My first week in Barcelona has felt more like a vacation rather than a school orientation. Every morning I wake up and see La Sagrada Familia from my window, I forget I am not in a dream and that I actually am living here for four months. Since the moment my plane landed in El Prat airport last Monday, I have felt constantly overwhelmed with excitement. I moved into my residence hall where I am living with 9 other students from the IES program on my floor. Three of them also happen to go to GW, which definitely made it easier to make friends and feel more at home in such a new environment. I had orientation the following day, and then my daily intensive Spanish class began.
Outside of class, I have found myself wandering around Barcelona’s streets, trying to immerse myself in the local culture, and eating a lot of new food (mainly tapas). One of my favorite neighborhoods I have explored so far is the Gothic Quarter. The narrow streets lined with cafes, restaurants, and boutiques have a unique charm to them that makes you want to walk around for hours.
On Tuesday, it was National Day of Catalonia which is considered a national holiday here, therefore we did not have class. Millions of people came out to show support for Catalonia’s independence. Protestors wore red shirts and red-and-yellow Catalan flags, and marched while banging drum
s, blowing whistles, and chanting slogans of support such as “Libertat!” It felt unreal to have attended an event that is going to go down in Spanish history forever.
To me, the biggest challenge so far in Barcelona has been adjusting to how late the locals eat and go out. For example, dinner only begins to be served at 8pm, while in the States I have usually finished dinner by then. Dinner is eaten late and goes on for hours, as restaurant-goers do not get up and leave as soon as they have finished their food (like in the States) but instead sit and chat over “café con leche” until 11pm. Then, it is common to go out for drinks and festivities, and often return home around four or five o’clock in the morning.
Above all, I am confident that choosing Barcelona for my study abroad location was the best decision I have ever made. I am so in love with this city, its culture, and its warm-hearted people. Other than improving my Spanish (and picking up on some Catalan), I am looking forward to really getting to know the heart of Barcelona, as well as exploring other cities throughout Europe. Until next time, ¡hasta luego!
