Diversity is the key to NomadHer. We are growing because we are a team with diverse and multi-cultural spirits. Since starting from June 1st, 2020 NomadHer is welcoming 6 new interns from 6 different countries in NomadHer team for the 2020 Summer Internship Programme. We cannot be more excited to welcome all of them. Want to know more about each of them? Here we have prepared their story.
Arina
My name is Arina, I am a 19 years old student who loves to discover new things, new people, new places. A little bit more about me, I really enjoy jogging in the little forest near my house. I also love reading and I always find a way to discover a little bit more about the world even if I can not travel at the moment. Like, watching documentaries, learning a new language, visiting some hidden and special places!
I still remember when you first contacted to NomadHer team telling us, “I wish to do an internship at NomadHer!” What made you so eager to work at NomadHer?
I wanted to be a part of NomadHer for several reasons. First, NomadHer’s mission deeply resonates with my own. Indeed, I strongly believe in the fact that all women should get a chance to discover the world and themselves. I believe that helping women broaden our horizons and enable us to take a step forward for a more equal, safe, and inspiring society.
Secondly, I chose NomadHer because I knew that NomadHer would grow me, that it would challenge but also support and strengthen me. I know that some people would think that the work we do only does some small-scale changes. But I highly disagree. When you try to make someone’s life a little better, a little safer, with only kind and selfless attention, you never do small-scale changes.
Last, I chose NomadHer because I was, like a lot of people, unsure about travelling alone. Therefore, I wanted to see the “behind the scenes” of an app that encourages solo female travelling. With NomadHer, I grow more and more confident every day. NomadHer helps me free myself from my fears, just as I knew it would.
Have you challenged yourself to step outside of your comfort zone?
I think that when you are stressed when you feel your hands become a little sweaty when you feel that your voice is shaking and when you are doubting yourself a little, it all means that you are out of your comfort zone. And for me, being out of my comfort zone from time to time means that I am enjoying life at its fullest, it means that I give myself the chance to discover all the wonderful things it has to offer. So, for those reasons, I regularly try to come out of my comfort zone. For example, applying for the NomadHer’s internship was away, for me, to challenge myself. Indeed, I never did something like this, I never did an internship of this kind and I knew that I would feel lost and maybe even scared at first. More generally, I try to come out of my comfort zone by asking myself “What can I do today to come out of my routine?”.
It is so interesting that you always think about how you can make each day different. If that is the case, What does travelling mean to you?
I think that travelling can be compared to a magic tunnel. You enter it unsure, feeling doubtful. As you go through it, you grow more and more confident. You discover marvellous places, wonderful people and you challenge yourself a little bit more with each new step. Finally, as you exit the tunnel, you feel as if something in you has expanded and it is due to the fact that you incorporated new knowledge about life, about the world, and about you.
How did you become different after your first trip?
After my first trip ever, that I did with my good friend when I was fourteen, several things changed in the way I saw the world and myself. We went to Estonia for a humanitarian project and this journey will always have a special place in my heart. The changes that occurred after this journey was gradual. During the trip, I did not realize that I was changing, that the ways I think, behave, react, were slowly evolving. I think that it is a week or two after this journey that I fully realized that I became more confident, more patient, more open-minded. I was less scared to try new things, I felt less stressed while communicating with strangers. Also, strangely enough, I also felt as if my sense of orientation has improved a little too. I was still myself, it was not a fairytale transformation, but now I understand that this trip left a mark, unnoticeable at first, that helps me become a better person in my everyday life.
“Travel is the only way to get lost and to be found at the same time. You get lost: you lose the comfortable landmarks you were used to, you feel disoriented, you feel regrets, you feel alone, sometimes scared, sometimes unsure … You get found: you found new things about yourself, you discover some hidden personality traits, you found new people, you found new places to leave your mark on, you learn about the infinity of the world.”
What kind of NomadHer do you want to be?
I want to be a trustworthy, reliable and welcoming NomadHer. I want people to feel comfortable around me but I also want to gather enough knowledge in order to be able to guide them. As a NomadHer traveller, I want to be daring and inspiring.
The most important thing that I keep in mind is that we are here to provide a way to make women feel stronger, safer, and unique. We want every woman to feel welcome and comfortable while using the app and while going through the websites and the social media of NomadHer. I want them to remember that we are trustworthy, that we are not doing this because of some malicious reasons but because we care about each of those women and we want them to feel worthy, happy, and proud about themselves. With each marketing step we take, as a team, we always ask ourselves if what we do will empower women and if it is not the case, we drop the idea.
Now, this is the end of our interview, any last words you wish to say to other NomadHers?
To people who are interested in NomadHer: Please try! Go for it! Do not second guess. Be aware of your wonderful capacities, be aware of how extraordinary you are, and what unique things you could bring into the world.
