The decision to intern abroad with the Andégo was the best I’ve made!

The decision to intern abroad with the Andégo Program was the best one I’ve made yet. To say that I am heartbroken that there was an expiration date would be a gross understatement. This program opened up so many doors for not just myself but my fellow friends from the program. We got the opportunity to build relationships with our students and our co-workers, as well as the host-families we were placed with. Also, having the opportunity to explore other countries was an added SUPER bonus. I can’t speak for all the other Andégoites in this aspect as I don’t 100% know their experience, but I got to travel with the 2 other interns in my region to 3 different countries, as well as numerous parts of Paris in exploration and food searches, and that was amazing in itself. To have other you can relate to and share adventures with was gratifying. These are connections and relationships I know I will have for life.
But of course, it wasn’t all roses and daisies. In the first couple months I questioned my choices and wondered often if I’d made a mistake, and there were plenty of days during the year when I just felt out of sync with everything, my family, my co-workers and just my surroundings in general. And though the check-ins with Andégo and my family helped, I feel like it was a learning experience that needed to happen on my own, in order to understand that sometimes it’s just life, and not everything will be as perfect as we expect it to be. So I would say to someone that is considering this program, it’s okay okay to ask as many questions as you want and be as cautious as you need to be a well, also, try not to put too many ‘what if’s’ I to your thoughts. Don’t even expect it to be the most perfect experience of your life, either. Just go with the flow, because there will for sure be days you don’t expect to overcome, and things you didn’t think you’d need to deal with. But those days will be few and far between, and with them you gain a little more knowledge of yourself and the world around you, with a little French cherry on top! xp