Alright, I honestly can?t believe that the study abroad is over. Although a month is kind of a long time to be away, it also seems like it was so short. There were many ups and some downs but that?s life. I would recommend going on a study abroad and make sure you have an open mind about people and cultures when doing so. Doing school there seemed normal but also more of a burden since it was hindering my exploration of the city of Barcelona. It was interesting to have a teacher come with us and have a teacher that is from Spain. I do have to say that I like the way Dr. Panina teaches a lot better. It may be because it is what I am used to but it also just feels more natural. One difference especially stuck out: the reaction to a student, or multiple, challenging a teacher. Teachers are human and make mistakes but at the end of the day have the say. The Spanish teacher did seem to get offended though as if we were insulting her intelligence. We are all human and make mistakes sometimes a check is not the worst thing in the world. Moving on to more positives, this was my first time in Europe and I loved it. It was very interesting and actually quite nice to have the walking and metro. Yes, there were cars, but the streets were not full. This made it easier for us to get around but also made us a bigger target for pickpocketing. I am sorry to the two people who got pickpocketed. I also really liked how the whole community was environmentally friendly, for one they separated their trash and are conscious about electricity. This was also in other places I traveled to in Europe. I only visited two cities in Portugal and an island in Italy, so now I have a taste of Europe. It is definitely one of my goals now to go back and travel around Europe, and the rest of the world, as much as I can. I think this trip will also help me in my future because whatever I get into is most likely going to have some international contact or impact and either way, knowing a bit about the livelihood of another country is vital. For example, they do not all work a 9-5 which is normalized in the United States. Apparently, they work less hours and have better benefits, I am not sure on the pay though. They also have a siesta time and the days are very long. The nap time is needed but also I did not really use it. It does affect much of the hours of shops and restaurants though. There is so much more that I could go in about but I think I?m gonna stop for now and add some pictures of the views and fun.
