Emma in Malaga part2 :)

 So I’m back again !!!!! So let’s start off with telling you a bit about myself. My name is Emma Heaney and I am currently in my second year of Bife studying for my level 6. This is my second time in Malaga and getting chosen for the Erasmus so I feel extremely lucky and honored to be here. This blog is for people to get a better insight into the Erasmus+ programme and my own personal experience in Malaga. I hope you enjoy :)

Preparation for Mobility

Since this is my second time completing the Erasmus+ programme and in Malaga i felt as though i didnt have to do as much preparation as i did the first time around. I did decide to practise some of my Spanish on Duolingo just so id know some of the basics before i arrived. This really helped me during my mobility and made me feel more confident when i was over here. Other than this i didn't really feel as though i had to do much preparation except for pack my suitcase's and more sure i had all my documents in order so we wouldn't run into any problems at the airport. 

Accommodation

So this time around we are staying in student accommodation near the center of Malaga. I think i prefer the accommodation we are staying in this time compared to last time. I really enjoy the fact that we all have our own rooms so we can have our own space and kind of make it our own. The accommodation has so many different facilities as well. They have a gym, study/common rooms, games room, cinema room and a very modern kitchen. This is one of the things i love about our accommodation, you can have your own space to relax but you also have so many areas within the building to meet up with your friends if you want some company. I would definitely recommend for future groups going on Erasmus to stay here. Its only a 10 minute walk to the center and Plaza de Merced so your close to everything you need. 

For work we have to get a bus as it is quite far away. On our first day we met with Sebastian and he showed us where the bus stop was and also accompanied us on the bus to show us where to get off. This was extremely helpful because i know if i had to do it myself i would of gotten so lost. i was still quite nervous and unsure for my first few days but after travelling the route for a few days i felt much more confident and would have no problems taking the bus alone. I really like the fact that we have to travel for work as it gives me the opportunity to explore new areas that i normally wouldn't of gotten to see. 

Free Time

During my free time i really enjoy just walking around the city and looking at all the different scenery. i was amazed about all the different restaurants and places id never seen before, i thought i had proper explored all of Malaga last time i was here but i missed so much. I like to take different ways home now or just go on an adventure with no plan cause there are so many little cute shops and little cafes around the place that i never would of noticed.

Ive also really enjoyed going to the beach. We all go to the beach as a group and it’s just such a nice place to chill and catch up with eachother. I havnt gotten in the water yet which is kind of dissapointing cause it looks so nice but we got card games and UNO to play while we’re all there. I was so suprised about how warm it is for this time of the year aswell. Like it’s october and the beach is packed, youd never see this back home. It is starting to get a bit colder now in November but it’s nothing compared to how cold it would be back home.

One of my favorite trips we went on was the boat tour which was at the start of our mobility. I felt like it was the perfect trip to kind of break the ice and get to know everyone a little bit better. The views from the boat were unreal awell, we got to see the coastline of Malaga and you could see the mountains and everything it was breathtaking. After the boat trip we all went out for dinner to 3 Amigos as a group. this is definietly one of my favourite places to eat in Malaga because of the variety of food you can get there. Its 3 different resauraunts combined into one so there is something for everyone to enjoy. There greek, indian and mexican food. After dinner we all went for a drink before heading back to the apartment to watch a movie in the cinema room.