First Impressions of Barcelona – Ruby Wei

When we arrived to Spain, I was immediately intimidated. I have traveled to France and Germany before and did not experience nice behavior. With this experience in mind, I assumed that many Spaniards were going to be rude and not welcoming. Though, to my surprise, the locals were very welcoming and talkative. At local restaurants, the waiters would contribute in conversation in English and be very kind and understanding about my inexperience with their language. They are much more talkative than the other Europeans I have met before, and this made me feel more comfortable. Other than first impressions, I was amazed by the beauty of the architecture of Barcelona as well as the history behind every piece. Having taken art history before, it was intriguing for me to see the Spanish cathedrals in person and link the symbolism I learned in the classroom to the actual eye. I am very appreciative of this trip because I wanted to learn more about other cultures. It is important for me to be open-minded and experience multiple perspectives in order to build my own. Thus far, I have really enjoyed this trip and the people that I am with. I have built good relationships with not only my roommates, but others in the program. I cannot wait to see what I discover in the next coming week.