familiar to me
and fly to the other side of the planet to work at Koh Lanta with people I had
only seen on Skype briefly. As they say, the hardest part is leaving. Emotions
run high and you think to yourself ‘Why am I doing this?’ ‘How on earth will I
survive when I don’t know anyone?’ I’ve always thought that the absolute best
thing you can do in your life is to take these chances and leave everything
familiar behind and just jump on the opportunities that are given to you. When
I was introduced to diving, from the very first moment I jumped into the water
I was hooked. One of the best things about this internship has been to learn
that I now know that I really do want to pursue a career in the diving industry
and that this is really what I wanted to do with my life. I just never expected
that I would be granted this kind of an opportunity this fast. And even though
I experienced some doubts at the airport, I can honestly tell you that this has
been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I once read a quote that has stuck with me ever
since: ‘In the end you won’t regret the things you did in life that didn’t turn
out the way they were supposed to, but the things you never tried because you
were scared.’ I try to keep this in mind in everything I do, including applying
for an internship across the planet. You can never know what awaits you and
what you really love before you go ahead and try.
When I was younger I said I will never work in
an office but will want to work outside with water and people. Now I have seen
that by incorporating something you love into your work, even office work can
be fun! No day is similar to another and once I got used to the work at the
office, I have been granted more and more responsibilities also outside of it.
I have been lucky to go abroad and out to sea with snorkelers and conduct tours
for them on the surface. In the office I have learnt so much about what it
really is to work in the diving industry – it’s not just being in the water but
takes a lot of ‘behind-the-scenes’ activities that make all of this possible. I
have learnt to reserve and book diving tours for customers and update customer
database, and how to communicate with other dive shops professionally. I have
now actually learnt to be excited about coming to the office because I know I
will learn something new every day and with this set of colleagues the office
feels more like a living room, where work is done professionally but where you
can be yourself, ask questions and show openly what you would be interested to
learn and be granted the opportunity to learn these things.
And, now I am happy to tell you that I have completed my Divemaster course!!! I could not be more thrilled! I can't believe we made it happen, another dream come true :) With this course I have been able to spend more time in the water, helping out with student divers ang learning myself. I have been lucky enough to witness peoples' first breaths underwanter and seen, how they learn to trust water as an element along with their skills and abilities. I tell you, there is no better feeling than seeing someone enjoy and fall in love with the same thing I once fell in love with myself - the ocean, diving and continuing to learn. This course also has given me so much. Not have I only learnt more about diving, but also more about myself. I had an amazing instructor who kept me focused and helped me through even the tougher parts of the course. I am so greatful and so incredibly happy :)
And, now I am happy to tell you that I have completed my Divemaster course!!! I could not be more thrilled! I can't believe we made it happen, another dream come true :) With this course I have been able to spend more time in the water, helping out with student divers ang learning myself. I have been lucky enough to witness peoples' first breaths underwanter and seen, how they learn to trust water as an element along with their skills and abilities. I tell you, there is no better feeling than seeing someone enjoy and fall in love with the same thing I once fell in love with myself - the ocean, diving and continuing to learn. This course also has given me so much. Not have I only learnt more about diving, but also more about myself. I had an amazing instructor who kept me focused and helped me through even the tougher parts of the course. I am so greatful and so incredibly happy :)
Still now, when there is only 6 days left until my departure, I am
still trying to grasp the idea of what I have experienced, how many wonderful
people I have already met and how absolutely excited I am to be here. I still
wake up every morning surprised at seeing the sun and clear blue sky and wait
with excitement of what the day has to offer. When I left Finland I really had
no idea of what to expect. Once I arrived I was greeted with the warmest
welcome I have ever had – hugs, smiles and a generally warm and safe
atmosphere. I am still startled how quickly these people took me into their
little family and how open they were to helping me with everything I needed
help with. I truly am lucky to have found such a company where everyone is
treated similar and more as family members than just colleagues. My second day
here we took scooters and drove across the island and did some exploring and was
shown around our little town. It’s these little things that these people have
done to me that show how much they care and how incredible people they are.
The atmosphere here at the office is so relaxed and warm but at the same time professional and the work is done with dignity and precision. Here you won’t have to worry about having a boring day at the office because there is so much to do and learn in great company. I still can’t express how incredibly happy I am that I took this chance and was granted this opportunity, because without it, I would not be so sure that this is what I want to do, this is what I was born to do and I would have never met these people that have already in only three month’s time have become a huge part of my life.
For me this internship has been a huge learning
experience, not just professionally, but personally. I have learnt things about
myself that I didn’t know were there and have gained so much self-confidence by
being here on my own and getting responsibilities from the company that show
trust and confidence in me. I can’t even put to words how valuable this
internship has been to me. Professionally I have gained so much experience in
working in the diving industry from office work to actually being out at sea
helping divers and snorkelers set up and enjoy the secrets of the ocean. I have
loved diving ever since I first started, but this has also been a really good
measure for me to see if this is something I really want to do professionally
and build a career on, or would it have been better to just keep diving as a
hobby. During my time here I have realized how much I love working with diving
and it has been such a great gift to have been able to see also the background and
what it really takes to run a dive shop. I will be forever grateful that I got
this opportunity and have had the chance to work in the field I love with these
incredible people.
-Maria