My first week in Barcelona has been a whirlwind. It started a little rocky with some flight and luggage trouble, but once I was able to get myself situated I was truly able to take in the culture around me. The hustle and bustle of the locals, the mix of languages, and melting pot of cultures have been amazing to experience.
Our first group activity was a scavenger hunt around the city. I loved being able to walk around and see all the amazing architecture and Catalan culture. Our guide, Tomas, has been showing us around and helping us out when needed. It’s super cool to have someone who’s close to our age to give us recommendations and advice about life in Barcelona!
Classes have been extremely interesting! We are currently learning about how the European Union was formed. Since it was never required to take European history in high school, this is my first time really learning about anything that’s not related to the U.S. It has been insightful to learn about the culture differences and how that effects the countries markets and economies.
There have been a few other outings that we’ve done as a group: beach volleyball, a business trip to Coleo, and walking up Montjuic with a guide. Everything is just so gorgeous here, I have to take a picture of everything! Although everything that was planned for us has been awesome, I love the time we get on our own too. It gives me a chance to explore what I’m interested in and get to know so many new people. My favorite use of free time has been an Italian restaurant we ate at that was a hole-in-the-wall in the Gothic Quarter. The food was amazing and reminded me of home (because I work at a fine-dining Italian restaurant).
All in all, the trip has been amazing so far, and I finally getting used to the differences in AC and ice in drinks!
