Hola from Espa?a! I have only been here a couple of days, but I am already loving what Barcelona has had to offer. Leading up to this trip, I was worried about adjusting to the different lifestyle, but the adjustment has been rather easy for me. Although five girls to an apartment is a tight squeeze, and this is the most walking I have ever done, I really have not minded the change. I first had to realize that the way things are done here are very different and it is important to find the joy in living life in the same way others do instead of trying to bring my American ways along with me. When it is late-night and we have had a big dinner full of tapas and tiramisu, it would be the American way to just call a taxi ride back to your front door, but here in Spain, it is more local to ride the metro and walk. Learning to live like the locals is the only way to get the full Spain experience.
So far, our classes have been quite interesting and different from anything I would take back in College Station. I currently have limited knowledge of the European Union and look forward to learning from a local Spanish professor. She mentioned that Spanish college courses are very different from those in America so comparing her class to those I have taken in the past will be interesting. While in Spain, my flatmates and I have discussed many sites we want to see and day trips we want to take. There are so many things on our to-do list and with only five weeks here, I am a little worried that we won’t be able to check everything off. With this in mind, we have decided to set goals for each week such as one beach trip, one nice dinner, one hike, and one historical site. We also have drawn out a calendar with our plans for each day and have made a point to check off something from our list every day. All the opportunities available are quite overwhelming so it is important that we don’t let the time get away from us and make every day count.
Looking forward, I am the most excited for the surprise experiences we will encounter and the people we will meet. On one of the first days, we witnessed a group of local Catalonians chanting for their independence. This was so unique to the city we live in and it was a total coincidence that we were there. With five more weeks, I am sure I will get more insight into the everyday life of a local through experiences like this. I am also so excited for the food here. Walking down the streets, it seems like Barcelona has a large variety of food options obviously including the classic tapas and paella, but even great international options such as sushi, poke bowls, Italian, and Mexican. I am extremely excited to test these out and taste foods out of my comfort zone. We have only been here a couple of days, but have already done and learned so much. I cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of our trip!