Howdy! I am currently in Barcelona, Spain. I have a very busy two weeks ahead of me, filled with company visits, guided tours, group dinners, and fun activities. Upon arriving in Spain, we got to hear from a local speaker about the Spanish economy. In our previous meetings back at Mays, we learned a little about the current socio-economic state of Spain, but it was enlightening to hear about it from a local perspective. Barcelona is part of “Catalonia”. Catalonia is the northeastern region of Spain, and several citizens of this region are fighting for autonomy. Catalan, the term for citizens, nationalists argue that this region produces the majority of the income for the nation and pays heavy taxes for the poorer parts of Spain. It was interesting to learn more about this debate from a Catalan native. Our speaker also taught us more about the Spanish economy. I learned that the construction industry is crucial for the Spanish economy. The speaker said that there was a point recently when going into construction was better than becoming a doctor. This is partially due to the financial housing crisis which occurred also here in the United States. The Spanish economy also took a major hit during the pandemic since another big driver in their economy is tourism. However, they have seen a large influx of tourists in the most recent years. The economy is still on shaky ground, but it has a mostly positive outlook. I am excited for our tour with a sailing company tomorrow! We will get to sail around the port of Barcelona and see the city from another perspective. So far, I am really enjoying Barcelona! The culture here is pretty similar to the United States. One difference here is that the people love soccer (i.e., f?tbol) and it is a lot more popular here than in the United States. A lot of my friends from the group actually went to an FC Barcelona parade this evening. It was so exciting to see!
