Monat: April 2025

Valencia Trip – Part 3 (Thursday to Sunday)

Thursday:

Thursday was a bit more on the quiet and personal side. I spent some time reconnecting with people back home in Berlin. In the morning, I had a nice long phone call with my parents. I told them all about what I’ve experienced so far and how life here in Valencia feels different compared to Berlin. After that, I caught up with two friends from Berlin as well. It felt good to stay connected and share what’s been going on. Later that evening, we decided to bake a cake together, the perfect cozy end to a chill day.

Friday:

On Friday, I had a relaxed breakfast before heading out with Ruben and Timur. We took a new path to the beach, one that Timur and Jimmy had discovered earlier. The walk was nice, and once we got to the beach, we just soaked up the sun and chilled. We even stopped at a Burger King that had a view of the ocean, kind of surreal. Afterwards, we went to this massive supermarket that honestly reminded me a lot of Walmart. Total chaos, but kind of cool.

Saturday:

Saturday started with a light breakfast and a bit of series watching, my usual morning vibe lately. Then I headed into the city with Ruben to meet up with Jimmy, Timur, and Flo at a toy store. Yes, a toy store, because why not? After that, we went to an Asian restaurant for lunch, which was super tasty. Flo headed home early, but the rest of us continued wandering around the city, grabbing a few cervezas and cocktails along the way. Great energy, great company.

Sunday:

Sunday was the definition of chill. We didn’t do much at all, just recharged and took it easy. In the evening, we all sat down and watched the second part of Star Wars together, the perfect way to close out the week.

Thursday, 17th April 2025
Still no news about our internships, so Thursday ended up being another pretty relaxed day. I went over a few old Udemy courses again, just to keep myself busy. In the evening, I had a phone call with my parents.

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Friday, 18th April 2025
With nothing new on the internship, Thaddäus, Ruben, and I decided to walk to the beach. The weather was perfect, and we even browsed through a shop nearby before heading home in the evening.

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Saturday, 19th April 2025
We spent Saturday in the city center, just walking around and taking it all in. Grabbed lunch at an Asian restaurant – I had rice with curry sauce, which was very good 🙂

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Sunday, 20th April 2025
Sunday was all about taking it slow. I stayed in and just relaxed most of the day. In the evening, a couple of us got together and watched Star Wars. So overall it was a chill day 😀

Not much to do since I still dont have my internship yet, but we will see what comes next…

In the days that followed, not much changed – I’m still waiting for feedback regarding our internship placements. Still, I didn’t want to let the time pass by unused. So I kept working through some of my old Udemy courses to refresh my knowledge in different areas and keep the sense of doing something meaningful.

At the same time, things got a little festive: Easter was just around the corner. Although the holiday felt different being away from home, we used the occasion to slow down, enjoy some good food, and share a few pleasant moments. Overall, it was a mix of learning, waiting, and taking small breaks – a kind of in-between time that had its own special value.

So I did a thing. I googled stuff. Yeah, dangerous, I know. But this time, it paid off — big time. Turns out there’s a massive Leonardo da Vinci exhibition going on here in Valencia, from March all the way to next year. At the “City of Arts and Sciences,” no less. That name already sounds like something out of an Avengers base. And for just 9 Euros? You bet your Mona Lisa-smiling butt I’m going. And I’m dragging Flo with me. He doesn’t know it yet, but resistance is futile.

Speaking of not missing out — we also finally strolled through the shopping mile at Plaza de Sant Francesc. Fun fact: this square is like the stylish cousin of all other plazas. It’s got history, it’s got flair, and apparently, it’s got my wallet now. I bought myself a fresh pair of pants (because you can’t fight art crimes in ripped jeans) and some pretty awesome shirts. Fashion icon unlocked.

After the shopping extravaganza, Flo and I hit up an Italian restaurant. Cue pasta, deep conversations, and those aesthetic palm trees in the background that made us look like we were in a movie — possibly a buddy comedy, with a side of tiramisu.

Easter came around and we visited a parade near the beach — and I even got a flower. A real one. Like, someone just handed me joy in petal form. Made my day. We had breakfast there too, right by the sea. And yes, we visited the sea — the big blue beauty herself.

Picture this: waves crashing gently, kids laughing, bubbles floating through the air, and someone playing the piano like we were in a rom-com montage. I half expected credits to start rolling.

All in all? Another awesome, slightly-too-sunny chapter in the Valencia saga. My sweat glands are screaming, but my soul is chill.

Stay tuned, nerds.

More pictures and videos on my Tumblr Blog: https://afib-in-spain.tumblr.com/

Wednesday, April 16th, 2025
Wednesday marked my last day at the university for this week, as the Easter holidays officially begin tomorrow. The work went well. I got to support Adrian again. He is been incredibly helpful throughout this project, always willing to assist with any kind of question, whether it’s directly related to the project or just general stuff.
In the afternoon, I went for a jog.

Thursday, April 17th, 2025
Since the university is on break, I stayed home and used the day to dive deeper into Python programming. It was actually pretty fun.
In the evening, I met up with Adrian again. This time, he brought a friend along who’s also a programmer. Turns out he’s currently developing a new computer game, which sounded really exciting. Both of them are from Valencia, so they had a lot to share: local tips, stories, and of course, plenty of tech talk.

Friday, April 18th, 2025
I took it easy for most of the day we didn’t do much, and honestly, it was nice to just relax a bit.
After lunch, in the early evening, Thaddäus, Timur, and I decided to take a walk down to the beach. It’s about a 60 minute walk through the countryside, and on the way. We saw jumping fish.

Saturday, April 19th, 2025
Saturday started slowly, with a much-needed sleep-in.
Later in the evening, a few of us went out for dinner at an Asian restaurant. I had gyoza and miso soup. Simple, but so good. There are no pictures.

Thursday was already the last workday of the week since Friday was a public holiday! We had a meeting with Rafael, Liz, and Christinas to check on the progress of our presentation. During the meeting, we got a new task: we’re supposed to write a more detailed explanation of how AI can be used for specific tasks. It’s definitely more hands-on now, and I’m excited to dig a bit deeper into the topic.

I also got to meet another employee named Fernan. He, Christinas, and I ended up having a really wholesome conversation about life in Valencia and what it’s like to live here. Christinas is honestly such a sweet and friendly person – working with her has been really nice so far.

After work, I met up with my boyfriend in the city center because (of course) I forgot my laptop charger at home… We tried our luck at MediaMarkt, but sadly, the one in Valencia isn’t quite as good as the ones in Berlin. In the end, I just ordered a replacement from Amazon. On the bright side, we also checked out this little Asian dumpling spot!

Unfortunately, my boyfriend started feeling a bit unwell, so we ended up spending the whole weekend at home so he could rest. I tried to take care of him as best I could. I’m honestly just really glad that Monday is also a holiday – fingers crossed he gets better soon!

Valencia Trip – Part 3 (Monday to Wednesday)

Monday

Monday started slow. I slept in since I didn’t have a placement for my internship yet. After finally getting out of bed, I took a nice long shower and made myself some tasty food while watching a series. Super chill vibes.

Later in the day, I went grocery shopping with Timur and Jimmy to stock up on some essentials. The rest of the day was pure relaxation. Sometimes you just need that reset.

Tuesday

Tuesday was all about taking it easy again. I basically spent the whole day eating and relaxing, no shame in that. I also got some laundry done and hung everything up to dry. The Valencia sun does the job pretty quick. In the evening, I went for a jog, about 5.5 km along a dried-up riverbed near our place. The views were nice and the air was warm, perfect for a solo run with niche music on your headphones.

Wednesday

After waking up, I went on a big grocery run to refill the fridge. In the afternoon, Ruben and I hit up a basketball court nearby and played for a while. After that, we checked out a calisthenics park and did a little strength training session there. On the way back, we stopped by Lidl to grab a few things and then had a chill, quiet evening at home.

Monday, 14th April 2025

Still no internship placement for me yet. So on Monday, Jimmy, Thaddäus, Tobi, and I spent most of the day waiting and hoping to hear something back.

Since we had time to kill, Jimmy and I decided to revisit some of our old Udemy courses to brush up on a few skills.

Later that evening, I felt like getting out for a bit, so I went on a solo walk through the city. It was nice to just wander around and take in the atmosphere without any rush.

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Tuesday, 15th April 2025

Another day of waiting. It’s definitely a test of patience, but we’re making the most of it.

In the evening, Jimmy and I took on a little adventure. We walked all the way from our place to the MediaMarkt in the city center. Took us around two hours, but it was a good walk.

Once there, I picked up a new charging cable since mine finally gave up on me (RIP old cable 😢). Afterward, we found this cozy Asian restaurant nearby and treated ourselves to some amazing ramen, which were very good 🙂

The rest of the evening was super chilled.

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Wednesday, 16th April 2025

Still no news on the internship front – at this point, it’s kind of becoming a daily routine.

To get out and do something, Jimmy and I decided to take a walking trail that led to the beach. The walk itself was nice, but the wind was really strong.

Later that night, I went on another solo stroll through the city. And totally by chance, I ended up at a Semana Santa parade. I had no idea it was happening, but it was such a cool and unexpected moment. It is one of those things you just stumble upon while exploring.

Monday – 14.04.2025

We’re still waiting to be assigned to our internship placements. Since a spontaneous interview could come up at any moment, we decided to stay in on Monday. To make the most of our time, Timur Kasperek and I agreed to go back through some old Udemy courses and refresh our knowledge. Better than just waiting around.

Tuesday – 15.04.2025
I had an interview scheduled for Tuesday, but unfortunately, it was canceled at the last minute. So, Timur and I decided to explore the city on foot. We walked all the way from Alboraya to downtown Valencia – it took us about two hours, but it was a great way to see more of the city. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a delicious bowl of ramen at a cozy Asian restaurant. Totally worth it!

Wednesday – 16.04.2025
Still no updates from the agency. To pass the time, Timur and I went for a long walk along a trail that eventually led us to the sea. The scenery was beautiful and peaceful. Later, we grabbed some Italian food before heading back.

Monday, 14th April 2025
The day started with Jacky and me heading to the University of Valencia for our first workday.
We were introduced to the whole team and got a short overview of the project we’ll be working on. The main goal is to explore how artificial intelligence can support the collection and analysis of different weather data.

On the way to the store in the evening, I spotted a funny-looking cloud.
What do you see in it?

Tuesday, 15th April 2025
The next day, we met the professor who is leading the project at the university.
He gave us some more detailed background and explained our roles. For the first few days, my main focus is to dive deeper into Python programming, since that’s the language used throughout the project.

Wednesday, 16th April 2025
Today was all about understanding the project on a deeper level. I spent most of the day reading a 64-page document explaining the whole concept, its purpose, and potential impact – quite a marathon.
In the afternoon, I played a bit of basketball with Thaddäus, which was a nice change of pace.