I had already rented a room in Barcelona in advance via the Airbnb portal and could therefore start my trip with a clear conscience – or so I thought. Two days before my departure, my contact person Jose wrote to me via WhatsApp and told me that there had been a mistake in the planning, as my previous tenant would probably be living in the room for a week longer. Fortunately, a solution was quickly found and I was able to stay with Jose for the first week to tide me over.

After that week, I finally moved into my actual room – but it quickly became clear that it wasn’t what it seemed at first. An extremely small room, no daylight in the whole apartment and, above all, extremely dirty. However, after a brief consultation with Jose, we were able to solve the whole thing and I was able to move into another apartment after three weeks. As a tip, it can ultimately be said that you should never book an apartment in advance via Airbnb! There are local sites (e.g. idealista.es, easypiso.com) that offer much cheaper and better apartments. You should definitely make sure to look for an apartment with air conditioning, as the heat is simply unbearable without it, especially in summer.

In general, the best way to get around is by metro (there is a student ticket that allows unlimited travel for 90 days for 105 euros). For longer stays, the “bicing” service, which provides rental bikes throughout the city, is also worth considering. However, this requires a foreigner identification number (so-called NIE), which is only needed for stays of three months or more.

Due to the back and forth with my accommodation, the first month was admittedly not really relaxed, but after this time I had already arrived in Barcelona very well, which was mainly due to my work colleagues. Of course, I was very nervous on the first day, but that quickly subsided as my colleagues were very open and friendly with me. I was immediately involved in the work (fortunately, I had already dealt with similar topics in Germany, so I didn’t need any real training).

I was quickly able to get to grips with everyday life at work and generally settle in. Together with a colleague, I was responsible for implementing various software in our Southern European country organizations. This required constant communication with colleagues in the local countries and some project management skills, which I really enjoyed. The attitude to work is very different from that in Germany, as in Spain, but also in the other countries I have dealt with, the approach is often more relaxed. (During my time in Barcelona, I met countless Germans who had moved here precisely because of this laid-back attitude to life) Of course, this Spanish mentality was not only evident at work, but permeated all areas of everyday life.

Although I was hardly ever home before 7pm during the week because of my work, my everyday life was still very relaxed. Especially at the weekends, there were so many things to do that you always felt bad if you stayed at home for a day. Whether it was one of the city’s many beautiful parks, the famous La Rambla, one of Gaudí’s many buildings or the city’s beach – there was always something to see or simply relax. As my Belgian flatmate put it very aptly: “In Barcelona, there is never nothing to do!”.

In addition, there are of course the countless restaurants offering both Spanish and international cuisine. There were always almost too many alternatives, although you should definitely avoid the restaurants in the typical tourist areas! The stores in the small alleyways and side streets are highly recommended. You should also not limit yourself too much to the Spanish restaurants, especially if you are staying for a longer period of time, as there is a wonderful range of international options.

Shopping is also a slightly different experience than in Germany. In addition to the well-known supermarkets such as Lidl or the Spanish Mercadona, there are small fruit and vegetable vendors on almost every corner, which are highly recommended as you can buy good produce at very low prices. This is an absolute must for anyone who likes to cook.