Down the Rabbit Hole: Future relocation abroad plans

As an aspiring traveler always on the move, I have certain countries in mind in which I would not only love to travel to, however, also live in. Let’s just say: I’m not planning on returning to Denmark once I move abroad again next month. Ever… No, I want to settle in one country at a time for a longer period of time. That’s the plan. Truth is, Denmark has never felt like home to me, and I’m quite certain my home is out there somewhere. Maybe the best way to explain it is through the concept of fernweh? …I suffer from fernweh: What fernweh means is, basically, that you’re homesick for a place you’ve never been. As such, I’m sure that I’m destined to lived abroad somewhere. I just need to find the country I belong to first. Until then, I’ll travel and settle in various countries for a longer period of time. …Of course, you never know what the future holds, and I might end up falling in love with the next country, I move to. If that’s the case, then I know I’ve found my home and then I’ll be content with traveling the world and living permanently in that country. So when I write ”future relocation abroad plans,” they’re just plans – not set in stone. As a quite ambitious and determined young woman, I also want a career. Hence, my career comes first. Hopefully, however, there’s room for both a career and traveling. Anyway, for now, I have four future relocation abroad plans: Amsterdam, New York, Edinburgh and Stockholm.

Amsterdam, Holland
First and foremost, there is Amsterdam in Holland. I’m moving there next month and I can’t wait. I already have a furnished apartment with two roomies waiting for me while I’m currently looking for a job.
Recently, one of my friends asked me why my heart is set on Amsterdam. The only way I can explain it is that I’m drawn to it. My intuition tells me this city is the next stop. It, simply, has to be Amsterdam. …When I imagine my future life in Amsterdam, it puts a smile on my face. It makes me happy. This feeling isn’t new to me: When I relocated to London, Dublin and Berlin, I had the same feeling. Although these adventures were part of my education and, therefore, not permanent, it can’t quite be compared to moving to Amsterdam this time. However, as these adventures turned out nothing but amazing, I am not one to question my intuition. I follow it. Whole-heartedly. Hopefully, this adventure will turn out just as amazing as the previous relocations abroad have.

New York, USA
For some reason, I just have to live in America for a period of time. I wish to experience first hand the differences between the American and European cultures – lifestyles and line of thoughts. For some reason, this is very intriguing to me. Obviously, NY represents only one part of the US, I am aware of that. Nevertheless, New York, NY, is where I’ve set my heart.
The reason why I have my heart set on New York in America is due to its reputation as a young and dynamic city. …The city that never sleeps. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem to be restricted to a certain generation or age group which means that when I’ve explored Amsterdam and Holland to its fullest for 5-10 years, I’m not old enough to relocate to New York. And this city characterised as colourful and adventurous in the land of opportunity, I will fit right in – for a period of time at least.

Edinburgh, Scotland
Then, once I’m tired of the fast-paced city life, I plan to move to Edinburgh in Scotland. Green, fresh and beautiful Scotland.
When a dear friend and I visited the city back in 2013, I completely fell for its charm – the culture, history and people. As such, it’s a culture I want to explore further – and just just for a vacation, no I wish to settle there for a longer period of time. And with the opportunity for weekend tours around Scotland and to the Lake District in north England as well as the rest of UK and Ireland, I’m certain that my 40s here will be well spent and bring me calmness along with a more mature and grown-up version of me.

Stockholm, Sweden
Finally, I plan to grow old in Stockholm in Sweden.
I fell in love with the city when I visited Sweden earlier this year. This beautiful capital with stunning architecture, harbour views and scenery captured my heart immediately. As such, it is a city in which I can very well imagine myself grow old with a future husband because it’s lively, however, not too lively – it’s the perfect combination of adventurous and calm.

…

So… Those are my current future relocation abroad plans. Do you have any? Where would you like to settle for a period of time – or permanently?

xo P!

 

Picture
Google's search engine

Intern Abroad: My 10 reasons why to intern abroad

It’s no secret that I’m fascinated by interculturalism and cross-cultural communication. I have not only among others studied it at university, however, I’ve also made sure to practice it in real life by relocating to foreign cultures. One of my abroad stays that has made a tremendous impression on me was my internship in Dublin, Ireland. Of course, any relocation abroad makes a lasting impression on you, however, working in an intercultural environment abroad is quite a unique experience. As such, this blog post concerns a reflection on my own experience and presents you with 10 reasons why to intern abroad.

1) Explore a Foreign Country and its Culture
By interning abroad, not only will you have the opportunity to explore a new country and its culture, no you’ll do it from the inside – so to speak. By working with locals (maybe even in an intercultural setting), you have the opportunity to dig deep and immerse yourself in a new culture on a much deeper level than other types of abroad programmes offer. If the work place, furthermore, is intercultural, you have the possibility to discuss the culture’s norms and believes from an international angle. As such, working as an intern abroad not only provides you with an understanding for a foreign country and its culture, however, also its work environment(s) and the social norms linked to this.

2) Develop Global Perspective and Understanding
When you live in a foreign country, you automatically acquire insight into its culture from various perspectives. As a result, you gain a broader view of current (international) events and/or situations as well as your field of study and the concept of a work environment – both professionally and personally. This insight leads to understanding, which gives you perspective. This will most likely help you to view future challenges (and opportunities) differently and solve problems from a different aspect than what you’re used to.

3) Improve Language Skills
If you move to a foreign country, you’ll have the opportunity to improve your language skills and become more confident in speaking the foreign language in question. Furthermore, if you’ll be working at an intercultural work place, you’ll also have the possibility to learn other foreign languages that your colleagues speak. And let’s face it: Living in an increasingly international and intercultural world, the ability to speak multiple languages will make you more marketable to future employers.

4) Theoretical vs. Practical Knowledge
An internship abroad is the all time opportunity to gain some practical insight, understanding and experience in theories linked to your studies. In other words, you’ll have the possibility to use the skills you’ve been taught in the classroom in a real-world setting. As such, it’s a chance to prove the worth of your qualifications, turn theory into practice and show your employee as well as yourself that you can perform in the role you’ve been given and the future role you strive for.

5) Try Out a Possible Career
Like me, you might have various and different ideas of a future career. Hence, an internship presents you with the perfect opportunity to try out a possible career. Moreover, as internships are generally short-term, they allow you to test a career (or an industry) without committing to it.

6) Valuable Work Experience
Even if you eventually choose not to pursue the career you test in your internship, an internship will add valuable work experience to your CV. Upon graduation, hands on experience within your field of studies will no doubt give you a head start, as you’ll have practical and not just theoretical experience within your field.

7) Networking Opportunity
What better way to meet people within your field of studies than through an internship!? Even if you have relevant work experience, knowing people in the industry never hurts when chasing a career. Therefore, an internship might give you relevant contacts within the industry you’re trying to break into and end up helping you get a job after graduation. If not, references from people in the industry will definitely add weight to your application.

8) Transition into a Job
Some companies perceive interns as prospective employees. As a result, if you do a good job during your internship and leave with a good impression, your intern company might be interested in hiring you full time after graduation because you’ve already proven your worth and know the company.

9) Personal Growth and Development
By now, there’s no doubt that an internship will gain professional value. However, an internship will definitely also gain personal value. Because, during the months you intern, you learn much about yourself as a student, co-worker and, ultimately, person – not to forget…

10) An Experience You’ll Never Forget
Living abroad is an experience you’ll never forget – for good and bad. You don’t only grow and develop as a person, gain cultural insight and understanding, get to travel around the country and meet new friends, no you also have a lot of different experiences linked to various aspects of your new life abroad. …Yes, it’s not just good for your CV.

…

So… What are you waiting for? There are so many good things to gain from an internship abroad. …Maybe you’ve already undertaken an internship abroad? So you may agree with my ten reasons why to go abroad to intern? Maybe you have other good reasons to do it? Please, feel free to share.

xo P!

Study Abroad: My 10 reasons why to study in a foreign country

In 2012, I undertook my first abroad relocation as part of my studies to London, England. There’s no doubt that this was one of the best decisions, I’ve ever made. By leaving Denmark and adapting to the English culture, I learned so much more than I thought possible – both academically and personally. At the same time, I got to follow my childhood dream as an aspiring traveler to travel and acquire insight into and understanding for foreign cultures. Considering this adventure, I can’t find reasons not to leave comfort zones and take a leap of faith. As a result, I wanted to discuss this on my blog. As such, I present you with ten reasons why to study in a foreign country in the following paragraphs.

1) You have the possibility to study courses not available at your home university
You can choose any university in whatever country you find interesting that offers courses you would like to take. Maybe there are courses better suited for you and your future abroad?

2) You have the opportunity to practice your language skills
If you move to a foreign country in which its population speaks a foreign language, it’s the best way to learn the language in question with all its foreign ways. However, even if you move to a country where its population speaks your native tongue, you still have the opportunity to bound with other exchange students and learn or develop your language skills. It’s a win/win, really.

3) You’ll acquire insight into a foreign culture
Living in a foreign culture, you will automatically acquire insight into and understanding for its social norms and ways of living – its culture. You’ll learn about the culture’s history and gradually develop an understanding for its culture and social norms.

4) You learn how to cope in a foreign culture
All cultures have their social norms that dictates how to think and behave. This might be challenging at first, however, it’ll make you aware of cultural differences and teach you foreign ways of doing things that might suit you better than what you’re used to.

5) You learn that it’s all about perspective
As a result of living in a foreign culture, you’ll also come to learn and understand that it’s all about perspective. You might think and behave as you do in your culture, however, people from foreign cultures are not brought up with the same cultural, social norms. As such, you’ll develop an understanding for cultural perspectives that tells you there’s not always a right or wrong – there are, however, different ways of thinking and behaving as well as ways of reaching the same goal.

6) You have the possibility to travel
When settling in a foreign country for a period of time, not only do you acquire understanding for its history and culture, you also have the possibility to travel around the country and get to know other amazing cities, towns and villages in the country.

7) You’ll meet new friends from all over the world
You’re most likely not the only one on an adventure, there are many just like you on campus and in town. Therefore, there are many potential friends to gain from all over the world. These friendships may or may not last a lifetime, however, one thing is certain: You’ll have the possibility to visit them in their home country and explore their cultures as well. And having friends in foreign countries is not too bad – although you will miss them.

8) You become less dependent and more independent
Being on your own, away from familiar surroundings, friends and family, you are forced to cope on your own. It can be quite a challenge, however, when you learn how to overcome certain obstacles, you’ll feel like you can handle anything. As a result, you find yourself able to handle situations you never thought you could – and you’ll be less dependent on others and more independent as a result.

9) You grow up
Quite simply, you grow up as a result of facing your new reality – your new life.

10) You’ll make your CV stand out after university
Let’s face it: We increasingly live in an international and intercultural world in which businesses cooperate across countries. The fact that you’ll have approximately six months of abroad experience will make you stand out when it’s time to apply for a job after university!

See…! There are so many good things to gain from studying abroad. What are you waiting for? …Maybe you’ve already studied abroad? So you may agree with my ten reasons why to go abroad for studies? Maybe you have other good reasons to do it? Please, feel free to share.

xo P!

Daydreaming a Life: Always on the move

I consider myself a person always on the move… I’m on the move in various aspects: personal developments, physical developments, emotional developments as well as establishing new friends and business relationships. However, also geographically: I move around from foreign country to foreign country and settle there for a period of time with the goal of gaining cultural understanding and perspective. I love it! For me, life is all about constantly moving – in one way or another. Develop as a person! I have to develop in order to feel like I’m living – if I don’t, I feel like I’m waisting my life… And I don’t want to waste my life! As such, when it comes to my geographical relocations, people often ask me how I decide on where to live – what country and city. Truth is, I follow my intuition and so far it’s been a rather good experience to say the least. I have a pretty good gut feeling, which some people can’t relate to. However, I’ve always followed my intuition – in all aspects of life. It has never failed me. So when it, time after time, tells me that my next abroad relocation ought to be a certain city, I’m listening… My intuition told me, when I was very young, that I should become a traveler. Moreover, it guided me towards the right educational programmes and told me to pursue London for my first abroad move, Dublin for my next and Berlin for my third. As a result, I’ve made some of my best decisions with it.

…

A year ago, listening to music one late evening with a glass of white wine, I found myself imagining my future – my near future. Suddenly, I saw myself in lively Amsterdam’s streets and squares surrounded by old beautiful houses and canals. A sense of happiness came over me and I was sure: That’s where I would relocate once I finished university. Maybe influenced by my latest musical discovery, the music artist, George Ezra, and his song, A Blind Man in Amsterdam, or the wine, however, my intuition told me A’dam was the city for me. This feeling lead to days of wondering and doing research on Amsterdam while getting in touch with people living there – nothing that would change my mind, on the contrary! Gradually, I fell more and more in love with the idea of living there. I was certain: Amsterdam is was. It felt like an epiphany, and I could now start to plan my life after university.

In my mind – my imagination, I made up an entire life there with my first job, new friends and a flat shared with great roommates, and I couldn’t wait. Exploring the city, scrolling through its streets and squares, visiting the Royal Palace and the infamous Red Light District, taking a boat tour on one of the many canals, exploring the ’I Amsterdam’ sign and landmark not to forget the Anne Frank House as well as Van Gogh Museum, doing city tours and hearing about Amsterdam’s history and culture as well as explore the famous Dutch mills and tulip fields… The list goes on… However, also things as simple as taking a walk in one of the many beautiful parks there, buying flowers for my room at flower markets, finding new friends (and love), going to concerts and comedy gigs, visiting a cafe or taking a bus or metro ride while listening to Dutch people talk, not understanding a word, however, eager to learn the language – getting lost in the language: Miscommunicate, laugh, explore, understand, learn, try speaking Dutch. All these great things that life throws at you – that is life.
… Even though this, of course, is all in my imagination, it feels real in the sense that it could be. At the same time, based on outcomes from previous abroad relocations and the grounds on which they were decided, I have no reasons not to trust my intuition because they have turned out wonderful. As a result, the decision was easy: Listen to my gut feeling and relocate to Amsterdam. At the time, I, of course, was to finish my six months internship in Dublin and another six months thesis writing in Berlin first, which I was extremely excited about as well – all the adventures! However, the thought of Amsterdam in Holland being my first permanent abroad relocation felt so right – and it still does now only three months ahead!

Since my epiphany a little over a year ago, I’ve been planning this relocation and a lot of interesting things have happened throughout the last year concerning my plans – one thing in particular: A little over a half a year after my decision was made, I was talking to a dear friend from back home where I grew up. We discussed living abroad and for some reason, we decided we would move to Amsterdam together once we finished university. She had visited Amsterdam in her teens and had been keen to move there ever since. As a result, it seemed like a good idea. After all, we’ve been close friends for almost a decade now. So… This became the plan that we would move towards the following months. It’s just amazing when imagination becomes reality.
However, upon my arrival back in Denmark in June this year, unfortunately, my bank caused me a minor set-back in my plans. I couldn’t afford moving there right away so I had to take a loan, which my bank wasn’t keen on. As a result, due to six months of intense saving up money for my relocation, I won’t move to Amsterdam until January. I’m not too bumped out about this, as I will get there eventually. Being positive, I see this set-back as extra time to plan all the practical matters in connection to the relocation. My friend, however, moved there four months ago. When I’ll relocate there too, we’ll share a flat together with another girl. As for now, I’m impatiently waiting for my big relocation – for my life as a grown-up(-ish) to start, my future. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying time with my family while recharging my travel batteries and undertaking an internship here in Denmark.

xo P!

 

Picture
Google's search engine