Singapore: Never a Boring Day

When I first arrived in Singapore, I knew I would be spending the summer abroad, but I don’t think I realized just how much I would be able to experience in such a short amount of time. Between my internship, exploring Singapore, and traveling around Southeast Asia on the weekends, it felt like every day had something new waiting for me.

One of the first things I noticed about Singapore was the humidity. It was so humid. Walking outside for five minutes could feel like a workout, and I quickly learned that air conditioning was going to become my best friend. But somehow, the heat never stopped us from going out and exploring. If anything, it became part of the experience.

During the week, I got to experience so many different sides of Singapore. We spent time at Sentosa Island, where we could escape the city for a day and enjoy the beaches, activities, and ocean views. We explored Haji Lane, which was one of my favorite areas because of its colorful buildings, small shops, cafés, and completely different atmosphere from the rest of the city. We also walked around Chinatown and Little India, experiencing two neighborhoods that felt like completely different worlds while still being part of the same city.

I also got to see Singapore’s more modern and professional side through the Financial District. After spending my weekdays working at my internship, it was exciting to look around and realize that I was actually getting professional experience in another country. Seeing the skyscrapers and busy streets during the workday made the whole experience feel much more real.
One of my favorite parts of interning abroad, though, was realizing how easy it was to explore beyond Singapore. Almost every weekend, we traveled to a different country and got to experience another part of Southeast Asia. We visited Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan, and each trip felt completely different. We tried new foods, explored new cities, learned about different cultures, and spent our weekends doing things we never would have been able to do at home.

What I loved most about the entire experience was that I genuinely never had a boring day. Even on days when we weren’t doing anything particularly planned, there was always somewhere new to go, something new to eat, or something happening around us. There was always another neighborhood to explore, another restaurant to try, or another weekend trip to look forward to.

Looking back, I think that’s what made my time in Singapore so memorable. It wasn’t just the big experiences or the international travel. It was the combination of everyday life in a new city, meeting people, working at my internship, getting slightly lost while exploring, sweating through the Singapore humidity, and somehow still wanting to go out and do more.

Interning abroad gave me the chance to experience Southeast Asia in a way that I don’t think I could have from simply visiting for a few days. Singapore became my home base, but it also became a starting point for exploring so much more. And while I definitely won’t miss the humidity, I know I’ll miss having a reason to wake up every morning wondering, What are we doing today?