Chasing the dreams abroad: Chapter 1

I can hardly believe how fast my first year flew by at Brahe vocational school.  Change of career path felt positive and as a right choice for me.  I'm so grateful for the experience I've had so far, as it has reinforced my future goal of working in an international setting with graphic design and marketing. I'm excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and can't wait to see where this path takes me. 

As someone who has always had a restless spirit, I've never been the one to stay in one place for too long. From a young age, I was fascinated by the idea of exploring new places, meeting new people, and immersing myself in different cultures. This sense of adventure has been a constant throughout my life and has led me to travel to many different countries around the world. But as I started to focus more on my studies, I began to wonder if it would be possible to combine my love of travel with my academic pursuits. I couldn't help the feeling, like there was something missing from my learning experience. And so the desire to enhance my learning experience sparked my journey from Raahe, Finland to my new home in Granada, Spain.

I discussed with my teachers about my urge to make some changes in my life, and it turned out that they were open to exploring options for a longer exchange period.

The idea of studying and working in a foreign country was intriguing, and I was eager to learn more. I did some research and started on the applying process. The opportunity to study, work, and live in another country for a longer period of time felt like the perfect solution for me! I felt confident that an Erasmus exchange would offer me some unique and valuable lessons, as I aimed to gain some initial work experience in my new field.

Actually, at first my Erasmus chapter was leading me to Germany, since I wanted to prioritize work experience over my dream destination. My teachers spoke highly and gave positive reviews about internship locations and the schools in there, and I even discussed about my studies with a representative from a collaborating school in Germany. The only downside in all of this was that I didn't speak German.

Months went by. I still hadn't secured an internship and my planned start date for the exchange was quickly approaching. I decided to do some extra research and sought permission to send out internship applications on my own.

My future goal to work in visual communications for a non-profit organization and my interest in the Spanish language and culture, along with past experience living in Barcelona for a short time, led me to send applications to human rights organizations in Barcelona and Madrid. I also talked about my goals to a friend who had ties to Spain.

Soon enough, I had a connection in Spain who was willing to review my applications and help me find an internship. On top of that I had recived positive intrest for my previously sent inquiry to Barcelona.

I want to remind anyone struggling in their internship search not to give up. Take a deep breath, and redirect your efforts. Something will come up, as it did for me. In my case, what was supposed to be a tutoring call turned into a surprise proposal for a possible internship placement and a series of interview calls. Before I knew it, I had secured an Erasmus exchange in Spain, at an association working towards sustainability. I was also extremely lucky with my apartment search, leading me to believe that after months of uncertainty, everything had fallen into place.