The end of an era

Well… my PEY internship at Actel in Mountain View, California ended this June. It’s a little sad, but I’m now back home in Toronto. It was a crazy year, that’s for sure. I was there for over 13 months, and quite frankly, it was the best year of my life!


Living with my peers in the Bay Area was awesome. We maintained a tight friendship within the group throughout the year and having to visit all around California was truly the highlight of my experience. The roadtrips to all the Californian cities, unique places, national parks, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Mexico… were insanely fun and unforgettable.

I even enjoyed the work itself. I was constantly pushed with new and challenging materials to work on, which made my job not boring like other interns. I guess I was fortunate in that regards. I learned a lot of practical engineering skills that would have never been picked up in school. Also, I made a lot of great friends at work, whom I’ll keep in contact with. Even better, I was offered to come back as a full time employee, upon graduation.

To cap the year off, four of us made a final trip to Las Vegas (for the third time), right before leaving. This time around, I’m actually legal to do everything; gamble, drink, etc. No longer do I have to hide out in the corner to play penny slots. I spent most of the time playing poker, and at one point, won $160! In the end, I came out positive in gambling spending.

Overall, what an awesome year it was! I couldn’t have asked for much better from this wonderful experience. It won’t be forgotten.