I would like to start this conversation off by mentioning, I’ve only ever been on a plane two times in my life: once from Harlingen, Texas to Houston, Texas (lasted all but 30-45 minutes), and second to cross the pond to come to Barcelona! Now that I’ve cleared that up, those first 72 hours in Spain were somewhat of a chaotic experience to say the least, however I did persevere. My beautiful debit card declined while trying to take out euros for my taxi, quite literally minutes after touching Spanish soil. I experienced a palette of emotions, but as the aforementioned quote, “… I did persevere.” No, but in all seriousness, this first week and a half has been otherworldly. There really is no other way for me to describe it; I grew up on a border town while still living on a 12,000-acre ranch in the middle of nowhere. The architecture and relics I see everyday walking these streets, are something I used to only see through a screen on Netflix. This place, and Europe in general, was like a fairytale in my mind. I suppose that’s why getting here I experienced a little bit of a culture shock because there’s that realization of you being in a city with still real-life problems and precautions. UPF, switching up the topic, is actually quite tight-knit. Ironically though, it is an institution that represents professors, academics, and students from multiple international backgrounds, and even has its campus split-up across Barcelona. Nonetheless, the university resonates a feeling of curiosity with a staff that seems dedicated to building authentic, well-rounded business leaders. It could also be that I regularly attend a campus that has 70,000 students, but the UPF atmosphere is most definitely the star player here and in my books. I think one of the coolest aspects about the university is its dedication to preserving local history. As I mentioned, the campus is split up into three buildings, la Mercer, la Ciutadella, and Poblenou, with each building(s) being a piece of history that has open excavations and restorations for students and guests to admire. The city itself is absolutely breath-taking, it’s almost impossible not to fall in love. I really didn’t want to look like a tourist, but I kept finding myself gawking at every building, every three seconds! I could spend the entire day just walking up and down the streets just to admire the architecture. I would also like to note that the metro system: is. life. changing. I have loved, loved being an understatement, the convenience, ease, and accessibility the metro system has provided me. Other than the unique architecture, I think the European infrastructure layout has been the biggest difference I’ve compared to the US. You walk so much more here, simply because it is more convenient than driving places. Arriving to my apartment for the first time, the Uber driver dropped me off about a block and half from where my front door was actually located; it was inaccessible by vehicle! However, disregarding my rocky and eventful start here in Barcelona, everyday since has gotten better and better. As the days go by, I can feel myself becoming more acclimated; I start recognizing buildings, street names, and remembering metro routes. This experience has truly been life-changing, and it’s crazy to think I’ve only been here not even two weeks!
