As the weeks of my internship progressed, the work I did moved beyond the confines of research. I was given the opportunity to attend multiple events surrounding relevant topics as dictated by my supervisor. For a while, I was concerned my internship would only focus on research and writing. While it was a task that I was willing to do for the sake of learning to work in a new environment, I was looking for something to spice up my work. Luckily, my supervisor and I sat down to find a few different events for me to attend: a debate on the integration of Balkan states into the EU, a lecture on Eastern Europe as a sanctuary during the 20th century, and a day-long conference on the relationships between the EU, Visegrad 4 (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland), and Japan. It was a nice change up to get to go into the field, take notes, and do a write up at home to discuss in the office either the next day or next week.
The internship followed my expectations that I had set after my first week in. I began to make friends with everyone in the office. I enjoyed the work experience but going to lunch was an opportunity to create bonds and learn about my new coworkers. We compared each of our respective cultures in such a way that we were able to learn from each other rather than decide which is better. As discussed in How to Handle Cultural Differences in the Workplace, we all seemed to do very well with identifying our cultural baggage. My coworkers were kind enough to extend a vulnerability about the Czech culture, and I did the same with both my American heritage and Texan heritage. One woman, Kristina, took me around and showed me the outside of the Parliament building, as well as the peacock that made its home in the gardens. It’s the little moments like these that made my internship so much more enriching.
I have encountered a few challenges along the way. I have been an athlete since I was very young, and one of the biggest lessons I have learned is that “if you aren’t early, you’re late.” I realized that I was unknowingly inconveniencing my supervisor by showing up to my internship ten minutes early. It was a hard habit to break in the morning: I always like to leave the apartment with 10-15 minutes of wiggle room just in case of an accident or problem. However, every time I showed up early, Petr made a comment that I at first brushed aside, but then realized was an effort to imply that I should be more punctual rather than early. I adjusted my perception of time and did my best to ignore the urge to leave early. I was able to arrive either right on time or only a minute early. The lesser issue was simply getting into the building. I had to go through metal detector and my supervisor had to personally check me in, and if he was late, I had to wait for him to show. We eventually improved my schedule to accommodate with his so there was less delay.
Despite these two challenges, there is one large elephant in the room: my internship has come to an unexpected end due to the spread of COVID-19. While both my employer and I would like me to be able to continue my internship in the United States, he informed me that, unfortunately, my internship must end. This was one of the biggest heartbreaks of leaving the country – I had so many plans for my internship that will go unfulfilled. However, this falls right in line with what is discussed by the World Economic Forum – things do not always go according to plan, and sometimes that is actually a bad thing for a certain period of time. This may feel like a huge setback now, but I will bounce back and find more ways to improve myself for both the personal and professional world.
Kenadie's Internship Experience 