What inspired you to travel abroad?
I've always wanted to go abroad. I grew up in a small town in the Netherlands, with not much to see and not much to do (except for staring at the horizon, which is quite far away as the Netherlands is extremely flat).
Once I started my bachelor in International Communication, I learned much more about our world. Not just the pretty pictures of the warm beaches, tropical forests and gorgeous swimming pools — but especially about the people on our planet. Their different cultures, who they are, and the beauty of our differences.
It inspired me to get out there, to a place entirely different from my home country. I ended up in South Africa for one semester, and it was the best decision ever. Fun fact: One thing that made me feel at home even more was the language! One of the many spoken languages in South Africa is Afrikaans, which is really similar to Dutch. It was certainly fun to see something so familiar, especially when you're so far from home...
Exploring Bo-Kaap, a colourful neighbourhood in Cape Town.
Why did you choose the Marketing and Communications Internship in Cape Town with Roots Interns?
I study International Communication, so it was pretty straightforward for me to do a Marketing & Communications internship. My uni is connected to Roots and often posts about their internships, which got me interested in their Marketing & Communications internship in Cape Town.
I contacted some study-mates who also did an internship with Roots and they were extremely enthusiastic about the organization and the internships they provided. I knew this would be a great option for me so I applied!
What was your favorite part about Cape Town?
The South African culture is quite different from what I'm used to at home — especially in terms of how *chill* everything goes. 10, 20, or 30 minutes late to something? Not a problem...there’s a good chance your company is also late.
Everyone takes things easy and just enjoys their day as it goes, not afraid to make changes. That's something I really needed to adjust to for a while as it's an entirely different attitude compared to where I'm from. Besides, wherever I went, I was always surrounded by so much natural beauty. Mountains, hills, beaches, gardens — the whole deal, it was just perfect!
Lion's Head for sunrise. Early, but worth it.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
My experience abroad was extraordinary because it was my first time *ever* going abroad on my own. I hadn’t even been to Germany on my own (which, for reference, is about 30 minutes from where I live).
I was only 17 when I left the Netherlands, and I celebrated my 18th birthday with my coolest roommates in South Africa. It was an adventure that never came to an end, always ready to see more, explore more, and learn more. The feeling of contributing to something locally while also being able to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings is absolutely extraordinary!
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The Roots team is truly incredible. I had weeks where everything felt incredibly easy and weeks where everything felt quite difficult, but they were always here to support me.
For example, besides my day-to-day internship, I had to write a paper for my university about some research I'd done while I was here. It ended up being 13,000 words. I would've gone mad, but my supervisors got me through it and really pushed me to deliver something amazing. And yay, I passed!
Besides this school stuff, they also made sure I was comfortable with my accommodation and was seeing enough of the country. They really made sure I had a great experience and it made me feel awesome.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
Sometimes I wish I'd have gone out of the city more, to explore more of the country rather than just Cape Town. But there was just so much to see and do and explore in the city, I didn't have enough time!
If anything, it just makes me more excited to go back at some point to show my friends the beauty of South Africa. Besides — everyone travels differently. Since it was my first time abroad, I was more than happy just taking my time to explore the city. There's no way to get bored in the Mother City!
Watching Cape Town from the sea — truly magnificent.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
My life abroad had quite some structure, contrasting to what you'd often hear about volunteering or interning abroad. I had a 9-to-5 office internship, so that pretty much defined my day. ???? We'd often go out for lunch and explore some new places in the neighbourhood. Luckily, the office was close to many cute cafes and restaurants, so we had no trouble finding new places every time!
After work, we'd go to the beach for sunset, hike up one of the mountains and hills, or have a chill night in with the roommates and watch a movie. Our weekends always varied a lot, but we made sure to do something new every weekend to keep things fun!
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I spent a LOT of my free time on sunrises and sunsets. It's just so fun to see them in different places: from the beach, on a mountain, in a desert-like area...It's something so consistent, yet it feels like it's always different.
Apart from that, I loved hiking up the different mountains, going for a fun night out to a new bar, or exploring a new area just outside the city. For example, I went to the Cederberg Mountain Area with some friends, which was such a fun experience! The climate and landscapes there are so different; it was so hot over there, but so worth it.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I lived in a shared loft with up to 10 roommates. Honestly, I'm rather introverted so I was pretty convinced that wouldn't be ideal for me, but I let it go as I figured I had to get to know some more people anyways and this would be the perfect opportunity.
Well, joke’s on me: I loved it! It was perfect as there was always someone there to chat with, go out with, or hike with. Besides, privacy was not a problem at all; since everyone is used to living with so many people, they all want some time to themselves as well. It all worked out so well and was the best thing for me!
Watching the sunset from Signal Hill — what a beautiful place.
What is one thing every future participant should know about the Marketing and Communications Internship in Cape Town before their program begins?
My program was very diverse; I did stuff like SEO, social media marketing, email campaigning, and more. The most important thing was that I could always offer/ask for changes if something wasn't working so well.
For example, I learned that I didn't like doing social media as much as I thought I would. The solution? I started writing many more blogs for the Roots website! It worked out perfectly and that's a really great part of the program, in my opinion.
Don't worry so much about the contents of the internship; rather, be enthusiastic about the amount of freedom and flexibility you'll get as a Roots Intern.
Would you recommend Roots Interns to others? Why?
I would highly recommend Roots to others! They have always made me feel so welcome and supported me and others with anything at all. They truly felt like a second family, a home away from home.
Everyone would always say that they were so supportive of anything going on. For example, if someone was having some trouble with their supervisor, Roots would be right there to help out. Or if someone was feeling very homesick, they'd make sure the intern was still comfortable and support them. They're the best!
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
All the people! Oh boy, I met a lot of people abroad. Roommates, supervisors, other team mates, partner organizations, friends from roommates, and many more. The number of roommates changed approximately every week, since all internships don’t necessarily start at the same time.
Traveling abroad means letting so many awesome people in, who really want to make the world a better place, and want to explore as much as possible. Now I have friends from every continent — a truly amazing feeling! ????
Hiking on the Pipe Track. What a view!
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Since this was my first time abroad, it really affected me in so many different ways. The most important thing to me, though, is that I really feel like I can trust myself now. If I can make it abroad, in a totally different country with different people and a different culture, I can make it anywhere!
Apart from this, I’ve gotten to know myself a lot better: What I enjoy doing, what I’m good at, all sorts of things. I feel like being abroad kind of forced me to really listen to myself, and that’s a skill I’ll never forget.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me is about being conscious about what you’re doing and giving back to the local communities you’re visiting. Roots is doing this by working together with non-profit partner organizations. I learned so much about all of these causes while interning at Roots, and it’s awesome to know that there are so many people out there ready to do something amazing for our planet!
This type of travel has given me hope, inspired me, and I’m sure it will inspire many others with me. If you ever get the chance — go out there, explore the world, and be respectful of where you’re going. Enjoy our beautiful world!
