SPAIN - VALENCIA

When I first arrived in Spain, I was hit by a heatwave that was completely different from the weather in Liechtenstein. After going through customs, I started thinking about how to get to the shared flat. Since I was still in the EU, I had access to the internet. I downloaded an app called Cabify, which is very similar to Uber, and ordered a cab to pick me up at the airport. I could see the driver’s location on my phone and watched as he slowly drove towards me.

At first, I was confused about where to wait at the airport because there were barriers everywhere, and only taxis were allowed inside. After a few minutes, the driver texted me in Spanish, asking where exactly I was standing. Obviously, I had no idea because I didn’t speak a word of Spanish. I replied in English, hoping he could understand, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Somehow, we managed to find each other, and I was on my way to the flat.

During the drive, I tried to communicate with the driver, but it wasn’t possible due to the language barrier. After a 20-minute ride, I received a message from the flat agency telling me I should have gone to the office first. I felt a little frustrated because I had gone straight to the flat with all my luggage. Luckily, I was informed that two other students were already at the flat, and I could leave my stuff there before heading to the office.

I introduced myself to the two flatmates and found out they also spoke German, which made communication much easier. One of them offered to go to the office with me, and we headed out together. This was my first introduction to the public transport system in Valencia. Even though the trains, trams, and buses were quite crowded, the transport system was pretty good.

We arrived at the agency office, took care of the administrative stuff, and then went to grab some food. My flatmate spoke basic Spanish, which made everything a lot easier. I noticed that many people, including local students, couldn’t speak English, which made things harder when I was by myself. It’s possible to get by without knowing Spanish, but learning a little would definitely make the exchange experience much smoother.

For example, grocery shopping wasn’t difficult because you can just show your card at the cashier, and they’ll understand you want to pay by card. But asking for directions or tips on good parties was much harder when talking to locals.

One thing I observed was that students from the same countries tended to stick together and formed isolated groups. The same applied to local students, who mostly hung out with other Spanish students. After a while, I realized that the locals might avoid interacting with exchange students because of the language barrier.

Aside from the language issue, one other thing really surprised me is that people went out after 8 PM and ate much later than in Liechtenstein. Another difference was how relaxed people were about everything, which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on what you needed to do. One example for the difference in relaxation would be grocery shopping. In Liechtenstein the workers try to scan the articles as fast as possible so there isn’t a big queue. In Spain the cashiers weren’t bothered if there is a long que or not and they were taking their time. So, if you are in a rush, you better plan some time to grocery shopping. It might take longer than you expect.