Earlier this year, I was given the opportunity to travel to Málaga in the South of Spain as part of the Erasmus+ programme with Dublin College Blackrock. The trip lasted two weeks and was designed to give students international experience, cultural exposure, and the chance to work in a new environment. From exploring the beautiful city to eating our way through Málaga’s McDonald’s menu, the experience was unforgettable and the highlight of my time studying Applied Psychology in Dublin College Blackrock!

I was placed in Escuela de Educación Infantil Gloria Fuertes, where I worked with three-year-old children. They had endless amounts of energy, especially for the early mornings. If anyone thinks working with children in Ireland is challenging, working with them in Spain is much harder due to the language barrier and the frantic energy of them. Despite this, I found myself picking up more Spanish as each day went on. The school I was placed in was welcoming and extremely understanding of my lack of the language, often using Google Translate when I was having a hard time keeping up. Even though there was occasional chaos, it was an incredibly rewarding experience. Watching how the children interact, learn, and play made it genuinely special, and by the end of my two weeks working with them, I felt integrated into the classroom. What started as unknown practices became routine to me; helping the children with their work, walks in the patio and the endless amounts of singing and dancing.

Between early mornings with too-energetic for that hour three-year-olds and (probably) too many Uber Eats orders, our trip was packed and left little time to be bored. The group that travelled to Málaga from the College were so friendly and chatty, which I greatly appreciated due to being the only person chosen from my class for the Erasmus+ programme, so not only was I meeting new people in the work placement, but also new people that I would be sharing accommodation with for the two weeks that we resided there.

We had afternoons free, as the schools we were working in closed around the same time, so many afternoons were filled with Uber Eats and power naps to refresh after work. Evenings consisted of either staying in and cooking or heading out to the centre of Málaga and eating out. The weekends usually ended in the nightclubs. It was chaotic, however, a great way to meet new people and experience another side of Spanish culture.

What started as a college trip quickly became an unforgettable experience filled with learning, laughter and memories that we will definitely carry with us. We were so grateful to Dublin College Blackrock and the Erasmus+ programme for this incredible opportunity.

On our last day, I found myself being comfortable with the little life my friends and I had built in Málaga, not wanting to leave and wishing we could have just stayed there forever.

Although the trip only lasted two weeks, the friendships and experiences will last far longer. I know that years from now I’ll be reminiscing about the chaotic attempts to translate Spanish, the late night chats, the routine in the school and all the little things that made the trip so special.