Finland

During my six-month internship in Helsinki, Finland, I was able to experience an exciting part of Europe that I had never seen before. I was able to work in a small architecture firm, where I was an integral part of the team from day one and my colleagues were totally enthusiastic about showing me all the Finnish traditions, specialties (which was difficult as I don't eat fish) and the city. I learned a few words of Finnish and improved my English a lot, which is absolutely sufficient for Helsinki.

The most exciting thing for me was the long, cold and dark winter. Even in November we sometimes had temperatures below -20°C and in December it was already pitch dark at 3:30 pm. Sometimes it wasn't so easy to motivate myself, but now I want to experience Helsinki and Finland in summer all the more!

Of course, I didn't miss the opportunity to travel further afield on weekends and see Finland, Sweden and the Baltic States while I was in the area.... After a six-month internship in Seville in Spain after my A-levels, this was my second longer time abroad. I am even more motivated to explore Europe further and to live in different countries!