Me posing with my compost bucket at my internship 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work outside of the U.S.? Curious about how people approach different issues in your field? Then interning while abroad sounds like an experience for you! I had always wondered how different work environments and cultures were in other countries compared to the fast-paced environment of the U.S. and was eager to see if what I heard about the more laid-back lifestyle in Australia was true.

Not only that, but as an environmental studies and politics major, I had heard about various sustainability initiatives in Australia that were making real positive impacts. I wanted to learn and experience what the world of Australian sustainability could offer me, and so I opted to enroll in the internship and study experience. Going into my internship, I had no idea what to expect, so hopefully coming along with me as I go through a day at my internship can help provide some insight! 

Who's Driving This Bus? You Are! 

Me waiting at the bus stop en route to my internship 

My typical day starts at around 8:00 a.m. when I wake up and get ready. Living in Australia, that means eating breakfast, packing my stuff, and putting on lots of sunscreen before I’m out the door. As someone who lived on campus before coming here where I was on a meal plan and could easily walk to class, it was a bit of an adjustment to wake up on time early enough to get myself ready, but I’ve found that I am beginning to enjoy having more of a routine before I have to leave.

Once I’m out the door, I head to the bus stop that’s around a ten-minute walk from my apartment and wait until it arrives. My internship is around a forty-minute commute, subject to change based on traffic, how fast I walk, etc., but I have enjoyed being a part of the city commuting crowd, especially since people mainly get around Sydney using public transportation. 

A Match Made in Heaven (aka Through Good Connections) 

Some wall art in the Chippendale neighborhood that I pass on my walk to work 

Getting off the bus, I then have a ten-minute walk before I reach the Sustainable House, which is the organization that I am interning for. This internship is such a perfect match for me. If you decide to do an internship with CEA CAPA, you get matched with an internship advisor in the city you’re studying abroad in, who will help match you to an internship location. My advisor did such a good job with my placement and helping me with my decision to intern here.

The Sustainable House is a leader in sustainable development as it runs on less than $300 AUD a year of utilities through various water and electricity-saving modifications that the home has because of my boss, Michael Mobbs, who led the design. He also started a company called Cool Seats, which are in-bench composting systems, as a way to further offset carbon emissions. This company and its mission align perfectly with my passion for sustainability and community engagement, which makes coming to work every day that much easier. 

For the Love of Compost! 

A sneak peek inside of the Cool Seat composters after putting in some new material 

My days at my internship always look different. Since today is Monday, I am here all day since I don’t have a class to get to later on or before. For my internship, I do a minimum of twenty hours a week to total two hundred and forty by the end of your semester. The structure of getting your hours is different for every intern. For me, that means going in four days a week, two full days and two half days, and then doing some remote work as well. Today, I am also in the office with one other intern who is also a part of the CEA CAPA program. It has been nice having other people in the program that I not only get to learn with but work with also.

My recent project has been helping my boss create new marketing materials for Cool Seats to help sustainable living be more accessible to everyone. I worked the majority of the morning with him and then helped to turn some of the Cool Seat composters around the neighborhood. I love being able to work outside for the majority of my time while also still being able to work on some of my other skills like marketing. 

My lunch at the cafe: a steak and cheddar casa roll sandwich with a side salad 

After a busy morning of work, my boss treated us to lunch at the local cafe, shoutout Cafe Giulia, where I tried the steak and cheddar casa roll and continued working on the marketing material. I stayed and did work there for a while until I made my way back home, this time via train, after a long day of work. I love the fact that my internship has given me a look into what working in Sydney is like and allows me to learn more about the city through meeting people in this professional capacity.

Throughout my time at my internship, I have also found myself having a better work-life balance, as my boss places a lot of importance on also making time to explore and make the most of my time abroad. I have learned to have more confidence in myself and my abilities as an intern to be able to make a positive impact on both this company and on the world in the future. These memorable experiences and lessons will take me far beyond my time in Sydney.