Nina during her internship in Málaga

Hey! Who are you and where are you from? Where do you study/live/work?

Hi, my name is Nina, I am 19 years old and I am doing an internship at a bike tour operation in Málaga. I myself come from Rotterdam and I study (Commercial Business Management) at the Hogeschool Tio in Rotterdam.

What was the first thing you thought when you arrived in Spain?

The first thing I thought when I arrived here was that the weather was very nice and warm and I thought especially about the beach actually haha.

What was the most shocking difference between the Netherlands and Spain?

In fact everything is the same here as in the Netherlands only the shops close for a few hours during the afternoon.

What does your daily work day look like?

I work from 9:30am to 5:00pm or from 1:00pm to 8:00pm. This varies per day. I help people in the store which is always fun!

How is the working atmosphere at your internship company?

The working atmosphere is very nice, I have very nice colleagues; 6 are Dutch, 4 are Spanish and my boss is British.

Have you ever been homesick? How did you handle this?

No, I actually haven't been homesick. But this is also because I have someone visiting me from the Netherlands almost every weekend.

Do you feel at home in Spain? Why (not)?

I certainly feel at home here in Spain (Málaga). My parents have a house in Marbella so that helps. Spain certainly feels like a home for me.

Is there a typical local dish that you really can not eat (or really like)?

Actually, I like everything. Especially the Spanish tapas and the best part of it is that you pay little for good food.

Give us tips on who to become friends with abroad. The Russians? The Irish? The Chilean?

I met many other Tio students through school who are in other locations in the Netherlands. So I already have a lot of friends here and also colleagues that I hang out with outside of work.

Describe the people of Spain in three words.

Nice, friendly and social.

What did you learn from your experience abroad? Was it the beloved community that you liked? The cheap cocktails? The beautiful nature? Or was your experience less than expected? Details, we want details!

If you are in doubt about going abroad you just have to go. I also doubted for a long time because you are moving away from your safe haven but the experience is so worth it. If you are really homesick, I advise you to start an internship in Europe first, because this is closer to the Netherlands than outside the EU. I want to do an internship outside the EU next year and I really do not regret that I started an internship in Europe.