Spain! All I can say is D?u n?hi do! I came into this trip excited, but complacent. I knew in my heart that this wasn?t the Finland trip I signed up for and while I was looking forward to going to Europe, that was it, it was simply a chance to go abroad. I had no real passion for Spain, and after the many tumultuous flight troubles and a hectic arrival day, I?ll admit that I still felt the same way. I couldn?t believe that I would be here for another 28 days, now I can?t believe that I?ll have to leave in 24.?
Spain has surprised me in so many ways. The first thing I noticed was all of the diversity that surrounded me. I had pictured the Spaniard residents to all mostly be a certain way, and yet the city of Barcelona hosts people of all races, religions, etc. and it has been very interesting to see! I also expected more people to speak English, but that has very much not been the case! While this can be troublesome when doing things like getting a lunch table for 12 like we tried to do on our first day, it has certainly pushed me outside of my comfort zone and has improved my communication and improvisation skills immensely! With the mention of food, it?s also worth noting that that has surprised me as well. I have had some of the best food here and while their cuisine customs are certainly hard to adjust to, I have had great experiences with it and with the atmospheres created by their restaurants. Most of all, I have been surprised by how much I have fallen in love with the city. The culture, architecture, people, etc. are unlike anything I?ve ever experienced, and something I don?t think I?ll ever quite find again.?
All in all, four days here have felt like four weeks, but in the best way possible. From being on a team that got epically lost during the Barcelona scavenger hunt but had the best of laughs along the way, to going to the jaw-droppingly crafted Sagrada Familia, to watching the Euro 2020 Final surrounded by crazy Italian fans and being the subject of an encounter with a Frenchman there that the group has already ensured they will never let me forget, to making memories and becoming close with the awesome individuals on this trip, to learning about myself and the culture surrounding me, and the many adventurous metro rides in between, this has already been the trip of a lifetime and it?s only just begun. Bring it on Spain, I can?t wait to see what other treasures you have in store for me, T’estimo!
-Bailey Rogers, ’23