Internships Abroad, GRIP What to Expect during Your Time in Thailand

GRIP: PR and Marketing in Bangkok

Dearest gentle reader,

It has come to my attention that someone from Penn’s GRIP society, perhaps soon to be an intern in Bangkok, thinks that embarking on an adventure without any prior research and expectations is one of the most foolish endeavors one might undertake. This author couldn't resist the temptation to gossip about it especially since she is perpetually online, always researching the next destination to travel and aware of every TikTok trend, Instagram reel, and whatnot. When this beloved author got accepted into the GRIP society, she made an unprecedented decision: start her journey to Thailand, knowing barely a thing or gossip about the place that would be her home for the summer. For two weeks, amidst the bustling halls of the University of Pennsylvania, a random Airbnb in New York, and countless work shifts at Houston Hall welcoming Penn alumni, she finally made her way to Thailand.

The night before her arrival, she was besieged by the same fears that had plagued her before. Questions swirled in her mind: What if she inadvertently offended her Thai coworkers? What if her European side alienated her from her American peers from the GRIP society? What if her American bits of personality and habits estranged her European friends? What if she disliked Thai food or, heaven forbid, Bangkok itself? What if she came back to Penn detesteing her job?

Resolutely, she had chosen to abstain from researching Thailand, not out of some misguided belief that she could find answers to these questions, but because she wanted to eschew any preconceived notions. On her very first day at work, this author was asked from her supervisor, "What are your expectations for this job?" With unvarnished honesty, she replied, "I don't know." She noticed a flicker of disappointment in her supervisor’s eyes, but she was undeterred. For the first time in her life, she was embracing the absence of expectations, and it was liberating. Over the past two months, she has been met with countless surprises and challenges that she would have missed had she come with preconceived notions.

Yet, it seems that fortune favors the bold, for our author’s lack of expectations has led her down the most delightful of paths. She has found herself in the company of the enigmatic "Thailand Teases" (a group whose exploits, no doubt, would fill volumes), indulged in the most peculiar and rare 7-Eleven snacks, tried Asian skincare products recommended by her coworkers, and even sampled the Amazon Cafe strawberry matcha—despite her well-known aversion to matcha. None of this would have happened if she had set expectations.

As a perfectionist, it was unsettling at times to know so little about the place she would call home for two months, the people she would meet, the job she would pour her effort into, and the places she might visit. But in the end, she found beauty in the uncertainty. Her experience in Thailand was far from perfect, yet it was perfect in its imperfection. She discovered a newfound curiosity and a thrill in the unknown.

As she prepares to leave Thailand, she is once again setting no expectations. Perhaps this mindset will continue to shape her experiences, or perhaps it won’t. But whether she returns to Penn, goes back home to Kosovo, or even finds herself back in Thailand, she knows she will carry with her the friendships, memories, and unique experiences that come from embracing the unexpected.

And so, dear readers, as we bid farewell to this most unconventional of visitors, one cannot help but wonder: Has she stumbled upon a secret that eludes even the most seasoned of society? Perhaps there is something to be said for embracing the unpredictable, for it is in the absence of expectations that one truly learns to expect... nothing at all.

Yours truly,

Lady Whistledown at Penn.