Crazy right? Generally, Kiwis take off on Euro trips every other month. Not me. I was too busy tryna survive in the climate of the cost of living crisis in the UK. London, to be more specific.

10 months living in the United Kingdom; A bunch of failed interviews; A few odd jobs here and there, and a lot of time for reflection. I took my first European holiday, with my partner, to the sunny and beautiful Málaga on the southern coast of Spain, and to be honest, it did not disappoint. We’d only ever visited Barcelona once in 2018, but this trip to Spain was different.

Because I’ve had such a tough time adjusting to life in the UK, this was the first time I could relax and not have to worry about the stresses that have been constantly surrounding us since we left New Zealand. Things like paying rent and finding stable jobs, etc, but I think that’s a similar case for a lot of people moving to the other side of the world. For me, being in Málaga, relaxing on the beach and letting out a sigh of relief, I felt as if I didn’t have to hold my breath, that I could enjoy myself and not have to worry about anything except what my next drink would be or what will I have at the buffet for dinner. Let me tell you, it’s a great feeling.

Let’s talk about Málaga, though. Choosing your first travel destination while on your OE, I believe, is an important decision. My partner and I knew we wanted it to be somewhere hot and close to a beach, and most importantly, it needed to be somewhere affordable to travel to. So we came across Málaga, it’s one of the more southern cities in Spain between Granada and Marbella. For two people, flying to and from Gatwick Airport, it cost us 204 GBP (459.25 NZD), which was originally 128.36 GBP (288.96 NZD), but we opted to sit together, you’ll understand this, flying with British Airlines, there are so many dumb hidden costs, costs that make you miss Air New Zealand and dare I say Jetstar even but then again we don’t have to break the bank to fly to Spain and that is worth it to be honest. We stayed at Hotel Benalma Costa del Sol, which is a hotel/resort 40 minutes out of Málaga city, 20 minutes from Málaga airport, in a nearby town called Benalmádena. For three nights, in a seaside deluxe room with a terrace, with half board (buffet breakfast and dinner included), it cost 650 GBp (1463.28 NZD). We nearly sprung for all-inclusive, but we weren’t going to be at the hotel much, plus it would have been an extra 126 GBP (283.65 NZD). So altogether, with flights and hotel, it cost us 854 GBP (1922.32 NZD), which I know may seem expensive for a three-day trip to Spain, but between two people, it was worth it and we loved every minute of our trip.

Activities included a 3 and a half hour tapas and wine tour, where we were given a tour around Málaga city centre and taught about the history of Málaga, we had tapas and wine at three different gastropubs/restaurants and dessert at a bakery, all for 126 GBP (283.56 NZD), we went on a sunset catamaran cruise, where we sailed out the Port of Málaga for a couple of hours and watched the sunset, this cost us 24 GBP (54 NZD). Earlier that day, we visited Castillo de Colomares (translates to Colomares Castle), which is a monument, in the form of a castle, located in Benalmádena, dedicated to the life of explorer Christopher Columbus. Entry costs 3 EUR (5.77 NZD). We would have done more, but the main point of the trip was to relax, so activity-wise, we did a decent amount, but if we had more time, we would have done an all-day wine tour and stadium tour of Málaga CF (which is mostly for me because I love football). For spending money, we budgeted ourselves 500 GBP (1125.20 NZD), which contributed mostly to travel costs and eating out; our accommodation was 15 minutes from the nearest metro station, which became quite an inconvenience if we were out late. So ubers ranged from 25 to 35 EUR between Málaga city and Benalmádena. Alternatively, if we were to catch public transport, a Metro de Málaga Travel Card, loaded with 5 - 10 EUR, could’ve covered us, as you can use it for more than one person on both buses and trains.

Málaga will always be a special place for me, not just for the great memories, but because of what it represents. For me, it was the first city I got to experience a moment where I wasn’t worried about paying rent, worried about finding a job, worried that maybe I wasn’t cut out for this OE stuff but most importantly, I was able to sit back, relax and enjoy myself without a care in the world with the love of my life because we got to this point together. There was a piece of advice I received in a job interview I had at the beginning of this year that has stuck with me ever since. Unfortunately, it was a job interview I was unsuccessful in, but the hiring manager, who also did an OE, told me, “The amount of effort you put into your overseas experience, you’ll reap the rewards twice as much”. I felt that, especially being away in Málaga, knowing that through the amount of adversity experienced since leaving New Zealand, I’m enjoying the simple things in life, on a beach with my partner, because we went through all that stuff together. And I can’t wait to visit so many more countries and make great memories that will stick with me forever.

First Euro trip. 10 months in to OE.

keenans voyage