My Internship Experience at Chaska Tours in Colombia

An international internship is not only a great opportunity to gain professional experience, but also a chance to discover a new culture, meet new people, and grow personally.

My name is Renda Sevilgen, I study Business Psychology in Germany, and I had the opportunity to spend four unforgettable months as an intern at Chaska Tours in Colombia. I found the internship opportunity through my university's website and was immediately excited about the idea of combining my studies with living and working in Colombia.

A New Country and a New Language

Before arriving in Colombia, I was excited but also a little nervous. I had no Spanish language skills, and I was worried about how I would communicate and adapt to a completely new environment.

However, I quickly realized that I had nothing to worry about. The people around me were incredibly warm, friendly, and welcoming. Even without speaking the language, I always felt comfortable and included. I learned that a smile, kindness, and openness can sometimes communicate more than words. This warmth made it much easier for me to settle into my new surroundings.

My Home at Finca El Maco

During my four-month internship, I stayed in the Dome at Finca El Maco. It was a beautiful and cozy place surrounded by nature and quickly became my home away from home. One of my favorite things was waking up every morning to the sound of birds singing. It was a peaceful and wonderful way to start the day. The food at Finca El Maco was another highlight. I was provided with healthy, balanced, and delicious meals throughout my stay, which made me feel very well taken care of. 

My Everyday Life at Chaska Tours

My days started at the Chaska Tours office, where my lovely colleagues welcomed me with a smile every morning. Coming from Germany, I first had to get used to the relaxed working atmosphere. For example, having a yoga session at 10 a.m. during working hours was something completely new for me. I quickly learned to appreciate this balance between work and wellbeing. There was also always something to laugh about in the office. The positive atmosphere and the kindness of my colleagues made every working day enjoyable.

Exciting Projects

I particularly enjoyed the projects I was able to work on during my internship. At the beginning, I had the opportunity to create a website for Club Maco. This project was a lot of fun and allowed me to apply my existing knowledge while learning many new things. Later, I worked on the social media presence of Chaska Tours. This was especially interesting because I learned so much about Colombia while researching destinations and reading Chaska Tours' blog articles. Through my work, I discovered many regions, traditions, landscapes, and cultural aspects of Colombia that I had never known about before.

Experiences with the Team

The excursions and trips with the Chaska Tours team were another highlight of my time in Colombia. We explored new places, laughed a lot, and spent time together outside the office. These experiences helped me get to know my colleagues even better and created many memories that I will always remember. I also never felt alone during my stay. My supervisors, Michael Gold and René Suter, always had an open ear for me and supported me whenever I needed help or had questions. Knowing that I could always turn to them gave me a great sense of security.

A Special Goodbye

After four months, it was finally time to say goodbye. To celebrate the end of my internship, my colleagues organized a beautiful farewell evening for me. We spent the evening eating, singing, and laughing together. It was a very emotional moment because I realized how much these people had become a part of my life during my time in Colombia.

What had started as an internship had turned into a personal experience that I will never forget.

Thank You, Chaska Tours!

I am incredibly grateful to Chaska Tours for giving me the opportunity to spend four months in Colombia. I gained valuable professional experience, learned so much about Colombian culture, and, most importantly, met wonderful people who made me feel at home.

I am truly grateful for this experience and for the opportunity to discover Colombia not only as a visitor, but as a part of everyday life.