My 10 Weeks Internship at a Sustainable Transportation and Tour Company in Bali

Before coming to Bali I was excited and motivated about working at a startup in a developing country. During my 10 weeks internship at a Sustainable Transportation and Tour Company in Bali, I managed to get an overview of the main business areas, understand the challenges and the opportunities of the enterprise.

At the beginning of my internship, I had an almost two-hour call with the company’s CEO, which was proven to be very insightful and motivating. It was helpful to learn about the business environment and get some guidance regarding my tasks at such an early stage of my stay at the firm.

In terms of working culture, it was a big change for me, having to come from a high performance oriented professional background, I enjoyed the laid-back mentality in my Bali office, however, sometimes I felt that the company is not using the full potential of me being there.

The company’s staff had been extremely helpful and supportive all the way, not to mention that we have become good friends that meant regular informal gatherings as well. The only downside was that even though I asked them a couple of times to speak English while I am present, several times they changed to Indonesian, which made me feel shut out from the conversation.

I have learned various things about myself during my internship, I have become more confident about my strengths and the areas that need to be developed. It was also a great challenge to work with Indonesian colleagues since we often had to overcome the language barriers. During my stay in Bali, I have also learned to be more patient and appreciate what I have more. Overall I have received a positive and encouraging feedback from the company’s CEO and Operational Manager regarding my performance.

I had huge expectations before coming to Bali. I started planning the whole trip 8 months prior to my arrival already. I also had a small burn-out at my company back home so the timing of this 3 months trip was great. But, I was a bit worried that my expectations are too high and when reality kicks in, I would be disappointed. However, I must confess that my trip to Bali has proven to be even better than my anticipation. During these 3 months, I traveled to a countless number of breath-taking places, I have made a lot of friends and I had a ton of fun. I am going to miss the careless, take it the easy mentality of Bali, the friendliness and helpfulness of the locals, the feeling of freedom when you are on your scooter and you discover new places.

Considering everything, I am extremely thankful for these 3 months and I will be back in Bali, Indonesia for sure!