My internship at a fintech startup

They say fortune favors the bold - my bold move was trading British drizzle for Shanghai's skyscrapers, and what a trade it proved to be. My internship at a fintech startup felt less like work and more like a masterclass in global business, where I was coding alongside developers who'd casually suggest grabbing bubble tea between solving complex algorithms. The GAC team didn't just arrange my visa - they became my cultural translators, explaining why my colleagues gifted me oranges during Lunar New Year and how to properly accept a business card with both hands. The salary wasn't just numbers in my account; it was weekend trips to misty Huangshan, spontaneous hot pot feasts with fellow interns from across the globe, and the quiet pride of becoming someone who could navigate both the Shanghai Metro and high-stakes client meetings. This wasn't just an internship - it was my personal hero's journey, complete with dragon-scale skyscrapers and the treasure of lifelong connections.