A friend had told me about Nomaden Berlin, and how it made everything about the moving process so easy. I was a bit nervous about finding a job as I don't speak German, so I contacted Lana and she told me about what the Nomaden program offers. And I'm glad I did because everything worked out so smoothly!
Alumni Spotlight: Ellie Young
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Ellie is 25 years old, from New Zealand, and took advantage of a program offered by Nomaden Berlin to help her relocate to a new city.
Why did you choose this program?
What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
I chose the package with accommodation, a language course, visa support, job placement help, two weeks of events, and transport. That meant I literally had no stress, and setting up was super easy, but there are other packages as well to suit different needs.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
I would recommend that you connect with as many people as you can in the first few months - because the more people you meet, the more things you do - that's how you get the most out of the whole experience of living abroad.
Making good connections and a network early really helps you to settle in and feel like you belong in the city.
I ended up house sharing with the friends I met in the first week. That's why Nomaden Berlin is so awesome - you basically have an instant network.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
My first two weeks of Berlin were just the best - lots of socializing, meeting people (who are also setting up their life in Berlin), site seeing, exploring and going out, as well as doing the super helpful beginner German course! It's really busy and full on, but so much fun!
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
I was just really nervous about getting everything organized - finding a job, sorting my visa, accommodation - all of these things that can be stressful when moving to the other side of the world.
I shouldn't have worried so much, because everything has a way of working out. This program made the whole process stress-free and fun. Moving overseas for a year has been one of the best decisions of my whole life.