EXPERIENCED BY KATHARINA SCHIMPS

IF YOUR DREAMS DON'T SCARE YOU, THEY ARE TOO SMALL

Dare to do things that scare you.

Hi, my name is Katharina and I study Graphic Design and Communications in Austria. As a part of my studies I have to do an 8-week long internship (I did 9 weeks tho) and I had the chance to do it in beautiful Thailand.

While desperately looking for an internship abroad I stumbled upon The Board Factory and I immediately was thrilled. An opportunity to do an internship and go abroad and learn to surf? How amazing is that?! A few days after sending my application, I received a message about my internship, and even though the 9 weeks I would be able to stay were shorter than what Martin would’ve liked, he was willing to take me. I was stoked, also a little scared as I had never left Europe before and this was going to become the first big, long trip I’d done all by myself.

When I got off the plane to Phuket I was greeted by a very friendly taxi driver who took me to my new home, where Nong took me in and showed me my bungalow. She is so sweet. After that I met the other interns, but I was too tired to go and do something with them.

When I got up the next day, which was a Saturday, Marie took me to get a scooter (which failed) and then we went with the others to Phuket together and had a great time.


On Sunday we went to the beach for a surf. Rouven taught Marie and me the basics, and we did our best to make him proud. It was very exhausting, and didn’t go too well, but we had a lot of fun.


When Monday came around it was time for my first workday.

 

Working at The Board Factory.

I was here for Graphic Design and Marketing. But Martin invited me to share with him all my interests and he would try to come up with a project, so I could work on something I’d actually love doing. I mean, I don’t study Graphic Design because I don’t like it, but the possibility to work on whatever I want was enticing. Anyhow, I started off with designing a brochure and pretty soon I was also working on the website and entrusted with the newsletter, and I also could work on my own illustrations for boards!! This job was far more than I ever expected an internship to be! I sometimes learned by doing and that’s just perfect for me, I loved the challenges that working at The Board Factory held!



3 NIGHTS IN BANGKOK!!!

On my second weekend the other new interns and I flew to Bangkok. We arrived at friday night and the mood next to our hotel was very nice. On the next days we did all the sightseeing stuff like Lak Muang, MBK Center, a museum, Wat Sommanat, a floating market, Mae Klong Railway Market, Chinatown and the Grand Place.

Leisure Time.

When I have time off, I like going to the beach, either for a surf-sesh or just a swim or float on my inflatable unicorn. There are also markets near-by where you can find everything from food and fruit to clothes and shoes. Also, Takua Pa has a very cute Sunday Market!

NOVEMBER RECAP

WOW, already two months in Thailand, how time passes... but I have seen such beautiful things!

On the first weekend in November Dylan showed us amazing viewpoints to see! Afterwards we celebrated! The best place to do that in Phuket is --PATONG
We had a lot of fun.... After this hard weekend I relaxed on the beach and went to a waterfall 50 km away from Khao Lak. This waterfull is very big, is full of fishes and the most beautiful in locality.


The following weekend Marie, her friend Rosalie and I rented a car and drove to Phang Nga! GIIIIIRLSTRIP!  We visited wonderful places and temples! Later we drove to Krabi to climb 1237 steps to the Tiger Cave. It was hard... very hard, but we made it in 1 hour! Did I mention that Marie did it with crutches? Soooooooooooo proud! After dinner in a pizzeria we drove back home to Khao Lak.

December recap

At the first weekend in december we (all interns, Nok, Martin and the kids) stand up at 4 am and went to Khao Sok. It’s a wonderful place with very big mountains and green water. Our bungalows were on the water and nobody was around us. We had a lot of fun with stand up paddling together and enjoying this sick view. At the afternoon we went to cave. The way to the cave was like a jungle with big spiders and terrible paths. At the next day we stand up at 5 am and enjoined the sun rise at the water. This place is one of the best around the area and I hope that every intern has the chance to see that!

At the next week we had the SUNOVA NEW YEARS PARTY!! We drunk cocktails, played games und danced the whole night. We also had the chance to come closer to all the thai people. They were so friendly and so open! Everyone took pictures and danced with us. I will miss this kind of people in Germany! It was a very funny night with all this lovely people!

On one sunday Nok and I drove to the Mai Khao Beach in Phuket it’s also known as the Airport Beach, where you can see the planes landing so close from you.

CHRISTMAS TIME!!! It was the first time that I had to work on christmas and the first time that I celebrated it without my family, but the people here made it easier for me. We ate christmas dinner at the beach and had a good time.

Where I still want to go.

If you have to chance to stay longer than two months, I would highly recommend you stay longer. Stay as long as possible. Thailand has so much to offer, and you won’t be able to see it, no matter how long you will stay (unless you decide to stay forever, maybe). But here’s some things that I didn’t get a chance to see or do but if you can, you should:

Go hiking in Krabi, go snorkelling, visit James Bond Island, camp on the Samet Nangshe Viewpoint, go to as many National Parks as possible!, also Bangkok and…. honestly this list could go on forever and ever and ever and ever….

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya by Aaron Thomas
Kho Phi Phi by Humphrey Muleba
Bangkok by Florian Wehde
Khao Sam Roi YOT National Park by Peter John Maridable

My next and last stop was Bali, where I also got my visa. I stayed there for 10 days in a very sweet airbnb with sooo friendly homeowners. I learned a lot of the balinese and indonesian culture during my vacation time there. My driver Budi was a very nice guy who showed me very nice spots in Denpasar and around the area. One time we went to the oldest monkey forest in Bali and I saw a lot of monkeys which jumped on my shoulders and ate fruits from my hands!!!! I think that was the cutest moment in my life hahaha!! A big thank you to all that people in Bali who are one of the friendliest people I have ever met!!

What else I want to mention.

My phone died after 3 weeks of being in Thailand and there was no way of resurrecting it, I had to use another phone, with terrible camera lens quality, that’s why I have only very few photos of Thailand left with me.

Also, I am usually not much of a comfort-zone-leaver and the thought of going abroad for longer than a week was a little scary at first, but this experience give me so much more than I could’ve ever expected, so many positive memories. I grew personally so much and I made such wonderful friends.

 

Frankly, it is magical to work where others go on vacations because you can combine doing what you love with enjoying the beauty of Thailand.