Hit the Ground Running
Touch down! Finally we were on the ground in Barcelona and loading our luggage into the back of a black sedan. Our driver was a lovely man, chatty and well spoken. He drives us to our hotel in an almost tour-guide like manner. He tells us about the different area’s of Barcelona, the population, the weather, the traffic, the metro. I must say, it was a very insightful introduction to the city and I learned a lot in those 15 short minutes.
We arrive at our hotel slightly confused. The name of our hotel seemed slightly strange as it was called ‘Praktik Bakery’. And a bakery is exactly what it was. Were we at the right place? Did we have the correct address? The driver assures us we are at our destination and proceeds to lift our luggage out of the boot. We walk up to the hotel (or the bakery) perhaps with a slight look of hesitation, as two men standing out the front seemed to have seen the same puzzled look from other tourists before. “Are you looking for the hotel?” one of them asked, all too knowingly. “The reception is inside at the end of the counter” he proceeded to explain. We thanked him and carried on inside. As we enter the bakery, our eyes widen with excitement. There is a 3 metre counter piled with croissants, danishes, cakes and desserts. Every European sweet treat you could imagine. Behind the counter, the wall is covered in wicker baskets filled with fresh loaves of bread and baguettes. The aroma’s were amazing and the place was buzzing. There were people everywhere. The coffee machine was working over-time as a row of people patiently await their café con leche. We approach the end of the counter in a sensory overloaded haze, and a woman at a computer awaits us. She checks us in and explains that our rooms are on the level above. We make our way upstairs and enter our rooms. They are light and bright, complete with a king size bed and soft white sheets. The bed looks appealing and I feel as though I wouldn’t mind a nap...but it’s only 10.00am and we have things to do!
After a short stroll around our neighbourhood l’Eixample (and a trip to the nearest Zara of course), we wander back to our hotel foyer to meet with our new supervisor Kirsten.
When she arrives, she is followed by two other women. Kirsten excitedly greets us and introduces us to her colleagues, Karen and Patricia - whom we will also be working closely with throughout our internship. Kristen tells us that she knows of an great place for lunch, as we make our way onto the street and head up Carrer de Pau Claris. It’s about 2.15pm on a Monday afternoon, and the streets of Barcelona are busy with lunch goers. Kirsten explains that lunch is the biggest meal of the day in Spain, and people generally eat later than usual, followed by a late dinner at around 9 or 10 in the evening. As we briskly make our way to lunch, Kirsten and the girls tell us about the city and the main streets to look out for if we are ever lost. I try to concentrate on the conversation whilst simultaneously trying to take in the beauty of my surroundings.
We arrive at a small restaurant in a side street of Gràcia. It’s dimly lit and I almost walk straight past in my consumed state. Complete with dark wooden furnishings and white table cloths, the restaurant is so beautiful and I instantly know we are in for an amazing meal. We enjoy a variety of traditional Spanish meals as we discuss our upcoming internship activities and tasks, followed by a visit to the RMIT office down the road. The RMIT space is a beautiful three storey space right in the heart of the city. The space is open, modern and flooded with natural sunlight. There are co-working spaces that are split across two levels and there is an instant sense of a collaborative, team atmosphere. We are shown around and introduced to everyone before having another quick chat about our upcoming responsibilities in the workplace. Before we know it, it’s 6.00pm and we head off for the evening. Having no idea where is good to eat, we wandered the streets for a while before settling ourselves at a small restaurant along Passeig de Gràcia. We chat about the day and the city, before heading back to the hotel for a well deserved rest.
I wake up, sunlight beaming into my bedroom window...a sight I hadn’t seen for some time coming straight from a cold Melbourne winter. I stretch myself out in my huge cloud-like bed. It’s always an amazing feeling to stay in a comfy hotel room after a 20+ hour flight. Today was day one at the office and had it not have been for our long lunch the day before, I would have been more nervous. But instead, I felt comfortable having an idea of what to expect. Our first day in the office is a whirlwind. We begin at 9.30am with a meeting. We are shown to our work areas and given our first lot of tasks. We hit the ground running and knuckle down for the day. I finished feeling excited, positive, and already couldn’t wait to see what the next week was about to bring. But with a new job, a girl needs a new wardrobe of course, so Andrea and I set off after work to enjoy some retail therapy before dinner. Day 1, success.