Claire Lewis

Claire's Education Abroad Experience

"I chose my education abroad program because I had done an exchange program to southern Germany in high school and wanted to explore a different area of the country. I was familiar with the German language after taking it all throughout high school and the first two years of college. I knew I would benefit from living in a city where I knew the language.

For the duration of my education abroad experience, I worked as a Digital Content Creation Intern at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Each day I walked to work, following along the Spree, the main river of Berlin, and walked past the Berlin Cathedral, Opera House, and other famous buildings. I had a wonderful internship experience, with amazing colleagues who inspired me in many ways, such as to strive for having a good work/life balance. On certain days during my internship, I got to walk around the city, taking pictures and planning out photoshoots - it was a dream! I also became very close with four other girls in my program and know that I will be friends with them forever. While we stayed in Berlin most weekends to explore the city we were living in, we traveled to Prague, Czechia and Split, Croatia, and had the most amazing time, making memories that we still talk about today.

What surprised me most about my experience was the connection that I created with the city and the people that I met there. I truly felt that I created a home for myself, and a piece of me will always be in Berlin.

I learned how to live in a city and how to easily follow public city transit, which I had little to no experience of before, as I grew up in a rural area. Furthermore, I also learned the value of eating foods that are in season, as well as appreciation for a good work/life balance.

Do it, and do it scared! Oftentimes, the life that we have been dreaming of has always been there; right on the other side of fear. Experiencing life is such a gift, and what better way than to do it abroad - learning from people outside of your culture, listening to their stories, and learning from their experiences will only benefit your life - never take away from it."