Looking for an internship with AIESEC

The decision is made – I want to go somewhere for the summer, somewhere outside Poland. And this is everything what I know. Recently I applied for an AIESEC internship. I have already the number and I am in the database. Looks like I will end up somewhere with this organization for summer. Therefore I decided to write this post about finding internship (before any decision), because it might be a nice memory, reading this in the end of the summer and reminding myself how it happened…

I am so curious myself where I will finally end up. I have so many ideas. But let’s make describe it chronologically.

1. Deciding where to go
So right now I have the whole world and I have to choice where to go… Actually the first conception was not that difficult. I said Middle East. There are few advantages of this choice – I have already been there and liked it, it is relatively cheap to get there (what is the most important for me), there is warm, I have already same friends.
In the mean time I thought let’s go to Balkans! I want it cheap, and Balkans are the most exotic from the whole Europe, and the cheapest, and I haven’t beet there for a long time.
For a second I thought as well that I should go somewhere really far, exotic, maybe Latin America, maybe South East Asia, somewhere, but then I said to myself that I should be realistic. That I don’t want once more go somewhere far and adjust to the culture and make friends and then leave. And Middle East is different, still kind of exotic, worth discovering and close enough.

2. First actions
To be able to search the database you have to be enroll in the internal AIESEC system. It takes a lot of time and I am very impatient person when I want to achieve something. So smart Aga decided do something by herself, without being in the system (yet). So there was a lot of discussion groups, facebook, and other sources where I have found e-mails to people in charge in different countries. From Middle East they have projects in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. Unfortunately there is no in Syria and Lebanon, and Lebanon would be cool:)
So I have sent e-mails to all those people and I got the responds very fast!!! I was shocked that everything is happening so fast. I was in touch with girl from Jordan who offer me amazing internship in company implementing clean development mechanism – yes about this I was making research for my conference in Chicago! I got as well very good offer from Alex in Egypt – in the NGO, working on issues I am real specialist – NGO management:) I loved this offer, but the problem was that they are offering only flat, and I have no idea how I will survive, because I have no job right now and I am not able to earn anything till summer.
I got as well same offers from Morocco and Tunisia, but as well DT internships, what means that they are not paid, I am getting only apartment and food. So they asked me for the acceptance note from Jordan, and because it was first paid offer I got I have sent them one.

3. And what now…
Finally I am in the database. I am waiting for the feedback from Jordan and in the meanwhile I decided to look for something else. I search the database, but not selecting any particular country. As a criteria I put development studies, NGOs, PR and marketing and so one. This way I have found few amazing, and once more amazing projects. I have sent them questions and I am in touch with internship managers.
Right now I have to wait until I will get confirmation from Jordan, and then decided what to do next. And I have still so many amazing ideas:
• Indonesia – teaching English in primary school, preparing intercultural workshops (I am a trainer experienced with children) and they are offering 700$ + apartment! So the deal is great;
• Mexico – as well amazing foundation making research on poverty in Latin America countries, I like the project a lot and that is what I want to do, and it is DT but they are paying 700$, but to get to Mexico I have to pay too much – 5000PLN (where to Middle East I will pay max 2000PLN);
• Tunisia – Ii was found by this company, project looks great it is MT – promotion and marketing so standard
• China – amazing, amazing project for big amount of interns, teaching English and making intercultural activities for youth! And it is relatively cheap to get to China
• Malaysia – I don’t remember what did they offer but I remember I liked it:)
• Thailand – ones more project about education about other cultures, I have found it and loved it from the first second, but they still didn’t answer me
• Australia – yes even there is an interesting project. I have written to them, but still no answer, and project is about working with students, informing them about different job and scholarships possibilities and organizing different events, so as well perfect for me but as well travel will be very expensive.

So I don’t know what will happen now. I don’t know what to do. Decide to go to Middle East or maybe choice something else from the list. Everything looks so interesting.