Good Ol' Welly

I decided to spend my summer (winter) in Wellington, New Zealand interning in the Clinical Trials Unit at the Regional Hospital.

I came into this internship with an open mind, because that's basically what all of the reviews I read clearly stated one should do when traveling to a totally different country on the other side of the world. I chose New Zealand because it isn't the typical study abroad spot where I'm from.
I've attached a few photos to this review, mainly of the sky or landscape because I’m continuously amazed each day. Literally, one day you wake up and it’s bright/sunny and feels like summer - then the next it can be dark and gloomy as if the sun never existed. My favourite times of day are when the sun comes up and when it decides to go down especially when it’s not raining.

One of the photos attached is a picture of what looks like an orange/blue lake with smoke rising from it. This is located in a place called Wai-O-Tapu or sacred waters, which is part of a Scenic Reserve that has been administered by the Department of Conservation. I didn’t expect to find such rich Maori culture/history or such diversity when I was planning this trip. I can say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Aside from the obviously beautiful landscape and sky, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with some amazing and wonderfully friendly kiwis during my 8 weeks.

As part of the internships BCP, I’ve been in Auckland and Rotorua prior to starting my internship in Wellington and I can say by far, Wellington is a home away from home. In my opinion Auckland reminded me of New York where it’s busy, hectic, crowded, and big. Rotorua was just pleasantly small, but smelled like sulfur everywhere. Last, but certainly not least – Wellington by far is my absolute favorite. It has the small town feel, yet the big city vibe, the downtown life, the crowded traffic, the obvious animosity between strangers, and of course the good-more so than bad weather habits.

I definitely plan on coming back to Wellington, whether it be for a holiday or to work. If ever presented with the opportunity to intern abroad – take it. It won’t be a poor decision. I’ve studied abroad and I’ve also interned abroad. The key difference is having the confidence to be able to venture out without the “supervision” that comes with studying abroad. As an intern, you learn the “ins and outs” of the local life of the country you’re visiting without presenting yourself as a tourist. And of course, you can also do all of the touristy things as a local.