A day in the life: Priyankaa Joshi

Priyankaa Joshi, 25, UK, Writer/Editor at EU Business School

Raised in Bristol, Hispanic studies graduate Priyankaa moved to Barcelona in 2016 to escape the cold British weather, keep up with her Spanish and gain some experience living abroad. After a stint teaching English, she realised her true calling was writing. Today she works at the EU Business School, as part of the Communications team made up of writers, graphic designers, videographers and photographers. Her job involves writing and editing a range of materials, from website and blog content to press releases and newsletters. 

6.50AM When my alarm goes off, I jump out of bed. Although it’s tempting, I never hit the snooze button, as I know getting out of bed will only get harder. Half asleep, I make a cup of green tea and get ready for the day.

7.50AM I aim to be out the door by 7.50am so I can enjoy a leisurely stroll to work. The EU Business School (EU) has two campus buildings, one in La Bonanova and one on Avinguda Diagonal. I work on the Diagonal campus, a pleasant half-hour walk from my flat in Gràcia, which I usually spend listening to a podcast or music. I’m making an effort to practise my Spanish at the moment, so I’m listening to a podcast called ‘Notes in Spanish’. I also enjoy listening to Russell Brand’s podcast, ‘Under the Skin’.

8.30AM I grab a coffee at a nearby cafe and head into the office. The Communications department is on the ninth floor with glorious views of Tibidabo and lots of natural light.

8.45AM I start the day by replying to emails and organising my daily priorities.

9.30AM I like to do most of my writing in the morning when my mind is focused and I’m at my most creative. Today, I’m compiling our monthly newsletter and working on a couple of posts that will be published on our blog later this week. I put on my noise-cancelling headphones and get to work.

1PM Lunchtime. I grab my packed lunch and head to the park to sit in the sunshine with some of my colleagues. We have a great team and I love that I get to spend my day with people who have become good friends. Our office is located opposite L’illa shopping centre, which can be a bit dangerous as I often find myself popping in during lunch breaks to ‘browse’. 

2PM Back to work. This afternoon, my first task is to finish a press release that needs to be sent off by the end of the day.

4PM I make a cup of tea and head to a meeting room for a phone interview with a member of our alumni network for our ‘Alumni of the month’ blog series. This is one of my favourite things to do. It’s always fascinating speaking to people about their lives and what they’ve achieved since graduating.

4.45PM I head into a meeting about the EU Language Centre, which we recently opened. The centre offers Spanish courses to internal and external students, and I’m in charge of the promotional materials.

5.30PM Time to go home. I usually call my mum for a chat as I walk. It feels good to stretch my legs outside after sitting at a desk all day.

6.30PM I meet my Spanish teacher Marta in the cafe opposite my flat. As I speak English at work and at home, I have to make a real effort to maintain my Spanish. We spend an hour chatting over coffee.

7.40PM As soon as I get in, I put on my pyjamas, light some candles and start cooking. Tonight it’s a vegetable chilli with roasted sweet potato, brown rice and lots of guacamole.

9PM My boyfriend and I settle down on the sofa with a cup of tea and a few squares of chocolate (something sweet after dinner is a must) to watch The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s one of the best shows we’ve watched in a long time.

11PM Most nights I try to get into bed around 11pm. I either read a few pages on my Kindle or listen to an audiobook to help me drift off.