“The most difficult things in life are saying hello for the first time, and saying goodbye for the last time.”
As the one-month period of internships came to an end, I was feeling the exact opposite of what I thought I would at the beginning of the month. I had begun my internship dreading the work and whining about how all the time I had set aside for having fun would fly away. It instead became one of the most memorable periods of my life.
The NGO I was part of had quite a few student interns, so it did not take long for everyone to bond with the others. Chatting during work, cursing the mentor whenever extra work was dumped on us, creating a group without any of the staff members and multiplayer games during breaks were just some of the things that made my internship a memory to be cherished. It goes without saying that despite all the fun, it taught us the ways of the world and the A-Z of a workplace. I would be an ungrateful wretch if I did not give a shout-out to the entire staff for being the most wonderful co-workers anyone could ask for. They were super jolly and fun to be with, while also being serious when they had to be. It wasn’t easy letting all of it go.
The last week of my internship had the usual share of work, but things were more easy-going towards the end. On the last day, after all the work was over, the staff thanked us profusely and gave each of us a little gift to take back. Cue tears from some and emotion from all. This was my first internship, and in my mind, it sure is a hard act to follow.
As the saying goes, “Tis impossible to be sure of anything but Death and Taxes.” I am tempted to add ‘illuminating first internship’ to the list. It is amazing how a month and some work can change you as a person.
