Brussels Spring 2020 - An Astonishing Experience

Brussels, the heart of Europe, is an ideal place for the development of the lobbying industry. Before going on this trip, I have never imagined myself living in such a political environment and being able to learn and participate in daily political activities.

Two months before moving to Brussels, I was thrilled to found out that I would be interning with The Right Street (TRS), a brand new company specializing in EU communications and advocacy. Since then, I have been communicating with my supervisor via email but no specific tasks were assigned to me. So we both agree to discuss what my internship would look like at our first meeting.

A week after I moved to Brussels, I went to TRS office for my first meeting with Filip, my supervisor. It was a tragic morning. The night before my first meeting with Filip, I was so nervous that I could not sleep. Even though I found my way to the office the day before, I was still afraid that I would get lost and would be late for the meeting. I wrote down every possible question that Filip might ask me and practice them. I wanted to give Filip a good first impression of me in the most professional manner. That was when I knew I made a mistake. I should have gone to bed early that night but I did not and eventually, I woke up late the next morning, on a very important day.

The next morning, I freaked out when I realized I was late. I only have 30 minutes to go to the meeting and I need at least 20 minutes to get to the meeting place. But luckily I had everything ready the day before so I didn't spend too much time preparing. I rushed to the bus stop and took the bus to the office. Usually, I need to transfer two buses to the office. However, the second bus was late and I did not have much time so I decided to run to the office.

Fortunately, my supervisor just arrived when I got there. Filip welcomed me with a warm handshake and asked me about my trip to Brussels. He offered me a cup of tea and we started talking about work. Filip said he went to the US to study abroad for 4 years, so he also understands the American working style. Filip is a very open-minded and approachable person so I don't feel any pressure when talking to him. He said he enjoyed working with an intern from Furman last semester and was impressed with her working performance so he was looking forward to working with me.

To me, Filip was not only my boss but he is also a great mentor. He taught me a lot about the European Union system and how lobbying is practiced in Brussels. Although I am a new intern in the office, I feel like I am valued here as he opens the space for me to express my ideas and opinions. I told Filip that I'm very interested in marketing and social media so he let me work on the marketing side for the office, which I truly appreciate. Unfortunately, I have to leave Brussels earlier that I expect that thanks to Filip and the team, I'm able to continue my internship remotely.