Cork, Ireland – How to make it through an internship with style

Things brightened up when Lena, who also stayed with us, appeared at our bedroom door. From then on, we spent a lot of our free time together. Lena was incredibly friendly, and her happy nature quickly made her a key part of our time in Cork.

Our first day of work? Jackpot! The hotel gave us unlimited breakfast and lunch. Suddenly, hunger was a thing of the past. As waiters, we cleared tables, served guests, and eventually, we were trusted to take orders. As a nice little bonus, we got access to the hotel’s leisure center – which means that we could use their sauna, swimming pool and gym, which was quite spacious for a hotel gym.

Beyond work, we were busy exploring Cork and its surroundings. One weekend, we visited the Ring of Kerry, a stunning scenic route that showed us just how beautiful Ireland’s landscape could be. Another adventure was a trip to Kinsale, where we were supposed to explore Charles Fort with Lena and her supervisors. But of course, we ditched them and went on our own mini-adventure through the fort. Who needs supervision when you’ve got a sense of direction, right?

And then there was Lena’s last night. She wanted to drink, but we talked her into going for a run instead. The result? Lena almost threw up, which, to us, felt like a fitting farewell. Not exactly the farewell she had in mind, but we found it hilarious and fitting for our strange, yet fun, friendship.

In our final days, we visited Cobh, checked out University College Cork, and even joined a local running event - because, apparently, walking all day wasn’t enough.

By the time we left on August 31st, we’d packed a month full of laughs, free food, and unforgettable experiences.