I’ve Only Discovered a Few of the Abundant Surprises
Erin O’Connor, University of Texas at Austin junior is sharing her takeaways from Moscow in summer 2016
My internship at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Moscow campus has been an amazing experience.
Being an Advertising major I took Russian language for a year and was able to put both subjects into practice with this internship. What you get out of the internship is really dependent on the individual and the effort put forth. HSE has allowed me to implement what I have learned, so that when I enter the workforce I will have a competitive skill set.
I am spending the summer in Moscow and am surprised by how much daylight there is throughout the summer. The sun starts to rise around four in the morning and sets around nine in the evening.
During the times that I am not at my internship you can spot me wandering around the city. Moscow is beautiful with no shortage of things to do, walking through the streets late at night you can always see live music and there are constantly free events at any of Moscow’s many parks.
The people here at HSE and at the dorms have been more than helpful and are happy to show the best parts of Moscow to foreigners. Thus I was able to attend a trip to Sergiev Posad sponsored by ESN (Erasmus Student Network HSE Moscow is a group that promotes exchange in Russia by organizing cultural events and travel projects). Going to Sergiev Posad gave me the chance to see the more traditional side of Russia while meeting a lot of wonderful people.
My advice for anyone living in Moscow is to go out and explore. You will be amazed at what you find. During my stay, a group of Texas students and I were able to find a Texas style BBQ restaurant called Brisket BBQ. The pit master is a Russian who studied in Austin, so it is authentic BBQ with a Russian twist. Living in Moscow for just a couple months, I am sure I have only discovered a few of the abundant surprises that are hidden in Moscow.