With my final meeting come and gone, I suppose it is now time for me to reflect on the unique experience of an international internship experienced exclusively over ZOOM. In an unprecedented time it is appropriate to expect unprecedented experiences and that is certainly one way to consider my virtual time with my Chilean colleagues. While I, like most everyone in my position I’m sure, am so incredibly sad to have missed out on experiencing the stunning sights of Easter Island and a sunny day on the magnificent Cape Horn, there is still something to be said about the international experience gained through this limited lens. The first and most important upside to the virtual experience is that I was able to have a summer internship without said internship being the only thing I could do with my summer. An internship, especially an international one, usually means packing up your entire summer and being separate from your friends and family for a large majority of the break. In doing the internship from the comfort of my home I was able to spend my last summer before graduation with my family and was also provided the opportunity to go on some fun getaways with my friends and family who I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to see. While I may not have been able to experience the beauty of the Chilean landscape, I participated in no shortage of sightseeing, just at places a bit closer to home. I had an incredible time taking a two week road trip with my friends this summer, starting from the south of Florida, looping through the major cities of the Midwest, and eventually taking Highway 1 up the New England coast to the tip of Maine where I’m writing this final reflection. It’s even more incredible to me that I was able to do and experience so much with my friends all while keeping up with my internship responsibilities and meetings. In all, while I may not have gotten the full experience of an internship abroad I managed to have no shortage of fun and excitement this summer, all while being relegated to a 13 inch laptop screen.
