So I realize it’s the end of the semester and I still haven’t blogged yet, but I figure better late than never. I have been studying in Barcelona for 3 and a half months now, and I absolutely love it. The program I chose to go through is called ISA. I didn’t know anyone else doing it before I came here, but I have met so many new people. I live with a host family here and have a roommate from Chicago. We also had the option of living on our own in an apartment, but living with a host family was definitely a better choice. Our host mom cooks us three meals a day and does our laundry once a week. Plus I have learned a whole lot more Spanish by living with a family who doesn’t speak English at all. My host family is so nice and they’re always willing to help us if we need anything.

Barcelona is a great city for studying abroad. The weather is great, and there is so much to do both at night and during the day. There are beaches, mountains, and tons of attractions. One of the biggest attractions here is Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, which is a huge Cathedral that has been under construction for over a hundred years. There is so much more to do here, and even though Barcelona is a big city, getting around is a lot easier than I expected.

The classes I’m taking here are International Business, International Marketing, and two Spanish classes. The teaching style is definitely different, but it’s a nice change of pace. My classes meet for an hour and 45 minutes two days a week. All of the people in my classes are study abroad students, so I have classmates from all around the world. We don’t have class on Fridays so that we are encouraged to travel as much as possible. Basically all of my grades depend on final exams and presentations. But all of my classes have been interesting and I have learned a lot.

Throughout the semester I traveled to Munich, Dublin, Mallorca, Amsterdam, Rome, Venice, and all around the rest of Spain. Once you’re in Europe, it’s so easy to travel around to other countries. Flights are cheap and everything is pretty close. I loved all of the cities I went to, but Barcelona is still my favorite. I’m excited to come home, but I know I will miss Spain. My roommate and I are already trying to figure out when we can come back!

-Brittany