Nina during her internship in Málaga

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

Hi, my name is Nina, I am 19 years old and I’m doing an internship at a cycling organization in Málaga. I’m originally from Rotterdam and I study Commercial Business Management at 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 pleasant, nice and warm, and I mainly thought about the beach actually haha.

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

Actually, everything here is the same as in the Netherlands, except that the shops close for a couple of hours in the afternoon.

What does your typical workday look like?

I work either from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM or from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM. It varies by day. I help customers all the time in the shop, which is really fun!

How is the work atmosphere at your internship company?

The work atmosphere is really nice, I have great colleagues: 6 Dutch people, 4 Spaniards, and my boss is British.

Have you ever felt homesick? How did you deal with it?

No, I haven’t really felt homesick. But that’s probably because I have someone visiting from the Netherlands almost every weekend.

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

I definitely feel at home here in Spain (Málaga). My parents have a holiday home in Marbella, so that already helps a bit. So Spain definitely feels like home to me.

Is there a typical local dish that you REALLY can’t eat (or actually really like)?

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

Give us tips on who you should become friends with abroad. The Russians? The Irish? The Chileans?

Through school, I’ve met many other students from Tio who study at other campuses in the Netherlands. So I already have some friends here, and also colleagues I get along well with outside of work.

Describe the people of Spain in three words.

Kind, friendly, and social.

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

If you’re unsure about going abroad, you really just have to go. I hesitated for a long time too because you’re leaving your safe home base, but the experience is so worth it. If you really do get homesick, I recommend doing an internship first somewhere in Europe because that’s closer to the Netherlands than outside the EU. I want to do an internship outside the EU next year, and I have absolutely no regrets about doing my internship in Europe first.