As some of you know, I went to Germany recently for an internship at a university with a professor. At the end of the first week, I quit for a number of reasons. I thought my experience might Help someone else out who might be in a similar situation. 

1. I couldn't manage my chronic pain condition.

I have chronic migraine and after travelling from the US to Stockholm, then Stockholm to Germany, I was exhausted. With chronic migraine, the only way to manage the pain is to manage your stressors, and the best way to do this is to have a set routine that you stick to no matter what. I wasn't able to maintain this when I got to Germany, unfortunately, which led to migraine day after migraine day. This led to the second reason I left. 

2. I was having panic attacks. 

The pain level I was experiencing for the migraines were much higher than I am used to, which led to me experiencing panic attacks. The panic attacks made me come to realise I needed to take control of my mental health and manage the stressors in my life. Going abroad and starting an internship is not going to make your life less stressful. 

3. Emotional stress.

After experiencing two deaths, a friend and family member, this summer, I have been under a lot of emotional stress. Needless to say, I needed a vacation or really a stay-at-home vacation and get back to my routine.

4. The internship was not up to my expectations. 

The internship was not up to my expectations, which is probably something most interns experience. However, there were some reasons that I will not share that made me realise that the internship really was not worth it for me both professionally and personally.