Top 5 Christmas Markets in Barcelona 2024
Every year more than 600,000 Europeans take advantage of working abroad via Erasmus+, the EU program for the promotion of education, training, youth and sport in Europe. And so did I.
My name is Emely and I am currently completing an internship at Freeda Language Space in Barcelona, Spain. It was only a few weeks ago, when I left everything behind in Austria to fly here with the intention of improving my language skills and gaining work experience in a foreign country. Back in my home country I am attending a College of Business Administration, where I am not only taught in conventional school subjects but also in economics and accounting. As this school focuses on languages, the students are specially encouraged to seize the opportunity of working abroad and the school has also several partner agencies in different countries, which help the students to arrange their internship.
The whole internship comes about because of the backing of the EU program Erasmus+. This association supports interested people in going abroad for work, school or university.
After I had figured out that I wanted to go to Barcelona, mainly because of the climate, the fascinating culture and magnificent architecture, I got in touch with the organization in charge, which supports the participants by matching their motivation letter and résumé with interested companies. I just had to send them my personal information and a general application for the program and they provided general facts about Barcelona and assigned me to a workplace.
So, that is how I came to work at Freeda Language Space. I have been entrusted with writing emails abroad, compiling tables and Social Media content creating. But that is not all! I have as well been able to connect with the other employees and experienced the real Spanish work life, which broadened my horizons in many ways. I was most surprised to find that the Spanish are remarkably relaxed, even when dealing with matters of great importance. And this attitude creates an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome, making it much easier to integrate into the community.
Visiting Barcelona in generally blew me away. This does not only come due to the fact that there are so many interesting sights to visit but also due to the awesome situation of the city. It is possible to go hiking in the nearby mountains, swim in the refreshing sea and visit an adorable costal town, all in one day.
My personal highlight so far has been a visit to the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor at sunset. This is the perfect place to round off a hot summer day, as not only do you have a spectacular view of the entire city, but you can also watch the sun set over the interior of Catalonia. Depending on your mood, you can choose whether you want to climb the mountain on a hiking trail or take the funicular railway.
In conclusion, I can only rave about doing an internship in Barcelona and I would definitely recommend this experience to everyone who is interested in other countries, cultures and foreign business life.
