I don’t recall a time of my life without travel. My parents made sure I joined their adventures around the globe from the very beginning. I grew up surrounded by new places and people, diverse languages, cultures and exotic flavors. 

Despite those many trips around the world, deciding to go abroad for a new experience wasn’t a simple choice - I mulled it over a lot. This year, I finally took the plunge and landed in the Danish capital.

Hi, I’m Lya, 21 years old, and I’ve just flown in from Paris to embark on a three-month internship with the Chukster team as a graphic designer.

This need to discover new horizons has been with me since the start of my studies, but the thought of being away from my family for such a long time felt impossible. I wasn’t ready. So, I started my studies in Paris. Although I love my hometown, I deeply felt the need for a change, to move, and to discover something else. At the end of my first year of my master’s degree, my school required us to do an internship for 3 months to validate our year. I immediately saw this as an opportunity to gather my courage and step into the unknown.

When I started my search, I focused on European cities, initially for practical reasons, but mainly because I had traveled very little in Europe, and I was curious to see what professional life was like elsewhere. During my research for agencies in the Copenhagen area, I remember that Chukster was one of the first studios that really caught my attention and attracted my curiosity. I remember thinking to myself “these people looks so cool” (and my instinct was right). I sent an application to Chukster and I received an interview offer a few days later. I was surprised but super excited, even more because it arrived the day after my birthday - what a great gift ! A few weeks later, I got the confirmation: I was accepted for an internship in Copenhagen!

After long months of waiting and excitement, I finally arrived in the Danish capital. I must say that I immediately fell in love with the city. I was so lucky that my boyfriend was able to join me on this adventure and experience this new city with me. Very quickly, we found our bearings and established our little routines: biking along the canals, grabbing a coffee on a terrace, watching the football games in the beer garden below our apartment during the Euros , shopping in Copenhagen’s vintage shops,and discovering co-living.This last point - living with a lot of strangers - was the one things I had been worried about, but we were lucky to find a place where we quickly felt at home.

I honestly didn’t think I would adapt so easily  to a new city, but the calm and serenity of Copenhagen made the integration very pleasant.

Living abroad often requires a good English level and  this can be a challenge.And, let’s be honest, the French are not exactly famous for being at ease with speaking English ! So even though my level of English is pretty decent, I was a bit concerned about being able to communicate with everyone. 
I didn’t need to worry - the decision to throw myself in at the deep end actually helped me to gain a lot of confidence in my language skills - and I no longer fear making mistakes. They are completely normal when speaking a foreign language. This immersion allowed me to improve my English quickly and communicate with ease, making my stay even more enriching.

Above all, these three months of internship at Chukster allowed me to reconcile with my idea of internships. After a few bad experiences and stories I had heard, I was convinced that being an intern was useless. In reality, the quality of an internship really depends on how much your employers are willing to consider your needs, look after your well-being, and truly include you in the projects. I understood this when I saw how much effort Rebecca & Steven, my managers at Chukster, put in to create a warm and safe work environment, from our team building activities to their genuine interest in me, my background, my tastes, my interest throughout these 3 months.

I really want to tell all young students like me, who are starting out in the working world, not to be discouraged by bad experiences. Each internship is an opportunity to learn and grow, and the key is to find an environment where you are respected and supported. Never lose confidence in yourself and keep looking for opportunities that will allow you to thrive fully.

At Chukster, I had this chance: I met a team that knew how to make me feel confident, valued my skills, and encouraged me to express myself. I always felt that my opinion mattered and that I deserved my place within the team. This experience improved my confidence in my work and showed me that the professional world can be kind and stimulating, and that it is possible to create real connections with the people you work with. This internship will remain etched in my memory as a significant step in my journey, both professionally and personally.

A big thank you to Rebecca, Steven, Mathilde, Olivia, and Petra.
TAK !
Lya