My first week in Barcelona has been fun, challenging, and extremely memorable. I feel as though I have been here for months, even though only a few days have passed. The past week has been filled with moments feeling like a Barcelona local and moments feeling like the most obnoxious American tourist. Both are fun! I have been surprised as to how comfortable and at home I feel here. Every day in Barcelona, I find a new part of town, a cafe, a cool street, new food, etc. As great as it is to explore new things, it is also fun to find ?my spots?. The caf? by ESERP has been a favorite of mine and I have been trying to get to know the lady who runs the shop through my broken Spanish communication. My roommates and I have also found a plaza by our house that we love to go to after school, to get dinner, and for our favorite gelato spot.
After the first full week of classes, I have already learned so much. In Economics in the EU I have learned a lot about how economic systems vary and how that affects their country?s economic, political, and social systems. Macroeconomics, although applied differently in Europe, has been surprisingly comparable to the concepts and analysis we use in America. Learning about different cultures with Professor Panina has also been extremely interesting and has widened my perspective about other cultures. With my new knowledge, I have been viewing Barcelona in different ways; I now recognize hung Catalaian flags, I notice and observe Spanish dining habits, and pay attention to all ways culture is shaped differently here.
After our first week of school, we had an amazing weekend in Monserrat and Cadaques. With the class in Montserrat, I learned about the monastery, its history, and the religious influence it holds in Spain. The unbelievable views and its natural beauty was my favorite part of the trip. Afterward, we visited the Freixenet headquarters and wine cellars. I learned about the history of the leading producer of Cava and tried Cava for the first time! It was delicious! Learning about wine production and the culture of alcohol in Europe was fascinating. On Saturday, my roommates and I took a day trip to Roses and Cadaques, beaches North of Barcelona. We used a company called Barcelona Trips and had an amazing experience, especially since the logistics of the trip were taken care of. First, we arrived in Roses and had a 2-hour boat ride across the ocean. We met many people and made a lot of new friends. Other than the amazing views, this was my favorite part. We made good friends with girls from Mexico, Belgium, Switzerland, and Connecticut, despite our different languages. After the boat ride, we drove to Cadaques. This town was my favorite! The white buildings and unique Grecian architecture were beautiful. My friends and I walked around the town, ate gelato, and relaxed by the beach for the rest of the evening. We had dinner with our friends from Belgium and Mexico and it was the most fun meal I have had yet in Spain. We talked, laughed, and ate pizza together as if we hadn?t met just hours earlier in the day. It is crazy how English is the common connecting language between big crowds from different areas. Each person at the table had different backgrounds, reasons for traveling, and stories to tell. After our 3 hours meal, I came out with a major takeaway– I must travel more in my life! The experiences they had from living in new places and meeting new people were incredible. Our day trip was a major success and made us confident in planning more adventures in the upcoming weekends!