[subtitle] Alex Brown [/subtitle]

“THE WORLD IS FILLED WITH UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITIES, AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT LIES AHEAD”

• From: United States
• Major:  Bussiness Administration
• Destination: Cancún

“On May 2nd, I flew down to Cancun, Mexico to start my first internship. I arrived on a Friday and had the first weekend to myself. Living in a neighborhood in Puerto Morelos, (right in the middle of Cancun and Playa Del Carmen) I was a little lost and confused. No one really spoke English, and I didn’t really speak much Spanish. I went to the beach, however, and still enjoyed my first few days in Mexico.

Then on Monday, I started my job with Karisma. As I soon found out, this company has numerous resorts in the Riviera Maya (the area between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen) and I got to spend the first few days learning about each resort and spending time at each property. Once I had a general understanding behind the Gourmet Inclusive Concept that Karisma operates on, it was time to start the real job. A large part of this job involves working with travel agents. I thought that travel agents were a thing of the past with the Internet. Boy was I wrong. Most of the room nights booked at the Karisma properties are sold through travel agents. In the evening I get to go to dinners with these agents and ask about their experience thus far and provide more information about the Karisma properties. These agents need to experience the restaurants and activities that are offered here so that they can sell these experiences to their clients. I previously mentioned how Karisma has many resorts here in the Riviera Maya, and it is AMAZING how unique each property is. While they are all unbelievably beautiful (I was mesmerized while seeing each one for the first time) it is very interesting how they can be diverse enough to attract different markets. Some are more family oriented, others are more of a romantic get away – each property has its own individual “personality” (that seemed like a strange word to use, but it truly describes how each resort is quite unique). I get to work with an international sales team comprised of individuals from all over the world. Each and every day I get to meet travel agents from varying countries. My neighborhood is mostly locals, but there are a few French interns on my street as well. It is an amazing experience! Here is a quick little story (it’s kind of embarrassing): The first night I sat down for dinner and started to read through the menu on the table. I was a little confused as to why there were so few options in a gourmet restaurant. I asked the lady next to me what she was getting for dinner. She sort of smiled at me and told me to keep reading. I glanced at the last option and saw that it was a dessert. Now why would I select a dessert for dinner? OH, this is a 6-course meal, I realized. I have since come to understand the luxury business and LOVE every aspect of it. Also, going back to my house in Puerto Morelos… I was a little skeptical about how much I would enjoy living there after the first two days. I have a two-bedroom house in a local neighborhood. After just one week, however, I found everyone there to be AMAZING! I picked up on the language very quickly and can talk to my neighbors now. I can’t go 10 feet down the street without someone giving me a “high five” or saying Hola! I get invited to cookouts and barbeques almost every night of the week. On the days when I don’t go to evening events at the resorts, I play soccer or basketball in my neighborhood. There are big fields and courts with lights. You can always jump into a game because there are people out there from 6:00 – 10:00 every night. The whole community and culture is so friendly and inviting here. I love it! I get the luxury experience and networking at work and the amazing local culture while at home. In the 19 days that I have been here, I have received numerous business cards and even received a few job offers. Since this is becoming quite lengthy, I will end on one final topic: the international sales team I am working with. WOW. These people are amazing. I get to work with intelligent and dedicated individuals who have so much experience. I learn so much from them each and every day! As you can see, I have learned an unbelievable amount over the last two and a half weeks. This is an 11-week internship that I am extremely grateful to have! If you told me three months ago that I would be working with an international sales team in Mexico, I would have thought that you were crazy. But it’s actually happening! I realize that time is going to fly by and I need to take advantage of every second here. The learning opportunities are unparalleled. I have grown more as an individual over the past 19 days than I ever could have imagined. The world is filled with unbelievable opportunities, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.”