Ana Motolinia, with a background in International Trade and Business Logistics, and with experience in the Agri sector thanks to her family business “El Agricultor agroquímica”, came from Mexico to continue her development to become an Agri-leader. In this article, she explains what it is like to be an international student of MIAM living in Almería (Spain).
I remember having this dream when I was in my early twenties, going abroad and getting to know life from a different perspective. I thought that “going out of my comfort zone” would be incredible, not having family and friends around and having a fresh start it’s a huge opportunity for personal growth.
Coming to Almería has been one of the most important experiences in my life, personally and professionally. Keep reading to learn my story.
Being a foreign student at ISAM
I’ve always been the type of person that likes to live, feel touch and experience things, and as I have a family business, I was looking for a Master that would give me professional tools, not only in a theoretical way but in practice one that allowed me to apply them in my job.
Being a student after four years of working is an experience that I fully recommend. Having this space between college and a Master’s is enriching because you let life literally hit you with realness. You can discover what you love, your passions, in which aspects you are good and on which ones you have to work…. and go get it all with certainty.
Studying abroad is one of the most enlightening paths you can choose. As an ISAM student, I’m thankful to have the opportunity to be really involved in the Agri sector. It is letting me know people that are totally and fully into agriculture and it allows you to get inside companies. That’s what I call “the full experience”.
Tips and expectations
The City
Let’s begin with the crazy amount of agri-companies that you can find here. It’s amazing how you can feel, breathe and see agriculture everywhere you turn around. The well-known “Sea of Plastic” is really not a joke! You can see greenhouses and companies of the sector almost from every spot you stand.
If you´re interested in immersing yourself in the agricultural sector, this is your place.
This city is full of hidden beautiful places such as Cabo de Gata or Playa de los Muertos. You only have to decide to go out of you comfort zone to get to know amazing places, just like Desierto de Tabernas or Sierra Nevada in the winter.
The Food
Now, let’s talk about food… I can recommend you to go to the famous spots like Casa Puga (which is great by the way), but again… dare to lose yourself in its small streets and seat in Bar La Bambalina for some free tapas (yes, free tapas), for example.
Calle Padre Alfonso Torres has some nice bars where you can have a great time before going to a party. if that’s what you want. But I have to tell you “Mini bar” in Calle Rueda Lopez, definitely won my heart.
If you want to eat a full meal by the beach I discovered “La Barca”, and if you order the Paella Mixta, maybe you will fall in love and would like to go every weekend to seat in front of the beach in Paseo Maritimo to taste this Spanish dish made by the owner of the restaurant. Finally, to have a nice dinner “Real 31” it’s a great option.
Almeria´s beaches, bars, people, streets, and vibes are what bring life to this small city. Here we have a lot of public events which are very cool, you just have to stay tuned. Just dare to go out and walk until your feet hurt to discover incredible things.
The journey of adaptation to a new country
As everything starts from the inside, I would like to tell you also about the beginnings, which are always hard. Something that touches me a lot, is the fact of thinking that we have created an entire life on our own in our countries, in our homes, our jobs, and then…you move. You have to start from scratch, make new friends, find a new routine, memorize new streets, learn new rules, and new words, and the most difficult of all… get to know yourself in depth.
Change is scary, but once I heard a quote from Dale Carnegie and it helped me a lot: “Do the thing you fear to do and keep doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear”.
Of course, I cannot skip all the great and incredible aspects, like discovering your capabilities, finding new qualities that you didn’t know that you had, getting to try new food, seeing amazing landscapes, breaking every taboo that we had about countries, people, etc. Living abroad makes you an open-minded person, which means we become wiser and we also draw a new limit line, becoming self-sufficient… what a nice hard trip, right?
We all have to pass through laughs, cries, anger, happiness, excitement, and disappointments, but that’s actually what makes us mature and grow in a beautiful way.
Being in a different country it’s a mix of intense feelings, is it worth it? The answer is a big YES. Discover MIAM.
