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| Istanbul Photo by: ABCiE |
GOTB: What is your definition of success is.
ABCiE: The definition of success varies depending on the person. For some people, it's measure by money. But I don't really measure success like that because even with money you can be unhappy. I would say success is happiness in what you do in life and achieving the goals, no matter what they are, they you put forth for yourself.
GOTB: What having leadership means to you.
ABCiE: To me having leadership means not being afraid to sometimes go against the grain, to do something a bit different, a bit outside the box. Anyone can follow, but it takes a leader to march to that special beat in their own head...especially if that beat leads them in the complete opposite direction of where everyone else is going!
GOTB: What is “NGO”?
ABCiE: Non Governmental Organisation. Think UN, World Bank, UNESCO. etc.
GOTB: Why did you first decide to travel overseas?
ABCiE: Curiosity. I read a lot and wanted to actually see some of the places I was reading about. I must say, hiking part of the Great Wall of China definitely trumps reading about it!
GOTB: Do you enjoy what you do?
ABCiE: Yeah for the most part. Right now I get paid to do what I enjoy (writing) and I live in Europe. How can I possibly complain about that?
GOTB: What’s the best part of traveling overseas? Of being an Intern?
ABCiE: The best part of traveling for me is the learning experience. You learn some of the most random things when you're in a new country! And I love food, so that runs a very close second...getting to eat typical dishes while in random countries. The best part about being an intern is probably the shared experience...you always have other interns who completely understand what you're going through. Plus the opportunity to learn something new, pick up a new skill or several and the opportunity to test out a new career/field that you're interested in getting into but may not have quite enough experience in.
GOTB: What’s the worst part of traveling? Of being an Intern?
ABCiE: Well, the worst part about being an intern is easily the pay. It pays poorly, if at all. I'm lucky because at least my stipend is enough to live off of. Worst part about traveling? Probably not always being able to communicate with other folks...but that can also be the best part of traveling. Being away from my family when I travel (and now that I live overseas) does kind of suck though.
GOTB: How many Internships have you completed?
ABCiE: Four: two when I was an undergraduate, one while I was in grad school and now my current one.
GOTB: Which was your favorite and why?
ABCiE: Actually I liked all of them for different reasons. But they each allowed me to learn something new that I can use later in life/in my career, which is pretty cool.
GOTB: How many of them were outside of the U.S.?
ABCiE: Two: one in London, one in Brussels.
GOTB: What’s the benefit of working overseas as opposed to just going on vacation for a couple of weeks?
ABCiE: When you work overseas, you get to learn a lot more about how a country works: the good, the bad and the ugly, which you don't really see on vacation. Also, if you live in a non-English speaking country it sort of forces you to at least learn some of the language, whereas that's not really necessary for a two week vacation. Most importantly, I think living overseas gives you a new perspective both as a person and as an American.
GOTB: Do they pay good?
ABCiE: Nope! But that's to be expected...the main reason you get an internship is to both learn and put you ahead of the jobseeker pack.
GOTB: Where did you look to find your internships?
ABCiE: Primarily through my universities, but also through my own research. Google is a wonderful tool.
GOTB: How many languages are you fluent in?
ABCiE: Well, my definition of fluent is pretty high! So I'll say I'm only fluent in one: English. But I do speak conversational French and I know some Spanish and German.
GOTB: Would I need to be fluent in those same languages to do what you did?
ABCiE: Not necessarily, but it does help to have knowledge of a language other than English under your belt.
GOTB: Have you ever experienced any racism while being outside of the US?
ABCiE: Of course! Racism doesn't stop just because you go beyond the American shores. You can encounter it anywhere. But that shouldn't let that stop you from traveling/living/working/studying outside of the US.
To email her with any questions: americanblackchickinlondon@googlemail.com
To read her commentary of her travels and anything else that may cross her mind visit her Blog
Follow her on twitter at twitter.com/ABCiE
Here is a little snippet of photos this girl has taken on her journeys...the song is by Adelle-Chasing Pavement
Enjoy!!! :-)
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