Monat: April 2025

Valencia Trip – Part 5&6 (Monday to Sunday)

Monday

Monday was a super chill day. I went for a walk and continued watching the series I had started. Later on, I had a long phone call with a friend from Berlin, who updated me on everything that had been happening back home. It felt good to reconnect and hear some familiar voices again.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, I started the day with a shower and then went out for some grocery shopping. In the afternoon, I went for a short jog to clear my head. Later, I met up with Jimmy, Flo, and Timur, and we grabbed some food at a local pizza place.

Wednesday

Wednesday was cleaning day. I went out to do some more shopping around midday, and then Ruben and I got started on our cleaning duties. I vacuumed and mopped the floors while Ruben took care of the bathrooms. After that, I finally finished the series I had been watching, and the ending was absolutely wild. No spoilers, but damn.

Thursday

Thursday started off slow. I had a relaxed shower in the morning and got ready for the day. Timur, Flo, and I headed into the city to check out some souvenir shops and look for clothes. We didn’t end up finding any clothes, but Timur bought himself a Polaroid camera, and Flo picked up some souvenirs. I got a Valencia shot glass for my girlfriend, since she collects them. Afterwards, we went to Five Guys, which was really tasty. In the evening, we met up with the others at a bar and tried Agua de Valencia definitely a fun way to wrap up the day.

Friday

Friday was a very heavy day. Early in the morning, I received some verry sad news from Berlin, a close friend of mine had passed away. I spent the rest of the day on the phone with my girlfriend and other friends from home. We talked, remembered him, and supported each other. It was a quiet, emotional day, but im happy I had some people to share the emotions with.

Saturday

Saturday started off a bit lighter. In the morning, I went for a short walk and did some shopping with Timur. I also had a long, comforting phone call with my girlfriend. Later, Timur and I ordered Burger King and had a relaxed afternoon. In the evening, Ruben Timur and I heard loud music nearby, got curious, and decided to check it out. We stumbled upon a big outdoor stage with a crowd and live music. It turned into a spontaneous party night. We stayed for a while, talked to lots of people, and had a blast – even with the language barrier, which honestly made things even funnier.

Sunday

Sunday was very quiet again, just what I needed. I had a nice, long call with my girlfriend and helped her with some studying. Later, I cooked myself a simple but delicious meal – pasta with tomato sauce and sausages. In the evening, I had a group call with a few friends from Berlin to stay in touch and keep those bonds strong.

Friday, 25th April 2025
I Spent part of the day going through some more Udemy courses.
In the evening, a few of us went to an Asian grocery store to grab some things. Later that night, we randomly decided to go to the cinema and watched Star Wars Episode III and honestly, even better on the big screen.

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Saturday, 26th April 2025
Saturday was super chill. I went for a long walk through the city on my own, just listening to music and exploring a bit. No real plan, just needed to clear my head and move around a little.

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Sunday, 27th April 2025
Sunday was all about taking it easy. I stayed in, relaxed, and had a couple of calls with friends and family back home. Nothing big happened, just a slow day.

Work was slow this week. I didn’t have much to do on Thursday or Friday, so I started my own little side project: I’m trying to build a simple AI that can recognize positive and negative emotions. Just a fun challenge to keep my brain busy.

After work on Thursday, my boyfriend picked me up and we went for a walk in this huge park that basically stretches across the entire city. There were so many joggers out and a bunch of tents set up everywhere. That little outing somehow turned into spontaneous day drinking (oops), and we ended up inviting the others to join us too.

On Friday, we went on a mission to find a better Asian supermarket (because I NEED my instant noodles), and we actually found a huge one! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to Korean BBQ at an all-you-can-eat place for €25 per person. It was delicious, but oh man… we felt so gross afterwards. Our clothes reeked of smoke the entire night. To make things worse, we tried to take the metro home at around 10:30 p.m., only to find out that it doesn’t run to our area that late. So yeah… long walk home.

Saturday was much more wholesome – we finally visited Oceanogràfic, the biggest aquarium in all of Europe! And wow, it really lived up to the hype. They had sharks, beluga whales, and even dolphins. We got to see a dolphin show, which was honestly way better than I expected. What’s even cooler is that Oceanogràfic is actively involved in marine research and conservation, including breeding programs.

We ended up staying there for nearly four hours and were completely wiped out afterwards. But since we’d heard from the agency that there was going to be a fireworks show in the evening, we forced ourselves to go out again. Well… they started 30 minutes late, lasted 10 minutes, and were kind of underwhelming. But hey, fireworks are fireworks, I guess?

And then… on Sunday we checked into another hotel. Yes. AGAIN. This one even had a pool and a sauna on the ground floor. Definitely a highlight. I swear these hotel stays are becoming a bad habit.

Ladies and gentlemen, gather ‚round, because the past days were stuffed with holidays — and you know I’m not complaining. Free days? Yes, please. I’ll take ten.

We hit the beach for a dragon show (no real dragons were harmed, unfortunately). It was colorful, magical, and — plot twist — the weather didn’t try to kill us for once! Rain-free miracles do happen, kids.

Later, we checked out the fireworks at the Plaza de la Crida — part of the big Saint celebration here in Valencia. Let me tell you, if you enjoy the sound of your eardrums being brutally assaulted, you would’ve loved it. I flinched so often I basically invented a new dance move. Might patent it.

After the fireworks? We decided to just walk for an hour. Yup, like psychos. And we admired the onion fields. Mostly Florian and I, but hey, the others didn’t mind — more peace and onions for us. Quality bonding time among vegetables.

Fast forward to Monday: Public holiday!
Cue dramatic music… because BAM!
A giant power outage. Like, everywhere. Not just our city — all of Spain, Portugal, parts of France and Morocco went dark. No internet. No mobile network. Basically prehistoric times, but with better eyebrows.

What did we do? We bravely attacked our food supplies like it was the zombie apocalypse. Eat first, panic later. And then… Uno war. Friendships were tested. Tears were shed. Legends were born.

Today, the Germans are coming! (No, not like in WWII, chill.) Our supervisors are visiting to check up on our agencies… or, well, just mine and Ruben’s. The others are either still on holiday or still jobless. (Oops.)

Stay tuned, beautiful weirdos.

Tumblr Blog for Pictures and Videos: https://afib-in-spain.tumblr.com/

Friday brought some much-needed variety. I spent the day at the Oceanogràfic, Europe’s largest aquarium, located right here in Valencia. The sheer size and beauty of the place were truly breathtaking – from vibrant coral reefs to majestic sharks and playful dolphins, every section offered something new to marvel at. It was refreshing to dive (at least mentally) into the underwater world for a few hours and leave the everyday routine behind.

Later that evening, I headed to the cinema to watch Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Experiencing such an iconic film on the big screen again, especially here in Valencia, was a real treat. It felt nostalgic yet thrilling to share that atmosphere with an audience full of fellow fans.

On Saturday, I decided to revisit Valencia’s charming old town. Even after several visits, it never fails to surprise me – the narrow alleys, hidden squares, and the relaxed yet lively vibe give the city center a timeless magic that’s always worth experiencing again.

Sunday was all about seeing the city from a new perspective: I hopped on a Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour to explore parts of Valencia I hadn’t yet discovered on foot. It was a laid-back and easy way to cover a lot of ground while picking up interesting historical facts along the way. To round off the weekend, I watched another classic at home: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

And as for the internships… still no news. The waiting game continues.

Thursday, April 24, 2025
Today I had another day off. In the afternoon, we met up to enjoy a glass of Agua de Valencia together. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect, so after our drinks we decided to spend some more time relaxing in the park. It felt so good to just sit in the warmth and enjoy the easy rhythm of the city.
Also Thäddeus an me found Fungus in hour room. Right behind his Bed. Valencia is nice but hour apartment really is not.

Friday, April 25, 2025
Another free day and this time I really took advantage of it by sleeping in. After a slow morning, I went for a jog and did a bit of exercise to wake myself up properly. Later in the afternoon, a few of us thought it would be fun to visit the Asian market. I found so many delicious things there and it was hard not to buy everything that caught my eye. In the late evening, we headed to the cinema to watch Star Wars Episode III. Thankfully it was shown in English and not in Spanish;)

Saturday, April 26, 2025
Saturday started slowly because we had stayed out quite late the night before. In the afternoon, I visited a Catholic festival that was happening nearby. It was full of music, colorful decorations, and traditional celebrations and it was really interesting to see how passionate everyone was. In the evening, I met up again with some friends from university and we spent a few hours in a nice bar at the beach.

Sunday, April 27, 2025
Sunday was all about relaxing. We treated ourselves to some delicious food and spent the rest of the day watching series and just enjoying the calm.

Monday, 21st April 2025
Monday was super chill. Jimmy and I took a walk into the city, just to get out for a bit and enjoy the weather. The rest of the day, I stayed in, relaxed, and went through a few sections of one of my Udemy courses.

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Tuesday, 22nd April 2025
Tuesday was a bit more eventful. Jimmy, Ruben, and I visited a shopping center and picked up a few things we needed (and maybe a few we didn’t). After shopping, we stopped by a Bulgarian restaurant where Jimmy reccommended some meals to try out. It was very tasty 🙂

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Wednesday, 23rd April 2025
On Wednesday, I tagged along with Florian and Jimmy while they were out looking for stamps. We ended up browsing a few other stores too, mostly ones with electronics and video games. Even if we didn’t buy much, it was fun just checking stuff out.

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Thursday, 24th April 2025
Thaddäus and Florian were heading into the city center, so I decided to join them. We wandered around, popped into a couple of shops, and I ended up buying a Polaroid camera. Pretty hyped to start snapping some memories on film 😀

Monday, April 21, 2025
Not much happened on Monday. I didn’t take any pictures either. I spent most of the day doing a bit of sport, cooked myself a quick meal, and just relaxed for the rest of the time. A proper chill day.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025
In the afternoon, I hung out with Jimmy and Timur. We wandered through the city, checking out a few different shops. I ended up buying a new t-shirt, while the others picked up some anime figures. Later that evening, we went out for Bulgarian food. Super tasty and definitely worth it.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025
On Wednesday, I decided to take a solo trip to a beach a bit further out. It was a beautiful spot and really peaceful and exactly what I needed. In the evening, I headed back, made myself some food, and spent a couple of hours playing Counter-Strike. A pretty solid day overall.

Not much has changed this week either – we’re still waiting for a response regarding our internship placements. The uncertainty is slowly starting to feel a bit repetitive, and while patience is important, the lack of clarity makes it difficult to plan ahead or look forward with confidence.

Amidst this quiet and steady rhythm, one day stood out as a real highlight: my visit to the Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe, Valencia’s stunning science museum located in the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. The building itself is an architectural masterpiece, but what truly fascinated me was the special exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci.

As I walked through the collection of his inventions, admired the intricate models, and interacted with various displays, I was struck by how far ahead of his time he truly was. His ideas were bold, complex, and deeply imaginative – a perfect reminder of what the human mind is capable of when curiosity meets vision.

After a long and slightly chaotic week, my boyfriend and I decided to spend Sunday at a hotel and wow, it was exactly what we needed. Peace and quiet, a huge bed, everything clean, and our own private bathroom… I could’ve cried from happiness. Honestly, it might’ve been a mistake to treat ourselves like that, because now we’re completely spoiled and kinda want to escape to a hotel every weekend. Oops.

Coming back on Monday felt rough. The contrast hit hard. From peaceful hotel vibes straight back into our overstuffed apartment. Eight people, squeaky bunk beds that feel like they’re one shift away from collapsing (they’re literally children’s beds), and wardrobes that fall apart when you open them. Plus, the place gets messy faster than you can blink. Still, Monday was a public holiday, so at least we could take it slow and continue resting. My boyfriend was feeling much better by then, which was a relief.

Tuesday, it was back to work. Christina (yes, I’ve been spelling her name wrong this whole time… sorry Christina!) and I finished our shared Google Docs draft and started building our presentation with Gamma AI. I had no idea AI tools were already this advanced. The whole process was super smooth and fun to work with.

The next day, I continued polishing the presentation and added some screenshots, just like Rafa had asked. After work, my boyfriend and I went into the city for a little outing. I had heard about a cookie place called „Keksy“ and wanted to give it a try (it was okay, not mind-blowing). While walking around, we randomly stumbled across a huge indoor market. My boyfriend even tried oysters for the first time and he didn’t hate them, which was a pleasant surprise!

Later, we aimed to check out a burger spot called HUNDRED. We didn’t want to barge in right when they opened, so we aimed to go a bit later – turns out, that was a mistake. When we arrived about 30 minutes after opening, the place was already packed. So, we settled for a nearby ramen spot instead – not a bad backup plan at all.

PS: Still no pictures… we’re running low on blog storage!