Growing up, I was very close with my family. My cousins lived right next door and my grandparents lived just five minutes away. I loved hanging out with them, and they were all I needed, until I got older of course. As soon as I turned 16, I had just about sprinted out of my parents' lives to hang out with my friends as much as I could. I would never make plans with my family and I would laugh at them when they asked me to do something with them. When I got to college, I simply moved away and never visited. After my freshman year, I was sad that I had to move back home with my family because of COVID-19. But now, I am a 20-year-old who wants nothing more than to hang out back home with my family. Being a virtual global intern with CEA Study Abroad allows me to create my own work schedule. I spend my mornings talking to my team via emails and Zoom meetings. Then, I start working on my weekly assignments and tasks. After that, I am free to do whatever I want – all I have to do is shut my laptop. Back when I was 16, I would've used this time to hang out with friends, but now, I use this time to visit my grandparents, my cousins, and my niece. I can work virtually from wherever I want. 
When I was away at college, my brother and his wife had their first baby, named Braelynn. I never got to see her because I was attending classes on campus and never made the trip home. Now, I get to tuck my niece into bed every night and catch up on all of the lost time I had as an Auntie. I love the freedom that I have been given to be working from wherever I choose. I have a lot of time to work on other projects, classes, or hobbies. This internship has helped me find myself and allow my creative thoughts and ideas to be pronounced. I have worked from a boat, I have worked while on a beach, and I have attended virtual meetings while babysitting. It is amazing how this internship program encourages me to travel internationally but also has made me closer to my family at home. Although I do still plan on studying abroad in 2022, I will never take this summer for granted. I spent the whole summer being completely immersed into a new culture while never feeling homesick. Interning virtually has many different perks, but flexibility is so important to me. I am blessed to have this opportunity to create my very own work schedule, and I look forward to seeing what the rest of my internship has in store for me!
Riley Mihm is a Summer 2021 CEA Content Contributor and a virtual intern for an organization in Prague, Czech Republic. She is currently a student at the University of Iowa.
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