Hello, my name is Jacqueline. I am responsible for group organisation at TravelEdventures/Travelmania, as well as for managing our internet presence. One of the many, many reasons why I love to work at this company is because I’ve been in your shoes before and know how important a well-organised trip is. I have done a language trip to Málaga in Spain during my school career. This awakened my interest for exploring other countries and cultures. So, during my studies, I decided to spend an exchange semester in Bilbao, Spain and in addition, I made one of my dreams come true and went to Norway for six months to work for a Norwegian tour operator.
Due to my experience abroad, my goal is to make your journey as smooth and as memorable as possible, because I think that this type of experience shapes your personality and allows you to grow as a person. Now, I’ll tell you about my exchange experiences in Spain and Norway, because those two were quite different and each unique and made me the person I am now!
In August 2016, I started my exchange journey to Bilbao, which is in the north of Spain in the Basque country. Bilbao is known as a famous city for students because the culture is more European than Spanish and that there are many universities that accept Erasmus+ (and now also Turing Scheme) students.
I was studying tourism at the Universidad de Deusto, which was an enrichment for my study programme in Austria. As well as that, I chose some courses in Spanish in order to improve my language skills and gain access to Spanish students too.
During my stay, I got to know many international students because in Bilbao there is a great network within incoming students. There are lots of institutions and individuals that organise events and trips for foreign (and local) students and because Bilbao is a university city, there are of course, countless Spanish students as well as students from all over the world!
After spending over a month back home, my next journey was just around the corner. I was always a big fan of the North of Europe and so I decided to make a dream come true and applied for an internship in the capital of Norway, Oslo.
I arrived there at the end of January, and yes it was quite cold but besides the temperature it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I was working at a tour operator for incoming tourists wanting to explore Scandinavia and so I learned quickly about the beautiful spots there are to visit. On the weekends I mostly enjoyed Oslo and the city’s surroundings. At least once a month, I visited a new city in Scandinavia. During the 6 months I was there, I explored many cities in Norway as well as Finland and Sweden.
Even though I didn’t participate in any events of organisations that bring together young students, I never felt lonely. At the company I was working for, there were many young people, and we spent our time at nice spots in Oslo. With one of the interns, I went on lots of trips and we created memories that will last a lifetime, and created a friendship that is still ongoing 😊.
Summing it up, I encourage everyone to go on an exchange experience as they contribute to your personal and professional development. You will become more open towards new cultures and people and later on you will be able to adjust to new situations easily. Those experiences can never be taken away from you and you will come back home as a new person – more independent and with a suitcase full of memories.
I hope my personal story has been beneficial for your own decision-making. Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know if you have also been on exchange and how you liked it.
For a deeper insight in the topic read our blog Why Erasmus+ and Turing Programmes are so Important or 7 Most Beneficial Things Gained Through Erasmus+ or Turing Programmes.
If you are already planning an Erasmus+ or Turing project, why not read our Guide for Erasmus+ Funding Applicants or Handbook for Erasmus+ Project Management & Execution.