From Germany to Brighton
If there is one thing I am certain about myself, then it is the fact that I usually tend to stay inside of my comfort zone. I never was the type of person who liked new experiences, no matter which nature or in which environment. I just liked keeping to myself, and surprise, this has not changed.
But what has changed, luckily, is the mindset I developed within the last year. Honestly, if somebody would have told me a year ago that I would be sitting at a desk as an intern of ‘bigeggfilms’ right now, in a completely new city, in the UK, all alone for seven weeks, I would have probably not just laughed at them, but also I would have been freaked out as hell!
The opposite is the case. To be truthful, I have rarely been so at peace with myself as right now. Why? I have no idea. Maybe it is the point that I love being here, feeling already familiar after just five weeks. Maybe it is the certainty knowing this journey has an end, which is coming way too soon, by the way. Or maybe I just realized once again, how unbelievable big the world is, and that travelling does not only enlighten your horizon, but it gives you the chance to learn more about yourself.
Before I started the search for a place to go for my internship, I had never heard of Brighton, although I have been to the Uk for several times, even if it was just for vacation.
During my different journeys, this always stuck out to me and I have not found something comparable in any other country I have visited yet. The people make you feel not just welcome, they try everything possible to look after your wishes and needs.
But what surprised me the most after I settled in the first week since my arrival is how easily you become a part of the English life yourself.
Of course, the first few days, when everything is new, and you try to manage getting a grip of what is happening around you, it may not be avoidable to feel a bit lost sometimes.
And by ‘lost’ I mean not just geographically, but also you feel kind of like an intruder who simply entered a totally new life and has no idea of how to fit in at all.
Luckily, I experienced this only on my first day, after taking the wrong bus on my way to work but also on the way back home, when I went on a route which was in the complete opposite direction and I already thought of never making it back home again. But I did, so everything turned out fine.
So, whenever I asked someone during my first week here in Brighton (and that was quite a few times, I need to admit) after directions or street names, they were always eager to help me and courteous in a way that made me feel comfortable and safe and not that I am in a foreign city, mile over miles away from my hometown.
Even when I am staying for only seven weeks in Brighton, this city has become and will probably always be quite special and outstanding towards any other destination. The mixture of city and beach life complements each other perfectly and the range of activities as well as cultural program is unique. Just sauntering through North Road reminds me somehow of Dublin because you find yourself surrounded by all these little, colourful shops and restaurants which serve everything you can possibly think of, especially when you are on a vegan diet, Brighton is like paradise.
‘You’re only limit is you’.
One of my favourite quotes whenever I find myself in a situation I do not want to be part of in the first moment, but then I try to let go of all the negative thoughts in my head and dig right into it, appreciating once more the chance to grow and to make another new experience, which crafts my path and challenges me just right.
Because in the end, the one thing I need to admit I am afraid of, is making no progress at all or even setbacks. Sure, sometimes this is not avoidable or even necessary to take a step back and look how far you have come, but I found myself way too many times in the first scenario, struggling with myself and the thoughts in my head which told me exactly why I cannot do xyz, even when the reasons were not plausible and rather ridiculous.
My change of my mindset from last august until now was one of the best things which could have ever happened to me (I really should figure out what exactly was the trigger) and now that I know how good it feels, how good I feel, I will never allow myself to go back there again.
Of course, there are moments when you cannot lift yourself up, when the struggle is back, and you feel like you have not accomplished anything yet, but the most important thing is, at least for me, to look the struggle right in the eye and to make sure you finally overcome it in a way that suits you best and in the end, to keep going.
There will always be something which seems to hold you back from whatever you want to achieve and for sure not all experiences which seem to be great at first sight turn out the way you imagined them to be (Yes, I am talking from experience again here) but if there is one thing I learned besides stepping out of my comfort zone, it is the attitude to keep going and to remember: ‘You’re only limit is you’.
Rebecca
Intern at Big Egg in 2018
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