Coming into Barcelona, I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard so many testimonials from friends about the transformational potential of this trip. Not only is this my first time in Europe, but it will also be my first time traveling without my family. The best advice I received was to truly open your eyes, there is so much beauty around Barcelona, you just have to take it all in. The first thing about Spain that jumped out was its unique and diverse architecture. We often forget just how old countries in Europe are, seeing as the US is a mere 250 years old compared to a staggering 2000 years of Barcelona. This rich history and culture lead to meaning and intention everywhere. There is not a single apartment building that does not catch your eye and leave you thinking about the craftsmanship required to create such beauty.
In our classes we are learning about the creation of the European Union and thus the Euro and its economic implications. I certainly enjoy diving into the history of this new amazing place I am living and connecting this new knowledge to relevant topics in today’s European news. Comparing Barcelona to the US, the biggest difference is truly the average lifestyle. During this time in the summer, the sun rises at 6:30 AM and sets at 9:30 PM giving you a 15-hour day! People here do not seem to be in such a rush to go places, and I have found that business hours are significantly relaxed. For instance, many places are closed on Sundays and have reduced hours of operation on Fridays/Saturdays. I have also noticed that Barcelona is quite a dense city, meaning that there are no houses, but rather just apartments. Furthermore, most of the businesses occupy the same buildings as the apartments but just utilize the bottom few floors. In the US the businesses and living spaces are always separate. From this experience, I hope to gain a new outlook on how people live their lives. I have stayed in Texas my entire life, so I feel that I currently have a very narrow perspective on what it truly means to live in a different country.
