Submitted by Mackenzie Conners on the 2020 winter session program in Barcelona, Spain sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development…
Now that I have returned home from Barcelona, I have had some time to reflect on my program. This program taught me so much about being comfortable with the unknown. Before I left, the idea of being in a country that spoke another language, where I knew no one, but my group, I did not know how to get from point A to B, and had a different culture, was very daunting to me. I spent much of my first day fighting away tears from simply being nervous to be on my own with people I had spent minimal time with before our program. However, a few days in, I got very comfortable with creating new friendships and finding people who were both alike and unlike me. It was eye -opening to talk with everyone in the group and meet new people who had new ideas and perspectives. I also became very comfortable with moving around the city. Towards the end of the program, I even began going places just by knowing the area they were in without explicit directions on how to get there. Experiencing the culture was also very heart-warming. Many people in Barcelona were very welcoming of new people. They loved learning about our culture and hearing what was different back home. I loved the feeling of being accepted. I feel like many people in the United States are not always welcoming of foreigners and often judge them for not speaking English. However, this was not the case in Spain. The culture in Barcelona was very lively and it was a beautiful experience that I will cherish forever. During our last week, we finished our work in our partner school St. Peter’s. The kids were sad to see us go, but colored us pictures and even gave us a good-bye dance party. We also went to Tibidabo, a monastery overlooking the city with unbelievable views, walked along Las Ramblas one last time, visited a local park, and had a farewell dinner at El Glop enjoying some traditional paella. I am grateful to have had this experience and find that it has helped me to face my fear of the unknown and create positive memories with new people. I have gained friendships and memories to last a lifetime.
