Submitted by Jenna Ficuciello on the 2018 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…
Bon dia!
I am so excited to embark on this journey in Barcelona, Spain. I arrived in Barcelona last Wednesday and I was immediately swept up in the culture of this magnificent city. I decided to fly in about a week before my move-in date in order to get acclimated to the city and I used it as an opportunity to explore. I, luckily, got to share this experience with my family. We chose to pack as many activities into this short period of five days that we could. We hiked Montserrat and visited multiple locations where Gaudi designed some of his most beautiful pieces of architecture, such as Park Guell, Casa Batllo and La Sagrada Familia. Those were definitely activities that screamed “tourist”, but I scratched the itch to see some of the landmarks that make Barcelona so famous. I was also lucky enough to see a Barcelona futbol (soccer) match, where they defeated Huesca 8-2. I watched Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, two of the best soccer players in the world, both score a goal in one match, and I can officially check that off the bucket list.
Now that I am settled into my apartment in the section of the city known as El Clot, I am getting used to living more like a local. I go to the market down the road to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables to cook with, we make time to sit in coffee shops and enjoy the cafe con leche rather than grabbing a Dunkin’ iced coffee on the way to Purnell and we have learned to navigate the metro rather than driving everywhere. Classes are great, my professors are amazing, and the program that we are traveling with has planned so many great excursions for us. I cannot wait to see what this semester holds!
