Before this trip, I had never been out of the country so I was very anxious to see what was ahead. When we first arrived in Barcelona I was a little overwhelmed with the language barrier, fast-paced city, subway, amount of walking, etc. A few years back I went to New York and it was very comparable minus everyone speaking Spanish or Catalan. So far I have seen amazing views and the architecture here is like no other. You could wander around for hours and never get tired of sightseeing. My favorites so far have been La Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila, both works from Antoni Gaudi. The way of life here has also been a bit of adjustment, staying up late and also siesta breaks. I was pleased to learn that locals like to stay inside during the hot hours of the day which was not hard to adapt to. There are also a lot of food options, they have Asian, Spanish, Mexican, American, Italian, etc. I was surprised to see so much diversification everywhere we go. At almost every restaurant or attraction we go to, someone usually speaks at least a little English which is very convenient. I was surprised to learn that Europeans typically know three to five languages whereas the average American only knows one to two. The business program here is very enlightening and I really enjoy learning about European Economics and the creation of the European Union. It is very interesting to learn about global history from a perspective outside of the United States. When I finish this program I hope to have a broader outlook on the world not only culturally but also economically and politically. I also plan to apply what I learn about international business to my future career and take a very holistic approach in whatever I do. We are only on the third day of class and I am so excited to explore more international opportunities and potential jobs in this aspect of business.
