From the Netherlands to Spain part 1: Life Abroad, Starting My Life In a Totally Strange City and Lost my Debit Card on Day 1 - by chrisadventures

First step into the unkown... Imagine yourself... A new city, a new life, new activities, a new job and above all... new people! As I walked out of the airport into this new strange city... I felt weird. Believe me, it's a weird idea. Valencia (800.000 citizens) is located on the east coast of Spain and it's gonna be my home for the coming 5 months. I'll be studying here because I'm having my Erasmus Student Exchange. My name is Chris and this is my first post about my time living abroad, from the Netherlands to Spain!

Photo: saying goodbye on Amsterdam Airport. Sister (left), me (second-left), mother and brother in law (right)

Goodbye Holland

Yesterday I said goodbye to my family and now I'm sitting behind my laptop in my bed and breakfast in the old centre of Valencia, Spain! Some of you might know me, others might not.. I'm Chris, a student and traveller from the Netherlands and since yesterday I moved to Valencia in Spain to study here for over 5 months. A leap of faith, step into the unknown... call it whatever you want, but exciting it is! I decided to live here because I want to experience life in a city at the beach where I can study Business, learn water sports (wave and kite surf) and master a world language (Spanish). 

Photo: morning surf in Oferta Surf Camp, Valencia (photo source: click here)

At first.. last days have been full of worrying. Will everything be well-arranged? Who will be my new friends? Won't I get bored or miss home? Will I have enough money? Will I even find a room to live? So much had been going on in my mind and let me tell you, that's a good thing for sure! This new step comes with uncertainties and worrying but I believe such a time will be amazing as long as you want it to be so.. 

As always, I wasn't well prepared.. As I came back from Greece three days before my departure to Spain, I'm still not sure about my Learning Agreement, have no student room yet and ordered my laptop three days before leaving... but the laptop is great btw:)!

Yesterday has been a rollercoaster. I was a bit sad leaving the Netherlands, arrived on Valencia airport where I comfortably sat down with a pint to relax and ended up sweating in old town Valencia streets searching my way to the B&B with my luggage and a temperature of over 33 degrees celcius. I realized the old centre of Valencia is soo beautiful and the B&B was located in the middle of the old centre next to the Cathedral and Plaza de la Virgin.

Photo: Plaza de la Virgin, right at my doorstep (photo source: click here)

Photo: city of arts and sciences, Valencia (photo source: click here)

Losing my debit card on day 1....

On such a day, full of new experiences, I allow myself to eat some fast food so I sat down at the McDonald's for some fast easy (and unhealthy) dinner :-)... I had paid for my food using my debit card. Unfortunately, I had put my debit card on the food tray which I ended up throwing in the trash can. Later that evening, I realized that I had lost my debit card there. The McDonald's hadn't found it and searching all trash cans wasn't an option at all. At day 1.... losing your debit card... I felt a like total retard. How can I live abroad for 5 months if I can't even keep my debit card safe for a day? Anyways, I've accepted the fact and I'll have to wait for the new card. I have blocked the debit card and now I'll wait for the new debit card from the Netherlands. Until then, I'll be dependent on others. I'll have to transfer money to someone else's bank account so they can give me cash. Not the best way, but it works. 

The coming time I hope to write and share photos about my experiences. At this very moment, I don't know anyone yet, I have no student house and no debit card. It is soo exciting in a way, quite a bit out of my comfort zone but I know things will work out, they always do! The coming days, I'll have to search for a student house. I hope to find a nice one, in a nice region with parks, shops, a gym, near the university and nearby the night life. I'm looking forward to the coming time and I'm curious what time will bring. I think this step brings a lot of opportunities to do the things I want to do. Although, it's a bit uncomfortable to take the step it will end up perfectly.

#life #travel #inspirational #introduceyourself  #student

Read my second Valencia Post: Was Homeless but Found An Amazing House! (click here)