Irland - Mein Auslandspraktikum
vierwöchiges Auslandspraktikum Auslandspraktikum in Irland
After 4 weeks of Ireland internship abroad, I will now give a summary. The first week was very exciting for me. I still remember exactly how nervous I was and at the same time excited about what was to come. Fortunately, everyone in this country is so friendly that the nervousness subsided quite quickly and I began to enjoy it. In the first days it was very hard for me to follow people in English. Most of the time I asked if they could repeat it again. They also all helped me when I had word finding problems. Whether host family or work, everyone integrated me super. The first weekend I met Kevin in Dublin and we did a lot of sightseeing. In the evenings we enjoyed a pint or two in a really classy Irish pub.
It was really a very nice weekend and a very nice city.
In the 2nd week the English became better and it was easier for me to follow people and to tell them something. At work and in the host family I felt very comfortable. Everyone was open-minded and helpful which gives you a very good feeling. I sometimes talked more at work and in the host family than on some days in Germany. I had the great idea to send a package from BNR Ltd. to my company in Germany. My boss Vinny agreed immediately and so I managed a super surprise at home. I also noticed that the Irish love to eat chips and beans and that they always wear sunglasses. In the next few days I realized why the sunglasses are so important here.
Speaking of sunglasses, the weather here is unique and I've never seen that before. You get up and it's raining, after you took a shower you look out the window and it's bright sunshine. Really very crazy but it is cool to be able to experience 4 seasons in one day. On the 2nd weekend I was with Kevin in Doonbeg. We stayed at a very nice B&B called Killard House. I have never experienced the view and this sunset over the ocean to the west like this. You look at the wide meadows where the cows graze, then there is only a huge sea on the horizon. We also visited the Cliffs of Moher which were very impressive with their over 200 meters height and we had the best weather you can imagine. Then the 3rd week of work began. I felt very much at home. I talked to everyone about different things as if I had never been anywhere else and had never done anything else. Almost like in my home country Germany. People told me that I was already getting an Irish accent which amused me a lot. At work I even taught my colleagues some German which sounded very funny.
I got along great with the kids in the host family and also with the host mother. The food was great and I was always taken care of no matter what. I shot a very funny video with my boss at work for my presentation. On the weekend I was again with my buddy Kevin in Shannon and Galway. We watched the Herling final in Shannon and visited a club pub which was very interesting, social and fun. I got to sleep with his host family which I really appreciated and we all had a barbecue together in the evening. Once we arrived in Gallway we checked out the town and the fascinating musicians. People were dancing in the streets and singing all together, it was an incredible evening. All of these experiences, in my experience, can only be had here in Ireland. The attitude to life of the people here is so relaxed and familiar. In the 4th week it was time to say goodbye. Since Monday was a holiday, I only had to work from Tuesday to Friday. The work in the warehouse was always varied week after week and I enjoyed it very much. In my opinion, my English became much better and the language test of OLS confirmed it. On Friday I said goodbye to my work colleagues and the host family. It was very warm and both sides were very grateful for the time spent. On Friday, Kevin joined my host family since I am closer to the airport and our flight left at 6:00 am. Cathy, my host mother even drove us to the airport in the middle of the night for which we are both very grateful.
I found the whole internship abroad very well organized no matter what. The big goal was to improve my English but I learned much more than just English. I became much more independent during this time and had to take a lot of responsibility. I learned to appreciate the time with my friends and parents because I realized how it can be without them.
Even though it was not always easy in every situation, this internship abroad had only positive effects on me. I would recommend this experience to any young person. You learn so many things that you were not aware of.
Finally, I can only say thank you to everyone who helped me with this internship abroad. Whether it was Mrs. Laabs, Mrs. Freeman, my host family or the whole company BNR Ltd. I would also like to thank my company back home for this unique opportunity and experience.
Best regards Paul Teichmann!