Getting Settled In

The start to my trip was a little bumpy and I was honestly not loving the experience,  but as we have all settled down more I have really started to love where I am and what I am doing.  That has a lot to do with the people I am spending my time with so I wanted to introduce you to some of them. (For privacy reasons I will not put names of the other interns.)

The person you share a room with is very important. They can make or break your experience.  Luckily for me,  I got a really cool roommate! My roommate is originally from Indonesia but was adopted when she was young and raised by her family here in Maryland. She is so sassy and funny and you always have a good time when you are around her. Although we have our differences we get along very well!

My mentor is another person who I will be spending a lot of time with.  Before I was assigned a mentor I was worried that they would expect me to know a lot before I got here and that they would be really intimidating. I, however,  was blessed with the best mentor! She is so willing to help me and genuinely cares about me.  She wants me to learn and grow but she also wants me to experience every fun thing about Maryland that I can. She checks on me often to make sure that I am not too homesick and makes me feel good about learning new things rather than stupid for not already having the knowledge. She is the best and I am excited to learn so much more from her!

The other interns are all so nice and accepting.  I think that I could tell them I only eat papaya and they would think that was cool and be totally accepting. We have all explained to each other that this group of students is honestly so much cooler than we thought it was be.  I know that for me and a few kg the other interns,  we were nervous that we wouldn't get along with each other and that some of us would be socially awkward, but that did not happen. It is so nice to know that no matter which intern is sitting and eating lunch you can easily join them and strike up a conversation without feeling awkward.  

All of these relationships have made everything go so much smoother.  These people are wonderful and although I miss my friends from ECU I am so grateful that I have made these new friends!