Travel stories

THIS IS HOW MY STORY BEGINS...

On a bus, along the highway, was traveling an Erasmus+ student.

Not a dirty and disgusting city bus, nor an '80s school bus with no restroom—it was a long-distance coach, and that meant comfort.

This Erasmus student was a well-settled Erasmus, and his name was Arnau.

ARRIVAL IN EMDEN

I contact my buddy, Julia, a very friendly girl I had been emailing with for a few days. I ask her where she is, shortly after getting off the bus and having breakfast, because we had arranged that she would pick me up at the Emden station, but I don’t see her anywhere—even though I’ve been waiting for a while.

She says, “Are you sure you’re at Emden station? Because I’m here and I don’t see you.”

I say, “Yes, of course. I asked someone nearby, and they told me this was Emden, so I got off here.”

Conclusion: I am not in Emden.

I buy a train ticket from Oldenburg to Emden and complete the trip.

When I finally arrive, I feel bad because Julia had been waiting for me for almost an hour. She hugs me and walks me to the house where I will be staying for the next two months.

We talk during the walk, so I don’t pay attention to the route.

We arrive at the house. A kind elderly man welcomes us—Herr Hilfers, the landlord.

He briefly shows me the two-story house and has me sign a contract regarding internet usage rights. The rental agreement is verbal, so I’ll have to draft one myself.

I drop off my things in my room and take a well-deserved rest.

FIRST DAY OF INTERNSHIP

The Orientation Weeks begin—activities organized by the University of Emden to introduce its history, facilities, international outlook, and a bit of German culture.

In the morning, I meet up with my buddy. She gives me a quick tour of the university, and we run into staff from the International Office, who guide us to the room where the Welcome Breakfast takes place.

We're gathered in a room, introduced by countries, and given a small talk with snacks.

I chat with fellow Erasmus students for a while. We’re then given free time to grab some lunch.

Later, we get a guided university tour, where they explain how to use the printers, show us the International Office, and the mensa (cafeteria).

That evening, Lili and Tina, who organize the Orientation Weeks, take us to House Paapsand, where they’ve prepared a small dinner to help us Erasmus students socialize and get to know each other better.

IMPRESSIONS OF THE COUNTRY

The work culture I experienced at my internship in Emden is, in my opinion, much better than what I’ve seen in Spain. Though, recently, especially with American multinationals and startups from Silicon Valley coming to Spain, this culture is beginning to shift.

As for the environment, the proximity to the sea is obvious—high humidity, quite a bit of pollution despite the huge number of trees, and a strong promotion of cycling over using private vehicles.

There's a big emphasis on zero-emission transport, or at least public transport.

We also did some cultural activities, including visiting a couple of museums, mostly focused on the automotive industry in one way or another.

KNOWLEDGE GAINED / PROJECTS DEVELOPED AT THE COMPANY

I developed a user guide for MagGit, GitLab, Emax, and LaTeX, using Emax, LaTeX, and GitLab throughout the process.