In French, there’s a concept called Déformation par origine — “distortion by origin.”
The idea that the first version of something becomes the lens through which all others are judged. Once you experience something for the first time, it quietly rewires your expectations forever.
I think I’ve always lived like this.
With anime, the first story that made me feel something real.
With music, the first song that felt like it understood me better than people did.
With friendships, the first ones that taught me what comfort could look like.
And now, with my first job.
I didn’t know work could feel like this. I didn’t know it could be light. Or warm. Or something you looked forward to walking into. I thought work was supposed to be heavy, serious faces, quiet rooms, rigid rules. Instead, I found people. I found laughter. I found ease. All this, during my internship with a leading radio show at Fever FM.
They taught me so much, often without realising that were teaching me at all.
That it’s okay to play games even when deadlines exist.
That breaks are not wasted time but necessary pauses.
That learning doesn’t have to feel intimidating.
That asking for help is not a weakness.
That productivity doesn’t disappear just because joy enters the room.
I walked into this field for the first time with no experience and a lot of doubt. Yet from the very first day, I never felt like I didn’t belong.
I was new, yes. I was learning, yes. But I was never made to feel small.
Even as the youngest in the room, there was patience. There was respect. There was space to grow without fear of getting it wrong.
The people were genuine in a way that’s hard to describe. Not performative. Not forced. Just… real. I met so many individuals who showed me different versions of what it means to work, to lead, to collaborate.
It took me time to open up, but when I did, even a little, I was met with kindness. And that’s something I’ll always carry with me.
This experience taught me that a workplace doesn’t have to be serious to be meaningful.
That professionalism doesn’t require emotional distance. That you can care deeply and still do your job well.
Without meaning to, they raised my standards impossibly high. They made me rethink what I should accept, what I should seek, and what I should never settle for. And maybe that’s the most lasting impact of all.
All good things come to an end, and this one had to as well. But I left- grateful.
Grateful that my first experience was this. Grateful that my reference point is kindness, ease, and humanity. Grateful that I now know what I want to look for wherever I go next.
I know I’ll be reaching for something higher from here on, not because I’m dissatisfied, but because this internship taught me what’s possible.
To all the people I worked with, thank you for the patience, the warmth, the lessons, and the laughter.
Thank you for making my first step into the working world feel safe.
Thank you for being the origin that everything else will be compared to.
Writer : Manya Arora
Grade : 2nd Year Psychology Undergrad (Year 2026)
Place : Mumbai, India
