Leonardo kommt aus Italien und hat für zwei Wochen über Experiencing Europe ein Praktikum bei Continental in Regensburg absolviert.
A little time has passed since my return after a two-week stay in Regensburg (Germany) for the “Experiencing Europe” project.
The project was designed to create more exchange opportunities and to get to know other European realities. It involves a short-term internship in one of the companies participating in the project (in my case “Continental”) and staying with an employee’s family.
This adventure began in early October, thanks to a fortuitous message from a friend. I immediately understood that “Experiencing Europe” was an excellent project and I seized the opportunity by sending all the documents required as soon as possible. After a few weeks, an interview and an informational meeting I was on the train leaving Trento for Monaco, headed to Regensburg.
From the very beginning I received a warm welcome from my host family who visited with me the historic center and explained to me a little about the city. We concluded the tour in an excellent restaurant with typical Bavarian cuisine.
The first day in Continental Francesco (another boy participating in the project) and I were welcomed by the human resources team and our corresponding supervisors. The day passed very quickly moving from one building to another to get to know the structures and get a bit of confidence with them. I ended up in the department of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, exactly what I was looking for to understand what job prospects I can expect from my studies.
During the first week there were a thousand things to learn to fit into the company and to make the project work. In this first period I didn’t have so many planned events and so I took full advantage of the free time to understand how to move at my best. Also, due to an unexpected business trip, I knew I had to move from the family that was hosting me to go to the one where Francesco was staying. So, on the first Saturday after my arrival, I was accompanied by Fabian and Eva, my host couple, at Laura’s house where Francesco was already living.
And so another new week began at Laura’s house, a fantastic woman full of energy. The following Sunday Laura invited Francesco and me to participate in a typical Bavarian Mass. In fact I discovered that in Bavaria the masses are not accompanied by choirs but by traditional music groups, and in this case it would have been Laura’s group to accompany the function.
During the rest of the day we were then invited by a friend of Laura for a “frühschoppen” (a pre-lunch snack) based on beer, white sausages and pretzels. So we witnessed another traditional music concert in traditional clothes and then ended the evening with a typically Italian pizza-based dinner prepared by Francesco and me.
The second week was much more demanding, instead. The human resources department team had planned us many events for the afternoons and evenings: a meeting with other students in Continental for an internship, a bowling evening, dinners with colleagues from various departments and visits to the historic center of Regensburg.
To say that time has flown, is to say the least: the week has passed without me even noticing it. In conclusion: these two weeks have been really fantastic. I met so many people who knew how to make me appreciate and understand very different realities: from German to Bavarian culture, from working in a large company to the simplest life in a small town in Bavaria. It was an unrepeatable experience that, if I could, I would do it again now. If you have the opportunity, participate, you won’t regret it.