EXPERIENCED BY MARIE ANNIKA HOFFMANN

THERE IS NO GROWTH WITHOUT CHANGE

Why going out of your comfort zone is always the best way to grow...

That's me

Hi guys!

My name is Denise, I am 21 years old and from Germany. Doing an internship is a mandatory part of my study program (I'm studying Business Psychology in Mainz by the way) and since I have been aspiring after an international career for a long time, I dreamed from the beginning of my studies of doing my internship abroad. After searching and applying for weeks without any good response, I almost gave up my dream but then I saw the SUNOVA  job ad and couldn't believe my eyes. I applied immediately, and after a short and funny job interview with Martin I got the position.

I am more than just lucky and grateful to be part of such a dope company like SUNOVA, where you will not only work on your professional career but also on your personal development! Of course, I can also not complain about working in Thailand right where other people make vacation. Due to my tight schedule, I'm only here for 2 months but I can already tell you that I wish I could stay longer here in paradise. 

Scroll down if you want to read more about my awesome time here!

You can find this swing at the White Sand Beach

The first days in my new home

I usually start working between 8:30 and 9:00 am (honestly depending on how much time I need in the morning haha). Our bungalow is super close to the factory and going there with the scooter only takes about 5 minutes (or 1 if you are as quick as Rouven haha). The first thing I learned here is that you must put off your shoes before entering a house, which means that everyone is barefoot in the factory and I think that's amazing! Generally, the atmosphere is very easygoing. Everyone is always in a good mood, makes jokes and enjoys being here. I usually sit next to Martin, Pen and Nong in the office but sometimes, if I wanna enjoy the weather, I also work in the outside area. 

At 12.00pm everybody comes together to eat lunch outside and believe me, Pad Ka Prao is my life now! We have a litte restaurant behind our office where 3 wonderful ladies cook our food daily and it is sooooo tasty. Depending on what you order one meal usually costs between 20 and 30 Baht which is crazy since it is less than 1 Euro and the best thing is (at least for me) they also have Tofu here!

What I love about working with Martin is that he totally trusts you and gives you enough space to work independently but also always has a friendly ear for you if you need feedback (at least if you annoy him enough haha!). I usually go home between 5:00 and 6:30pm depending on how much work I have to do and if I have dinner here. I know it sounds long but believe me time flies so quickly here that it doesn't really feel like working but rather hanging out with your friends and doing what you love (at least for me since I love everything Online Marketing related).

My scooter and the coolest helmet :D

During rainy season you can never really know how the weather will be tomorrow or even the next minute. However, so far I have been pretty lucky since it mostly has rained during the night or when I'm at work anyway. After finishing work, me and the other interns go out and do different things. Sometimes we get a massage at the place next to our house or we go to the beach to get tanned, relax or enjoy the waves. There are several beaches nearby but we mostly go to the Memories Bar or to White Sand Beach. If it is not too cloudy, we watch the sunset together and have dinner at different restaurants around our neighborhood. We often go the night market (there are 2 different ones close to where we live) or have some drinks at the Gecko bar. Since it is low season during the summer months, many restaurants and shops are closed or close sooner but for me there are still enough spots to enjoy. 

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….

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.