As the Barcelona study abroad trip was approaching closer and closer, I was becoming anxiously excited to leave the states. Considering we were only home a short time prior to the trip, I was mainly preparing and gathering everything I needed for the trip. I was not working or participating in an internship, so I had plenty of time on my hands to check every box and ensure that I was ready to study in Barcelona for five weeks. Since I had plenty of time to prepare, I was not very nervous about coming to a new and foreign country for five weeks. In fact, I was literally counting down the days and had a list of destinations, restaurants, and things to do that I was looking forward to doing during my study abroad!
Finally here! We’ve been in Barcelona for almost five days now and so far, it is everything I expected and so much more! Our plane flight here went by surprisingly fast, however many of the students, including myself, were extremely sleep deprived because of the jet lag. In just the short time we have been here we’ve already seen and learned so much. On one of the first days, we visited La Sagrada Familia, which is a large, historic church designed by Spanish architect, Gaudi, that is still being renovated and built onto. Sagrada Familia is just a two-minute walk away from our apartment, so it is conveniently easy to get to for us. When we arrived we met our tour guide and she directed us around the inside and outside of the church. Even from afar the church looks incredible, but it is so much more spectacular once you see everything up close in the inside and outside of the building. As the tour guide explained the significance of all the many architectural designs, I was in awe the whole time and feel that I learned so much. It was definitely an experience and sight that I will never forget. Additionally, we have also participated in a scavenger hunt since we have been here. We were split into groups of five and sent to explore and find various points and places of significance in the Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas, and Passeig de Gracia. Attempting to find all the spots were tricky and my group did not win, unfortunately, however, participating in the scavenger hunt helped all the groups become more familiar with different areas and allowed us to distinguish between the three different locations.
Since we have arrived, we have started our classes and are already diving into learning about aspects of international business and the construction and integration processes of the European Union. While we have only had two days of classes, I already find what we are learning very interesting and applicable to my future in the business world.
We have not even been here a week yet, and I feel like study abroad is already going by so fast! Aside from the activities and destinations planned by the program, my roommates and I have explored Barcelona and have already eaten amazing food, seen beautiful views from the Bunkers, met locals and others outside of our program, and so much more!
I cannot wait to see what Spain has to offer the rest of this trip!