How my plans to spend 6 months in Asia led me to move to Barcelona

During the second year of my study, I had to follow a mandatory internship abroad (anywhere in the world) and my main choice was Thailand. I was so into moving there that I had even convinced my boyfriend to go there as well, I had researched the cost of living... even found flats to rent in Bangkok! I also convinced 2 friends from my class that Thailand would be amazing and the opportunities there were good for us (which was true) so they decided to apply to there as well. When it came to the time of applying to the spots in Thailand, we managed to be accepted to that ''account'', all 3 of us! Everything was on track and we were super excited! It would be 6 months with good weather, friends, good food and fun (as well as work of course).

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But, sometimes, life just plays games with you and things started to go wrong for us...

Our contact point to the internships in Thailand would never have answers for us (from the companies) and after many weeks waiting to even get interviews and meetings with him (where information changed very often), I started getting scared that it was not going to happen anymore.

You see, we had a deadline to be accepted by the companies, get the paperwork ready and etc. So, by the time we were waiting to hear from the companies if they wanted to have interviews with us, most of the people from the class already had been accepted and had plane tickets to their destinations. One of my friends changed their mind to go somewhere else as well, but I was determined to go to Thailand so I stuck around.

After talking with one of my teachers about this, she suggested I'd try changing my mind and going to Spain instead. At the time I was happy to have an option but Spain was my third choice (I had been to Spain and I wanted to go to Asia, see somewhere new) so I was not very excited. I tried changing and applying to Hong Kong instead, but because I had waited too long, it was no longer possible due to the visa process... So I had 2 choices: keep being stubborn or try something else, that I had not initially wanted but it was better than not going anywhere in the end.

Now, if you read this now, you might think ' come on, living in Spain must be awesome!' or 'who doesn't wanna live there? can't you be more excited?' and I agree!! But I was so focused on my first choice, so I was disappointed it wasn't possible anymore, even if the other option was equally as great. I spent many days thinking that when I decided to change, everything would suddenly start working for the Thailand account and I would miss out on it.

Eventually, I made up my mind and decided to change and apply for an internship in Barcelona, even though I was not super excited about it. But now, sitting here in Barcelona, the more I think about it, the more I feel that this was the best decision for me. I get to discover a city I thought I knew, I get to practice Spanish every day and listen to nice music everywhere (I love walking into a minimarket and hear J balvin playing on the radio).

This only goes to show that sometimes, even if undesired, the outcome of a situation might be even better than expected! If I wasn't here right now, there is no way to say I would have gotten the position I wanted, even if in Thailand, and if I ended up going there, I would have gotten used to the work environment there and the long working hours.

Since I got here, I have fallen in love with Barcelona over and over again and I'm sure that after my 6 months here, this city will stay in my heart. It will be a place I will always want to go back to.