Hi, my name is Kajul Patel and I am currently in the midst of a month-long summer study abroad in Barcelona. A week has passed, but I feel like I have been here for a month. The days are much longer than I thought they would be but in the best way. I’ve had to pay attention to the time much more here because many shops and restaurants are closed during certain hours for “siesta time.” Everyone here also stays up very late partying all night long. Overall, the way of life in Barcelona is very stress-free and joyful, and that’s expressed through singing, dancing, and even just smiling. There have been many times where I’ve experienced true culture in Barcelona but one of my favorites happened while I was on a metro at night. It was the last metro of the night and we were all packed on like sardines, shoulder to shoulder. It was hot and sweaty and we were all so close to each other, giving every reason to be miserable on this metro. However, Argentina had just made it to the finals in the Copa America soccer tournament and everyone was so overjoyed that they broke out into a song, and the entire metro train joined in. People were hitting the ceiling to drum along and everyone was so happy. I had never felt so immersed in the Spanish culture. All of my friends and I knew the sense of community and family is so preeminent in everyday life, but we didn’t know how intense it was until this moment we experienced firsthand.
