2 weeks in Barcelona has flown by! With more days under my belt, I feel like I am finally settling into my classes, in the area surrounding my apartment, and most importantly getting used to the Spanish eating schedule. Every day is different but getting my daily routine more consistent and like the local lifestyle has been great. Waking up, walking to class alongside other commuters, and seeing Jim, my favorite barista, are memories I will always remember from this trip. My favorite parts of the days are the nights. We have free time to do whatever we want, and my friends and I always go to sleep with new memories and experiences.
This past week, I have spent a lot of time working on school due to a quiz, daily readings, and presentations. Although I would rather be exploring the town and having free time, I have been really enjoying my classes and listening to others present on new and interesting topics. I can?t believe that our classes end next week. I am excited about the upcoming company visits and getting a chance to hear from various companies and industries.
Apart from school, I have visited and enjoyed many new things this week, one of them being Montju?c. Because Montju?c sits on a hill in Barcelona, it offered amazing views and a beautiful overlook of the city. I really loved seeing where the events were held when Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics. With the Olympics starting this week, I was very interested to see how the city prepares and plans for such a large event. Many of the beautiful buildings were built solely for the purpose of using them at the 1992 Olympics.
This past week I also went to an FC Barcelona game. Unfortunately, it was not in their main stadium because it was only an exhibition, but the environment was still very electric. Due to it being not an important game, Messi and the other stars didn?t play which we were sad about. This was so interesting to go to a futbol game because I?ve never been to a professional one before. The fans were still so invested even though it was just an exhibition game. It?s a different pace of play compared to the typical American sports and heavily reliant on teamwork which was awesome to see.
I have also been loving the food in Barcelona, although my bank account probably thinks otherwise! Recently, I have been trying to buy groceries and cook at home, but I cannot say no to a tapas dinner, paired with wine, and followed by gelato. I love utilizing the market near La Rambla and getting my weekly amounts of jam?n y queso and near our apartment, I have loved getting bread and baguettes from a local bakery.
Weirdly enough, I love public transportation and constantly wish it was more prevalent in Texas outside of just Dart trains and buses. Nothing beats the metro station where there are live performers and people from all walks of life. Even though we are in Spain, I feel like Barcelona is similar to an American city in the fact that it is a melting pot with many different cultures colliding. I love everything about this city!