Internships abroad in Spain!

This is my first time writing a blog, so I might as well start off by introducing myself. My name is Robin, I have been walking this earth for almost 21 years now and I am the latest addition to the ATD team!

Why Sevilla? 

Well, to say that Sevilla is a beautiful city is an understatement. I will always remember the first moment I knew I loved the city. It was on a warm spring evening in June, 2016 when I arrived in the city for the first time. I was there on a study trip (I am a Tourism Management student at NHTV in Breda), and our assignment was to do a presentation on one of the sights in the city, on location. 
We arrived late in the afternoon, and the only thing I had seen before arriving at the hostel was the outskirts of the city with the big streets and the modern bridges and buildings. I have to confess, my first thought was: “Oh no, this city is way too modern for my liking.” I know, crazy right?  I had just come from Granada, where almost all streets were a lot smaller and cosier than what I had seen thus far. Needless to say, I was in for a surprise. 

After settling into my room and having dinner, I decided to go explore the sights and see this ‘Archivo de Indias’ that I had been reading so much about in preparation for my presentation the day after. At this point, the sun was going down, but the shops were still open and there were still quite a few people in the streets. The first street I walked through was Calle Tetuán (this street is any shopaholic’s dream), still feeling the same. Nice shops, but nothing that I hadn’t seen before. Little did I know that in a few moments my view of this city would drastically change, and change my life forever. 

When I entered Plaza Nueva from Calle Tetuán and from there walked on to Avenida de la Constitución, the view of the beautiful architecture and the overall atmosphere completely stole my heart. I am a small-town girl and until that moment I had never pictured myself living in a city. But in that moment I remember feeling like I never wanted to go home again. So here I am, 1,5 years later, living my dreams and doing the things I love the most in the city I love the most!

In the past years I travelled to Sevilla multiple times, and every time I enjoyed seeing and learning about el Alcázar, la Giralda, la Cathedral, Puente de Triana, Barrio de Santa Cruz and the recently opened Paseo de Colon near Torre del Oro. I also enjoyed meeting the people and learning about their culture, and even though their ‘sevillano accent’ is almost impossible to understand for us ‘guiris’ (foreigners), I learned that the phrases “¿Pasa, miarma?”, “chas grasia” and “taluego” will get you endearing and friendly smiles wherever you go. 

Why Andalucía Tours & Discovery? 

When I saw the opening for the internship at ATD in Sevilla, the first thing I thought was:  “That job description fits me like a glove!” and I knew I had to write immediately. The purpose of the company, “Show your city as you would like it to be shown to you", really appeals to me, for I have a passion to share all the great things I learn about a place with everyone and everything, and to get other people just as excited as I am!

Now that you have gotten to know me a little bit, I look forward to meeting you soon and showing you around the – in my opinion – most wonderful city in the world!