On the 29th of May 2013, I landed in Greece, with a bag of necessities, excitement and some fear. My dream had just begun. From that day on my whole life was going to change in ways I could only imagine.
I was working at an NGO that took care of children having special needs. It was something totally different from what I have done earlier. This was my first close experience with kids that have special needs and I cannot explain the joy one experiences when you make someone smile. I will never forget my first day at the NGO, it was the cutest sight where some of the kids came running to hug us non-Greeks. I don’t think they had ever met an Indian before and so they seemed fascinated and a little hesitant. We had to participate in their daily activities, help them with English lessons, and take them out once a week to the beach/tavern/café. It showed me a whole new side to life. It had changed my perspective and value for a lot of things.
I made some amazing friends, took the most random trips, got hosted by random AIESECers. Every weekend I found myself in a new city/a new island/new country, all with new people! Going bag-packing for 9 days to Italy all on my own was one of the highlights of my trip. I made a lifetime’s worth of great memories, made friends from so many different countries. I dived into a body of water without knowing how to swim! I’ve learnt a thousand different new things during my exchange experience, but the most important thing I learnt is to ALWAYS TAKE THE LEAP, no matter what. I think life is like diving into a body of water without knowing how to swim and eventually learn to get comfortable with the water and come afloat. AIESEC sells its exchange product as a “life changing experience” oh but trust me and anyone else who’s been on exchange that, that is an understatement.
Get ready, don’t think twice, pick-up your bags and GO. You will come back changed, changed in so many ways that you’d surprise yourself. You will begin to live life and take every opportunity that comes your way and turn so many tables.
Thank you AIESEC for giving me the opportunity of having this life-changing experience :)
Tina Dsouza
Executive Board Member, AIESEC Mumbai
Summer intern (GCDP) in Greece, 2013
I was working at an NGO that took care of children having special needs. It was something totally different from what I have done earlier. This was my first close experience with kids that have special needs and I cannot explain the joy one experiences when you make someone smile. I will never forget my first day at the NGO, it was the cutest sight where some of the kids came running to hug us non-Greeks. I don’t think they had ever met an Indian before and so they seemed fascinated and a little hesitant. We had to participate in their daily activities, help them with English lessons, and take them out once a week to the beach/tavern/café. It showed me a whole new side to life. It had changed my perspective and value for a lot of things.
I made some amazing friends, took the most random trips, got hosted by random AIESECers. Every weekend I found myself in a new city/a new island/new country, all with new people! Going bag-packing for 9 days to Italy all on my own was one of the highlights of my trip. I made a lifetime’s worth of great memories, made friends from so many different countries. I dived into a body of water without knowing how to swim! I’ve learnt a thousand different new things during my exchange experience, but the most important thing I learnt is to ALWAYS TAKE THE LEAP, no matter what. I think life is like diving into a body of water without knowing how to swim and eventually learn to get comfortable with the water and come afloat. AIESEC sells its exchange product as a “life changing experience” oh but trust me and anyone else who’s been on exchange that, that is an understatement.
Get ready, don’t think twice, pick-up your bags and GO. You will come back changed, changed in so many ways that you’d surprise yourself. You will begin to live life and take every opportunity that comes your way and turn so many tables.
Thank you AIESEC for giving me the opportunity of having this life-changing experience :)
Tina Dsouza
Executive Board Member, AIESEC Mumbai
Summer intern (GCDP) in Greece, 2013
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