A growth experience – by Nonala Mbatha

Through Workaway International I got the opportunity to work at Boca West Country Club in Florida. It was the best experience ever. I was there for work but I got the chance to explore, meet new friends that became family and brush up on my hospitality skills.

It was tough being away from home but over time it got better. Workaway International and Boca West made me feel at home and checked in to see that I was settling in well. Work was good, we learned to work smart and hard.

The club organized a trip to Miami for us in our first month in Florida and later that season we had our employee Christmas party. They also organized a trip for us to Universal Studios and Disney World.

In between all that I got the chance to celebrate my 21^st birthday. I had gotten two days off from work so that meant I could really celebrate in style. On my actual birthday I went out for drinks and dinner with a few friends and we painted the town red. The next morning my bestie / roomie took me out for lunch at a restaurant near the beach and later that night my friends surprised me with another birthday dinner where they sang a birthday song for me and gave me gifts. All I can say is I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!