An adventure on the other side of the world
January 21, 2019Chaos, impulsivity and open-mindedness…
February 5, 2019Name: Kim Jensen
Age: 26
Nationality: Danish
Degree: Bachelor degree in Social Education
Internship period: February 2014 – July 2014
If you are reading this, you are probably considering doing an internship in New Zealand. Stop considering and just do it – you won’t regret it.
My name is Kim Jensen and come from Denmark I was a pedagogy student in 2014 where I chose to take my third internship at Spectrum Care in New Zealand. A fantastic experience with ups and downs that I would like to share with you.
I would like to start telling you about the first person I met – Mia Barr. Besides being a good internship supervisor, Mia also had other hats, and it is not for nothing, that she was named Mamma Mia. Mia was there for me when I needed it during my internship, which is a good feeling when you are on the other side of the earth.
My internship was in a residential home supporting 7 young men with disabilities and Autism. In the half year I was there, I was challenged on a regular basis particularly in the beginning, but the experience of feeling welcome was always present. Finally the experience of making a difference was a nice feeling to sit back with.
Kiwis are good at making you feel welcome. I experienced it many times when I, in my spare time, chose to ’Couch surfe’. I experienced something unique, which you will not experience if you check in at the hotel or hostel. Among other things I enjoyed dinner at a local oyster farm, a secret path to a spectacular waterfall and, in particular, some good conversation with local kiwis.
Finally, while it was sometimes challenging to live together with many different people it was also great. There were always one to talk to, good parties and we kind of had a ’family away from home’. It was certainly emotionally to leave.
Finally, just want to say ’go there’ and buy or share buying a car because a road trip is the coolest thing to do in New Zealand. Go for the experiences that are of interest to you.
I wish you a pleasant internship in New Zealand
With best regards
Kim Jensen