Studying abroad has always been on my bucket list since I moved to America I have wanted to go back home. Unfortunately, I’m not able to travel back to my home country due to some unforeseen circumstances. Still, my friends suggested that I join them on a study abroad to Barcelona, Spain.
The first weekend here was a little rough getting acclimated to the different time zone but the coffee here made up for it. Back home if I want a light breakfast I may have to spend anywhere from $5-10 and drive to a coffee shop but here I can walk downstairs and there are at least 5 coffee shops within a 5-minute walk from my apartment and it’s ridiculously cheap (around $1.50 USD for just a coffee).
During the first week here in Barcelona, I experienced a lot of culture shock whether it be in the classroom with our Spanish professor or just out on the street. One of the things I learned very quickly is that in Spain there is a power-respect culture and your professor is always right (regardless of how misinformed they may be). Another culture shock to me was the nightlife here, back home in Texas midnight is considered late but in Spain, that’s when people start going out because they all take a siesta during the day.
My favorite experience during my first week was probably the class visit we had to Montjuic. Aside from the long hike in surprisingly hot weather, we got to see and walk on the garrison/fort that overlooks the port of Barcelona. The fort itself is on top of a cliff and the view is insane, it was used previously as a prison but now it just serves as a tourist attraction.
Overall my first week here was a pleasant experience without a lot if any difficulty to be completely honest. I would recommend learning some basic Spanish before coming here (high school Spanish will be fine) there’s not too much of a language barrier due to most people speaking a little English but it makes it easier to communicate with locals.