Class 24

My time in Barcelona

As my time comes to an end in Barcelona, I look back on how bittersweet it is to leave. As a child, I always knew I wanted to live in a big city like Los Angeles or New York, but I never could have imagined living across the world in Barcelona. To say I was pushed into studying abroad is an understatement. I have always been a predictable person who hates change. However, my friends were determined to study abroad and I did not want to feel like I was missing out. As I researched what it would be like to study abroad I realized that it could be a good chance for me to explore myself more and venture out alone. Which is exactly what I have done since I have been here. 

Every weekday pretty much looks the same for me. I wake up go to the gym, head out to class, come back to my apartment for a quick lunch, and then explore the rest of the day. I enjoy going down streets I have never seen before and going into small and unique stores. I love the culture, sitting in cafes, and finding places to walk and see the history of the city. The food, the fashion, and family oriented culture are all things I learned I love about this city. 

I may be studying in Barcelona, but pretty much every weekend I am out traveling to different places around Europe. For my first trip, my two friends and I explored Paris. While it was my most anticipated trip, the location of our hostel, getting food poisoning the first night, and it raining every day, made me think I may not enjoy Paris as much as I liked to think I would. This myth was busted when I decided to go back to Paris for a second time in March and had the most amazing weekend. Lovely food, cute cafes, beautiful museums, and of course, amazing shopping. I was delighted that I got to see Paris again and in better fashion!

I can now say I have been to Rome, Milan, and Florence in Italy which I find to be very cool. Rome was by far my favorite. It is such a walkable city and I had arguably the best sandwich I have ever had there. Florence takes first place for gelato, Milan for fashion, and Rome for views. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay in Italy. I am traveling to the Amalfi Coast with my parents after school ends and it may top Rome, though, I am not sure yet. 

For a quick weekend getaway, Blanes is great. The train went by so fast and it was such a peaceful weekend. There was not too much to do but I really enjoyed eating by the beach and exploring the botanical gardens. Madrid was a whole different story. There was so much to do, but not enough time. Again, the train was really easy and I found the city to be very walkable which made me happy. There was a lot of good shopping and super cute bars to sit in for a night-cap. 

Interlaken, Switzerland was a very short trip, but I completely went out of my comfort zone and decided to paraglide. I was extremely nervous and unsure but as soon as we took off and I saw the views, I knew I made the right decision. It was a lovely little town and although it was quite cold, it was amazing to be outside and go for adventurous walks. 

It is hard for me to choose my favorite between Amsterdam and Copenhagen as I was stunned by the both of them. The streets were beautiful, the museums were spectacular, I loved all the vintage shopping, and I had great Matchas all throughout the trip. The highlight of my Amsterdam trip was riding bikes through the big park, it was such a beautiful day and so nice to see everyone out and about. Copenhagen was freezing but it did not stop me from getting 20,000 steps a day just to see absolutely everything. I would go back to both of these places in a heartbeat. 

Overall, I really enjoyed studying abroad and I am so happy that I pushed myself to come here. It definitely has its ups and downs and I am thrilled to spend the summer at home, but I truly feel like I have changed since being here in a good way. I feel ready to take these experiences I have made into my next chapter and continue growing into the person I have become since being here. I would never trade this opportunity for anything and I can not believe it is coming to an end. Europe, I will be back!