Living in a different country comes with so many thoughts, lessons, and knowledge that I will be able to take back with me to America. To reflect on my time in Barcelona thus far, I would like to highlight different topics that I have witnessed.
Culture: Life here is slow yet fast at the same time. The people here eat long, late dinners. All the shops are closed on Sundays. They love the beach on the weekends. But they never sleep. Their night life starts at 11:30 and feels like it never ends. Even though it is so hot and humid, everyone is dressed very nicely. Most people do not have cars, instead they take public transportation. This is a culture shock in itself. There are massive amounts of people taking the metro and the bus. You have to be careful of pickpockets. You must be aware of your circumstances. I have seen that most dads take their kids somewhere (maybe daycare) before work in the morning. Their iced vanilla lattes taste a little bit different than the ones in America. I think Europeans are more in shape as they walk everywhere and are not exposed to air conditioning like we are in the States. They care deeply about sustainability – trash is picked up and there are only paper straws available. There are no parks with grass. Most people speak English. Being in the Catalan culture has allowed me to appreciate the differences this country has to offer.
International Business: Barcelona is a city filled with international business. One that we have had the opportunity to learn about is the port. This massive business connects Barcelona with most of the world as ships come in and out of the port every single day. They bring in and out cars, tools, goods, and so much more. This has put into perspective the European Union that we are learning about in class. The EU has become an integrated union under a single currency. I have seen this as we have traveled to France on one of the weekends. They also use the Euro just like Barcelona does. And many EU countries use the port of Barcelona to travel goods and services throughout the whole Eurozone. Learning international business highlights the differences between countries? laws, regulations, and policies.
Myself: I have learned that I love to travel. I love analyzing and experiencing different cultures, and this trip has allowed me to do just that. I love making an itinerary or picking a place for dinner or mapping us to a certain destination. I have found that I do not love big cities, but rather the smaller countryside (outside of Paris) or mountain regions (like Montserrat). I love seeing nature – sunsets on the top of the Bunkers or the beach or the flowers all over the sides of the buildings. I love hearing the different languages spoken, wishing that I could understand everything they are saying. Gaining experience through Catalan culture and knowledge in class, I am growing as an individual student and person that I am excited to take back with me to College Station.
