It can also get cold in Spain.

New year, new me? Well, uploading posts regularly is still not one of my strengths. I hope you're not too mad at me. I've been back in Premia de Mar, Germany, after the Christmas break for 2 weeks now. The time at home was very nice. My former exchange student from Australia visited us with her mother, I turned 19, Christmas, family time, and lots of hugs. Thanks to my voluntary social year (FSJ) here and living alone, I also realize that what I used to take for granted is not actually guaranteed. From missing a dishwasher or a vacuum cleaner to reliable internet for video chats. However, I don't regret my FSJ at all. I have to admit that I had some doubts in the first month. The adjustment phase was tough, and there was a sour period in November. Unfortunately, there were many conflicts that affected my mental health. Even though it sounds a bit dramatic, I definitely emerged stronger from it and in retrospect, I'm pretty proud of myself! Recently, someone told me that no experience is actually a bad one, and I agree. I now know what I can do differently in the future and that I have to trust and believe in myself much more. I probably would have realized that in Germany as well, but it wouldn't have been as clear and influential as here.

But not only has my mindset changed, but also our flatshare constellation. My FSJ colleague quit her FSJ, and now we have a new flatmate. I get along very well with her, and we do a lot together. Luckily, we have a similar sense of humor and can have very open conversations. I showed her around Premia de Mar in the first week and showed her Barcelona. Last weekend, we went to Barcelona with another friend. We walked around, went shopping, and ate. For the first time in my life, I tried a vegan burger, and surprisingly, it was a solid 11 out of 10. I love trying new food, and I'm really enjoying it in Spain. I also had mussels for the first time here, as well as dürum and Spanish croquettes that taste a bit strange. Barceloneta is the area around the beach in Barcelona. It's really beautiful, and you can walk around the port very well. The weather was actually quite dreamy, but it can actually get quite cold in Spain. Spanish apartments are very poorly insulated, just like the school where we work. That's why I'm cold all day and always wear two sweaters, a scarf, and a jacket at work. The heating is turned on fully at night, and I even use a hot water bottle. However, the first week of work was still very nice. The kids prepared a surprise birthday party for me, and I received lots of sweet pictures and gifts. It was incredibly cute and appreciative.

The following weekend, I went out to party in Barcelona for the first time in a long time. But that was also associated with some fails. We arrived at the club too early (at 11:30 pm). Unfortunately, it only opened at 1:00 am, so we had to chill for an hour at McDonald's. Full of enthusiasm, we then stood in line for admission. The problem was that we should have bought tickets online beforehand. So we couldn't get in, we were approached by Brits, and then we went to another club. We were at "Pacha". In terms of size, it was significantly smaller than "Razzmatazz", the club where I went for the first time, and about the same size as "Schaf" (a club in my hometown). The music was good, a mix of reggaeton and charts. A guy tried to steal my phone, but I noticed his hand in time and slapped it away. This often happens in Spanish clubs, and tourists are warned about it. We danced for several hours and didn't get home until 7:00 am. That's why I took it easy on Sunday, slept a lot, and chilled in bed. Unfortunately, my flatmate and I are both a bit sick this week. She has a bad cold, and I caught a stomach virus from the kids. But tomorrow we'll both go back to work, and fortunately, it will be Friday again soon, and hopefully, we'll go out partying.