I may have lost my mind, in that I decided to no longer settle for less. I know what you’re saying, too: that’s no crime, babe! you should shoot for the stars! anything’s possible (even for you)! – No. Trust me. When it comes to things career-related, I am below average, and I know it. I passed that essay, thankfully, but I still barely made the minimum amount of credits required to be allowed to enter the second year. Realistically, chances are close to zero that some international organization will pick me, of all people, to fill one of their high-in-demand intern positions.

But. I attended that info lecture about the fifth semester of my bachelor program that we have to get to spend abroad. The confusing thing about this is of course that, technically, I am already studying abroad. Heh. One girl talked about an internship she did at Amnesty International in New Zealand, and people – what can I say? – it sounded AMAZING. First of all, and I don’t know if you caught this, IT’S IN NEW ZEALAND. Yeah. Also, they actually let her do essential things like writing publications or pleads to the government and working on priority campaigns and relationships with relevant organizations and media representatives, and whatnot. It does sound better than counting Boss’ coffee as one’s highest responsibilities, no? Her presentation was really good. She somehow inspired me to think bigger. She really opened my eyes to some of the possibilities out there that I had never considered.

My bachelor program: officially called Arts & Culture but my major will be Media Culture. My on-and-off goal as far as a future career goes: something to do with something other at any organization that organizes international student exchanges. The catch: no degree actually prepares you for that kind of a job. Problem: how to get there, then.

The newest development (result of inspiration by Amnesty NZ student): I’m studying the media thing, and dang!, I could totally work/be an intern at anywhere’s media sector as long as they work internationally, and across cultural borders and so on because that’s not only my passion but my field of expertise, so to speak.

In other words: find any big, international organization concerned with human rights or environmental issues that offers internships in their media department, and get on it.

As I thought about Amnesty International in NZ (their Media and Communications internship really does sound heavenly), I realized something, though. I hope this doesn’t provoke disturbed outcries from you guys (it certainly would draw up a shitstorm in a more public forum) but – I find that I’m much more passionate about environmental issues (think Greenpeace, think clean and safe energy, etc.) than human rights. I care about human rights just as much, definitely, but I’d be so much more passionate about contributing to saving our beautiful little planet from Total Destruction by Ourselves.

So I’ve been searching for NGOs online that offer internships like that. Sadly, though, Greenpeace and WWF don’t really do the whole student interns thing so I think they’re out. I mean, I can still send in my application because internships are not always made out online but it’s still a little… disappointing? Then again, I’d rather they save the planet than deal with incompetent interns. Heh.

Most of you are from the US – can you think of any organizations in your area that would match what I talked about? They don’t have to be as big and well-known as the ones I already mentioned. After all, the lesser known they are, the greater are my chances of getting in…

Another internship is offered at the United Nations Information Center in D.C. although, really, I don’t even stand a chance to be picked. Among other things, I think, because I don’t actually study political science but a broader program of which political culture is a part. (Plus, I don’t think they’re interested in undergrads.) But dude, the interns get to “attend Capitol Hill hearings and NGO/think tank briefings on a variety of international subjects and report back to the office and UN Headquarters on what was said.” That probably shouldn’t sound as sexy awesome to me as it truly, truly does, right? I get weak in the knees reading things like that. You think I’m kidding but I’m not.

By the way, and I think I may have mentioned this before, I’m trying to schedule things so that I can do the internship somewhere over the summer (you’re allowed to do that, and it still counts as an uni activity, a.k.a. you do get credit for it), and then study in another country during the actual semester. Choices for that: endless. Seriously. UM has partner unis everywhere. I’ve narrowed it down to a handful of countries, at least. We’ll see how that goes.

You know what’s crazy? My heart rate is going up just thinking of undertaking these types of things; be it as a student or an intern abroad. The thrill of not-knowing, of the first days in a new environment, of being on your own, of doors opening left and right; the planning of it all. Ever since, hm, about two years before KY, I hate having to stay anywhere for over a year. God. I cannot wait.

Happy weekend!