I visited Barcelona before the pandemic, but I was excited to visit once again since a lot of the group visits included places I was unable to visit previously. Since my last visit, it was interesting to see the changes in such a short amount of time. One of the changes was the amount of work done to the Sagrada Familia since my last visit. Although Covid-19 has caused the completion date to push back it was still interesting to see so much change. Another impressive change was how every transaction can be completed using Apple Pay. On the last visit, I made sure to have euros with me, but now all I need is my phone to purchase things.
Overall, the first week has been eventful with so many group trips along with the classes. The Port Authority visit was interesting as we were able to see one of Europe’s major ports in the Mediterranean. Another fun trip was to the Monserrat. The scenery was truly breathtaking and visiting the Monserrat Museum during our free time was well worth the time. Being able to see the artworks of Picasso and Dali was amazing as well as seeing the artwork of Catalan artists. I am excited to visit more places throughout this trip such as the trip to Parlement of Catalunya, Casa Mil?, and Sagrada Familia.
In addition, I have other things I hope to gain from this study abroad program. I hope to improve my Spanish and learn a bit of Catalan while I am here and experience the Catalan culture as much as possible. Also from the classes, I hope to learn a lot more about European history and culture. In addition, I would like to discover career opportunities in Spain as I do want to move abroad after college, and knowing my options would make it easier for me to make decisions.
