Last semester I studied at the European Business School (EBS) in Oestrich-Winkel, Germany. Studying abroad was one of the best decisions that I ever made, but I wasn’t so sure of what I was getting myself into before I left. One of the main reasons was because I had never heard of Oestrich-Winkel and had no clue what to expect, so that’s why I want to take the time to describe the small town that I spent last semester in.
One of the first things that you’ll notice when you arrive in Oestrich-Winkel is the vineyards. They’re literally everywhere! The town sits right on the Rhine River and is a part of the famous wine region of the Rhine Valley, so vineyards cover every open tract of land in the town.

Vineyards (August 2014)

More Vineyards (August 2014)

The Rhine River (August 2014)

Overlooking Oestrich-WInkel (August 2014)

Since it is a smaller town, there are fewer amenities. There are about five grocery stores, four or five bars that students go to, three pharmacies, and a lot of bakeries, random shops, and wineries. Buses and trains typically come only once an hour depending on where you are catching them from. However, when you arrive at EBS, you’re required to purchase a semester card for the buses and trains which lets you ride them for “free”. You can get to bigger cities like Rudesheim (5 min), Wiesbaden (25 min), Mainz (35 min), and Frankfurt (1 hour) by train with your card. Being able to get to Frankfurt for free is also really convenient for travelling since it is a major transportation hub and has buses, trains, and planes constantly departing to cities all over Europe.

Street in OeWi

Another Street in OeWi

Most of the international students (there were about 300 last semester) live in either Oestrich-Winkel or Wiesbaden. Some people prefer Wiesbaden because it is a larger city while others like being closer to the campus by living in Oestrich-Winkel. I lived in Oestrich-Winkel in a flat with four other girls. A couple months before you arrive you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a flat hunt organized by EBS or you can find your own flat.

My Flat

I think that that covers the basics of what to expect in Oestrich-Winkel. Hopefully it helps you get a better idea of what to expect if you’re thinking about studying there 🙂

As the first students from UofL studying here at the Universidad Carlos III, maybe a few of you don’t know how to get here. If you ever want to pop in during this spring, let me know and I can update the instructions to get you to my flat. ;D

Okay, so: Make sure you have around €10 in currency! It’s two brief train rides from the airport, so hopefully with these instructions, it’ll clear up any questions you may have and help you feel comfortable using the public transport for the first time.

1) Inside Barajas airport, after you come out of the Arrivals gate, turn right – still inside the airport – and, keeping to the left side of the walk-way, you need to walk about half a kilometre – following the Metro (underground) signs (a red, white and blue flattened diamond shape icon that says Metro) – you honestly think you’re never going to get to the Metro station, but you will! I promise! Use the moving pavements if carrying heavy luggage (like we were).

After a long walk and having gone up an escalator to the first floor and along various moving pavements, the signs will tell you to turn left.  After another 200m. on foot and on moving pavements, you arrive at the entrance to the Metro station which is down below.

3) Look for the blue and silver automatic ticket machines OR the kiosk with a real person selling tickets. In both cases select or ask for a single ticket to NUEVOS MINISTERIOS (“sencillo” or “ida”) WITH AIRPORT SUPPLEMENT. (If you don’t buy the supplement now you’ll have to buy it when you try to get out of the exit barriers at Nuevos Ministerios – which is much more frustrating, because the ordinary “ida” ticket won’t let you through the barrier). You’ll need to pay €4.50 for the combined “ida”/”sencillo” ticket and airport supplement.

4) Get on “linea 8” (pink colour) from the Airport – direction: NUEVOS MINISTERIOS.  Get in near the front of the train. After 4 or 5 stops, get out at “Nuevos Ministerios” walk forward – beyond the front of the train – FOLLOWING THE SIGNS TO CERCANIAS straight ahead of you (their icon is a tilted  red “C” ) You are now in Cercanias!! This is a main hub for train transfers, I’m sure if you’re trying to go anywhere in the city you will pass through here.

Get your ticket in the silver and red machine on the left – you press “Las Margaritas – Universidad” and you pay around €1.80. (The machine gives you change.)

5)  Enter through the Cercanias barrier – straight ahead – then go up the escalator which is on the right behind you.  Turn left at the top and walk straight to the end of the walk-way – following the signs to Sol, Atocha and PARLA.  On the left is the escalator going down for Cercanias platform 8 and you want line C4, direction PARLA.  Get out after 5 or 6 stops at LAS MARGARITAS – UNIVERSIDAD (careful there are 2 other stations in Getafe).

The London School of Economics:

Studying at the London School of Economics has been everything that I hoped it would be and then some. Coming from a family, which has moved around quite a bit, I have had the opportunity to live and grow up in a few different countries and continents. So, in addition to looking for an experience, which would allow me to expand my perspective, my main aim was to build upon the strong educational foundation that UofL had provided me with. The year-long General Course Program at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) happened to be the perfect fit.

 

My initial reaction to London was shock and awe. I had been to big cities in the U.S. like NYC, Chicago, SF, etc. but London was impressively unique, not just because of its size but also because of its cosmopolitan nature. I don’t think it’s possible to walk 20 ft. without catching sounds of a different language or dialect — from Italian, to Chinese, to Dutch, to Spanish. The city is a conglomeration of people from different backgrounds, socio-economic levels, nationalities, all hustling and bustling to get to their end goal. In this sense, the the city and the millions that keep it busy may seem impassive and hard to approach. But it only takes a few days of getting adjusted to become one with the essence of your surroundings and freely connect with those around you. Further, the large number of students that get recruited from the U.S., make the transition to the city smoother and enjoyable. Once you have your bearings straight, London is filled with limitless opportunities to have fun and places to explore: the attractions on the banks of river Thames, museums, royal palaces, bars, music clubs, restaurants, theaters — the choices are more than enough to keep one occupied indefinitely. As the saying goes: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of Life.” In my short experience, I have yet to find a person that has come even remotely close to this limit. If one has time, there is also the rest of the United Kingdom to explore from the sheep grazing fields of Wales to the rolling hills and cloudy scenery of Scotland.

Though the academics may be intense, the experience will be more than worth the effort. The students around you will be the brightest and the faculty is world-renowned. It is not unusual to run into a professor that along-side teaching is also providing advise to a nation on economic development or to have a professor that in addition to being distinguished in research has also worked in the banking, consulting, or hedge-funding industry. On top of

Now that I have returned home from the trip of a lifetime, it’s finally starting to hit me how amazing the whole experience was. I learned so much about myself and how different cultures view the United States and Americans. In my program I made friendships that will last my entire life from people all across the US and even some in Spain. I got to see more in four months than what some may see in an entire lifetime and I am truly grateful and blessed for that opportunity.

Since my last post I went to one of my favorite European cities and that was Prague. I found that city to absolutely enchanting. From the architecture to its incredible history every bit of that city intrigued me. I loved walking around the old city and seeing the Astronomical clock, the Charles bridge, and especially the Lennon wall. And after studying in a tourist city like Barcelona with high prices it was great to be able to go a city that was so affordable! If I did study abroad again I think I would spend it in Prague.

Another one of my trips included going to Madrid. Having spent months in Barcelona I wanted to see what the biggest city in Spain was like. Many people had told me that Barce was totally different from Madrid and they were completely right. Although Barcelona has a population of 1.6 million people it never really feels overwhelming like a major city, but Madrid definitely has a big city vibe to it. There was so much to do and see and I wish I had gotten to spend more time there. The royal palace was absolutely stunning and I cannot believe that it took less than 30 years to build this humongous masterpiece of a palace. Every room had a different purpose and different theme to it such as the porcelain room where everything was made out of porcelain and was used as a changing room to the blue room that had a upholstered walls of blue velvet that served as a waiting room.

One of the trips I was most excited for was Ireland. I always wanted to see my roots and get to see where some of my ancestry had come from and it did not disappoint. Dublin was a blast. I spent so much time just wandering around the streets and at a night I ran into friends from my study abroad in Barcelona and went to Temple bar area to listen to live music and grab a pint of Guinness. One of my favorite memories was sitting in the pub watching the soccer match between Ireland and Scotland and just watching the reactions of everyone inside going crazy over every kick, it was as if I was back home for a second watching a uofl versus uk game. No matter where you go there are always die hard sports fans. I also got to go to the cliffs of Moher which were absolutely stunning. Standing at about 400 feet above the Atlantic Ocean it is definitely a sight to see. There was something calming about watching the waves repeatedly hit the rock over and over while the wind whipped through my hair.

My study abroad experience was one of the best decision I have ever made. I cannot wait to return to Europe and see the rest of the world. I have a list of places to visit and plan on seeing every one of them now. I have the travel bug.

My study abroad time in Den Haag is quite possibly the best experience of my life. I learned so much, grew as a person, and got to see a ton of amazing things the world has to offer. My only regret is that I didn’t stay longer. Great friends, a beautiful city, and memories that will last a lifetime gave Den Haag a homely feel that I believe is a very rare find. This adventure was truly the experience of a lifetime and I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to study there for the Fall semester.

Reflecting now, I can think of plenty of great things about the city itself, but I will start with the school. The Hague University is very different from the campus lifestyle we are used to at UofL. The entire “uni” is one building with four different sections. At first it was hard to wrap my mind around how 21,000 students studied in the building, but the structure and innovation of the building is nothing to sleep on. There are classrooms everywhere you look in each section of the building. The rooms allow a class size of about 20 to 30 students and there is one big lecture hall where Year 1 lectures are held. The professors are awesome. I loved every class I had just because of the unique personalities that each different professor had to offer. They made class enjoyable even when the material was not. I really enjoyed the schooling during my time because of the excellent staff and the distinct uni.

My schedule allowed me to take Monday’s and Friday’s off. Six courses and twelve hours was a perfect workload for me during the semester. It allowed me to travel Friday through Monday almost every weekend. A normal day whilst in the Hague would consist of going to class in the morning, grabbing a bite to eat with friends or making a delicious meal, and just relaxing with great friends in our apartment which overlooked the city. I am a terrible trip planner and deal finder so I was lucky to have Corey and Albin to travel with. 

The food in Den Haag is different. Going to the grocery store once a week was normally enough to satisfy my hungry belly. If you plan on studying in the Hague, remember to save your cans and bottles! You can make a ton of money back on your drink purchases my just returning bottles and crates. It may even cut the expense in half. A unique treat that I loved dearly was kapsalon from my favorite Turkish kebab shop, Diva. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now. Kapsalon consists of fries smothered and covered in kebab and melted cheese with garlic and spicy sauce to accompany. All that is covered with shredded lettuce, tomato, and onion. A delicious midnight snack that I would even venture to say beats Taco Bell fourth meal. It is a must try in Den Haag.

The greatest part of the entire trip was not what I expected. I expected to travel see the world and return excited to come home. That was the case, but with a little extra something. The friends I made in my time there are irreplaceable. This trip taught me that no matter where you are from or what past you carry with you, people are essentially the same. I have so many memories of times when I would be thinking the same thing as my French roommate, Antoine. We were so similar it was scary. I enjoyed every moment I had with him and the moment he dropped me off at the train station for my trip home, I felt like I was leaving a brother. I know that I will see him again and that we will be friends throughout our lives, but my bond with him is something very special and I will hold onto that forever.

Leaving Den Haag was bitter sweet. I am so grateful for the experience I had, but I was not ready for it to end. Emotions are running high as I’m writing this and that shows me how special it truly was. It tells me that it actually means something. It tells me that the words I am writing are genuine and true. I offered Den Haag my heart and soul on this trip and it filled it with love and memories I will carry with me forever. I thank my parents, UofL, all the advising staff, and the good Lord for the opportunity given to me. It really was the trip of a lifetime.

Thank you for reading,

Chase Zimmer

I can’t believe how quickly this semester has gone by, it feels like yesterday I got to Den Haag and now Christmas is almost here. Now that everything is all said and done here are all the places I got to go to. Antwerp, Belgium; Munich, Germany; Paris, France; Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples, and Pompeii, Italy; Madrid, Spain; London, England; Dublin, Ireland; and Den Haag, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Out of all of these here are my top three favorites and why. This is no particular order.

1. Venice, Rome:

Venice while yes was very expensive was one of the prettiest cities. The city is quite literally a city on water. They have no streets and no cars. Everyone either gets around by boat or by walking. And even though it was the easiest city to get lost in I didn’t mind being lost because the city was just that pretty! Plus the food was amazing!

2. Dublin, Ireland:

The best part about this city is for sure the people. I have never in my entire life met people who were so nice. The people of this city love tourist and genuinely wanted to help! Not only that but if you drive maybe 30-40 mins away from the city you can see the country side and the Ireland country side is one of the prettiest sites I have ever seen! The grass is a shade of green that you have never seen before! It’s just absolutely beautiful!

3. Paris, France:

Pairs is again another pretty city but it’s because of its architecture. Every single building is pretty and worthy of a picture. Not only that it was the cleanest city I went to. I would also have to say that the over all atmosphere was probably the best part. It had that classy, but romantic feel to the city. Finally seeing the Eiffel Tower in person also made this city that much better. Seeing the Eiffel Tower is something I have always dreamed about, so to finally see it in person was literally a dream come true!

This past weekend I had the pleasure to go to Prague. Prague was one of those cities on my short list of places that I for sure had to visit. I don’t know what it is about Prague that is so intriguing to me…maybe it is because it is the biggest city in Europe not affected by World War II which means original buildings. Either way, Prague is one of those cities that I would highly recommend you visit in your lifetime….and SUPER cheap. It is kind of confusing though to use the Czech currency because 100 Koruna is the equivalent of 5 USD which is hard to adjust to.

I got to Prague Friday afternoon and since it gets dark really early now, there wasn’t much to see. EXCEPT, the infamous European Christmas Markets are in full swing so I had the pleasure of walking around Prague’s market in the Old Town Square. The food was amazing to say the least. Everywhere you looked there was a stand selling sausages, ham, chocolate….you name it and they had it.

Christmas in Prague. The church towers in the background inspired the design of the castle in Sleeping Beauty

The next day was my city tour day. I did the usual free walking tour which gave pretty cool insight on the city. I was able to see the Astronomical Clock which is one of the top things to see in Europe but also one of the most overrated behind the Mona Lisa in Paris. On top of clock, we saw the Prague Castle which is the biggest in Europe, the Jewish Quarter, and Charles Bridge. The history behind Prague is pretty amazing and even though it has seen some turmoil over the years, a lot of it was ended peacefully which is pretty cool. We were able to get some really good at a traditional Czech restaurant where I got Beef Goulash which was tasty. The tour guide recommended this art exhibit called the Epic of Slav which gave a good history of the Czech people and it was pretty incredible. The paintings were massive and you got a handbook which explained what was going on in the picture which made it easy to follow

One of the many religious statues on Charles Bridge

End of the bridge

The Astronomical Clock. One of the oldest working clocks in the world. Pretty lame puppet show at the top of every hour

Food that will make your mouth water just looking at it.

View of Prague. Prague Castle on the left side of the picture.

Back of Prague Castle

Front of Prague Castle

Massive paintings at Epic of Slav

View from Charles Bridge

I met a couple of Aussies and Americans at the hostel that night and like me, they were kind of burnt out when it comes to cities so we looked for a place to hike the next day. We ended up finding this place north of the city called Bohemian Paradise. It is a natural park in the Czech Republic that is known for its natural sandstone and great features. The hike was long and the weather wasn’t that great (fog), but it was nice to get out the city and into nature with some cool people.

Nature coming alive

My flight was pretty late in the day on Monday so I looked for a place to hike to kill some time. There actually ended up being this really cool natural park between the city and the airport which worked out perfectly. There are the big rock cliffs that you could climb and some great trails. It was pretty good way to end the trip.

Exams are coming up this week so I have been trying to hit the books which has made it hard to blog. I have 5 exams (Booooo) but I stayed on top of my studying so they shouldn’t be that bad. Exams end the 17th and then I will be off to either Antwerp or Bruges, Belgium for a few days then back to the States for Christmas.

And the adventure continues,

Corey Severson

Berlin for 25th Anniversary of the Wall Coming Down

Was able to go to Berlin with some friends and it just so happened to be the 25th anniversary of the wall coming down. Berlin is a really interesting city filled with history and it was nice because my roommate is German so he could explain some of the history behind the city and how the Germans view their past.

German Parliament

Brandenburg Gate

Holocaust Memorial. When you walk into it, you feel lost and confused. Supposed to represent the confusion amongst the prisoners. The memorial itself is ironic because the stone is sprayed with a chemical that doesn’t allow graffiti to stick…..however the company that makes the chemical is the same company that made the gas for the gas chambers at the concentration camps.

For all of the Pop Culture fans out there…Michael Jackson hung his kid out one of the windows in this hotel….

Checkpoint Charlie. Section of the wall controlled by Western Allies

East Side Gallery. Part of the Wall that is still standing today and was painted by artists from all over the world. The white balloons were all throughout the city where the wall used to stand for the anniversary.

Good Stuff

Main stage commemorating the anniversary. Extremely crowded

Wasn’t in Bavaria…but could still find the greatest meal on the planet. Pork shank, cabbage, and dumplings.

Berlin Cathedral

Remnants of the wall. You could see the different architecture styles from the Soviets (East Germany) and the Germans (West Germany).

This is my first COB post, and since it has been practically 2 months since I began my semester in Sevilla, some people will say that I have been procrastinating in writing this. For me, however, I do not think it is so much as procrastination as it is a lack of time. In my ten weeks in Sevilla, not only have I completed a two-week intensive Spanish course, but I have also traveled to seven Spanish cities, and visited five countries on the weekends: France, Morocco, Portugal, Great Britain, and Germany. This amount of traveling is very exhausting, but each weekend I am so grateful for the opportunity to explore Europe (and in the one instance Northern Africa). I am not going to lie…there have been moments when I have second-guessed studying abroad this semester. However, I would never change my decision to be in Spain if I were given the option.

I feel like I differ from the majority of people who have or are studying abroad now because I would never describe this experience as a fairy tale or a dream that you are afraid will end. I promise I have enjoyed my time here, but I do miss greatly my family and friends and the majority of the aspects from my culture. The Spanish cuisine, for instance, became quite repetitive after the first few weeks here. What I originally thought would be healthy, flavorful food, has turned out only to be food drenched in olive oil and salt. Each day I miss my buffalo sauce and fried chicken more and more, and I continue to imagine my dream meal when I return to the US on December 5. Maybe it started out as a game or a way to remember my favorite foods with my friends, but now when I stare at the tortilla española on my plate—the fifth instance this week—it is quite calming to imagine in its place a big, juicy steak in only a matter of 18 days.

Even though I definitely miss home, I feel like my two months abroad have accomplished the goals that I had created before leaving Louisville in September. Not only did I want to improve my Spanish language abilities and confidence in the subject, but I also wanted to become a more independent person. When I came to Spain, it had been approximately two years since I had taken any Spanish course, and I hardly practiced the language in Louisville outside of a classroom. Ask any of my friends or family, and I am completely positive that they could relay to you just how afraid I was to be studying in a country where I had not practiced the language for so long. Even though I never believed those people who told me that my language abilities would come back to me quickly, those people were for the most part correct. At the beginning of the semester as I sat in my intensive Spanish course—reviewing those obscure verb structures and endings that I had once learned—it finally felt as if a flood gate had been opened as all the old knowledge I had grasped from my Advanced Placement high school teacher Mrs. Robke, came flooding forward into my memory. I am still surprised as to how much vocabulary I had retained after so many years, and I continue to increase my confidence in my Spanish writing skills.

As for my Spanish speaking skills, however, that is a different story. While I may be slightly disadvantaged due to my gringa Kentucky accent and the fact I cannot roll my R’s (thanks genetics), I do continue to struggle with oral communication. For the most part, my professors and my host mom understand exactly what I am saying; it is every other native who has difficulty understanding me. Sometimes, I repeat a word or phrase three times to a person, only for them to repeat it back to me exactly as I had said it, before they understand me; but other times the people give up on me. Granted, many Sevillans are friendly and are willing to help you, but I feel I have a tendency of finding all the people who become annoyed easily with Americans.

Despite this, there are times when all the cards fall into place and something special happens, something that makes you retain your faith in the whole reason why you are studying abroad. If you are lucky enough to stumble upon this when you go out at night, make sure that you appreciate it and fully take advantage of it. The first time I stumbled upon a group of Spaniards who wanted to practice their English speaking, I was completely surprised as to the impact this would produce. During this weird intercambio in which I spoke in Spanish and the Spaniards spoke in English, a judgment free zone was created since both the Spaniards and I were struggling as much as the other one. It is in this zone where all the pressure of speaking perfect Spanish vanishes and you can finally enjoy speaking the Spanish language. You learn so much more in these random intercambios about the Spanish culture and the colloquial phrases used in Sevilla than any amount of time you can spend in a classroom. It is during these intercambios that you stop questioning your study experience, and you start only focusing on the positives of your time abroad—at least until the conversation ends and you remember you have assignments due in the morning.

While it was difficult for me to finally take the plunge and to sign up to study abroad in Spain, this was only the start of becoming significantly more independent. Before coming here, I already felt that I was independent since I lived in my Louisville apartment six hours away from my parents’ house. However, that does not compare to what happens in Spain. It is not only the significant distance between Europe and the US, but it is also the fact that you—and only you—are solely responsible for your own well-being. Before studying abroad in Sevilla, I had never once before traveled alone and I had increasingly relied on my family and friends for all planning. In Europe, it becomes your responsibility to plan and book everything, navigate places usually without the use of a working phone, and somehow still manage to evade the pickpockets of Europe. It is time consuming and exhausting, and it forces you to grow up and mature even when you thought you had matured as much as you could. In my time abroad, I have become wiser—especially with traveling—and I now feel that I possess street-smarts even though two months ago I only had book-smarts to my name and could not even navigate anywhere without the use of my GPS.

When I am not traveling, and the Spanish culture and people are starting to weigh heavily on me, I just have to laugh. I have to laugh at myself when I make mistakes speaking Spanish, and I have to laugh later at some of the cultural differences that earlier in the day angered me. I have to laugh when my host mom turns some of my clothes into tie-dye and yells at me for not eating my olive oil soaked vegetables. I have to laugh when I mispronounce the ending of the word for chicken (pollo), and it turns into a word completely opposite of what I wanted. I also have to share in other people’s laughter. I have to laugh with my roommate when she shares the story of her having to run to class with her backpack as Spaniards videotape her; and I have to laugh when we all share host parent stories, each more horribly funny than the previous one.

When I reflect on my study abroad experience, I realize how much of these past two months have been full of funny memories, especially over things that I never thought I would be able to laugh at. In an environment that is so different from the one that I am accustomed to, I have to place a positive spin on my daily failures and on my slight annoyances with the city. My experience has not been perfect, but I realize the great opportunity I have to experience the Spanish culture first hand for three months. I know when I return to the US, I will have these funny memories to share with my family and friends and to continue remembering my experience abroad.

Lauren

As I sit on my balcony overlooking the park with the sun shining on my face I am struggling to put into words the overwhelming experience that I have had so far in Barcelona. Every aspect of this study abroad experience has been absolutely amazing. Nearly every person I talked to before I left for this trip told me that it was one of the best things that they had ever done and when I asked if they had any regrets it was only that they did not stay longer. I am no exception this. So far in my life, there have been only a handful of my moments that I knew in the present moment that they were truly exceptional and I would relish these moments forever. This is one of them. I am at the top of my roller coaster and enjoying every single moment that I am given. I cannot thank UofL, the donors, my advisers, my teachers, the ISA program staff, and especially my parents for giving me the encouragement and means to make this wonderful experience a reality.

When I first got to Barcelona I was honestly a little scared and nervous. Knowing no one and not being fluent in the native tongue is a daunting thing especially when you are in a foreign countries for four months. Typically, I am pretty aware of where I am and relative location, but for my first few days in Barcelona I was practically a deer in headlights and lost constantly. This was fantastic. I discovered places that I would have never gone typically and simply embraced the moment. Instead of being fearful of not knowing where I was headed, I viewed it as an adventure that would only enhance my experience of this city I was living in. Yet, with all the adventure and excitement my first few days in Barcelona were met with me being pretty homesick. Life is pretty different here and there moments when I wondered, how am I going to live here for four months? I looked at my calender and thought, “Wow, I have a long time left.” After that, the first three days felt as long as the first three weeks. Time has simply flown by. Like many others, I have met so many amazing people in my time here. My homestay mom, Rosa is the sweetest Spanish lady. She takes care of me like I was her own. I cannot thank her enough for easing my transition to this Spanish life. I have friends here now that I know I will stay in contact with and visit for the rest of my life.

Barcelona is technically a part of Spain, but anyone who is from here or has lived here long enough will tell you that it is actually part of Catalonia. Now, you might think I am just being picky by saying oh its Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and not just Barcelona, Spain, but there is a strong fervor here that Barça is truly Catalonia. The culture here is very different than the rest of Spain that I have seen. Every street sign, every menu, and most of what you will hear on the streets is Catalan. Although it may share some similarities with Spanish it is very different. Even though I do not know any Catalan I get by with my Spanish, but have learned that by extending the courtesy of greeting the locals with a little Catalan, it goes a long way. The Catalan people are very proud and have an extremely rich heritage. There is hardly a street here that is not lined with at least three or four Catalan flags. I am especially lucky because I am in Barcelona at a special moment in history where Barcelona is looking to vote for their independence in less than one week (November 9). Although it may have been blocked by the Spanish government it has not subsided the ferocity at which people are calling for independence and at the very least a democratic vote. I personally am a little biased because my homestay mom is very passionate about the issue and believes that Catalonia should be independent, but I believe it is only right for the people to be given the right to decide what they think is best.

My time here as been filled with so many great memories. September was packed with events including holidays such as La Merce (the annual city festival), which was an insane city wide festival with concerts, parades, and fireworks that rivaled Thunder over Louisville. Singing songs, dancing in the streets, walking in the parade, and lighting sparklers with the locals was a great experience. At times, I felt like I was a local and just having fun with over a million of my closest friends.

Every week here is seemingly filled with constant activities. Between going to class, laying out on the beach, swimming in the Mediterranean and hanging out with friends there really are not enough hours in the day. I can understand why the Spanish started taking siestas during the day. I have so many options here it is truly a blessing. I have gone to the Pablo Picasso museum and seen why he is so revered for his work. I have hiked the mountain to Tibidabo, the highest point in the Collserola mountain range. I have been to the clubs on the beaches and danced with friends until the sun came up. Before coming to Barcelona I had no clue what I was getting into and how much fun it would be. I cannot begin to explain to how much fun it is to get into a dance off against the locals on the metro at 2am or how wonderful it is to sit on rooftops looking at the skyline sipping on cheap Spanish wine. Living in Barcelona or Spain in general I would have thought that I would need to immerse myself in the culture but rather it kind of just wraps around you like a blanket and you begin to see why people love it here so much. They do not need all the amenities and luxuries that we are afforded in the United States (albeit they are nice), but they live for the simple pleasure of good food, wine, and company. Some of my favorite nights have been spent with friends just walking the streets of Barcelona and talking about life. I am exposed to so many different styles of living and how people perceive the same events differently; it is fascinating to me.

One of the best experiences I have had so far was going to the Barcelona versus Ajax champions league futbol (soccer) game. I decided just hours before the game I was going to go and bought a ticket front row behind the goal in the Barcelona fan section. When I bought the ticket I didn’t realize what I was getting into and since I didn’t own any Barcelona gear I wore my USA soccer shirt. I quickly realized that I needed to blend in so I bought a Messi jersey. That was definitely the right decision. I soon found out that I was in the heart of where all the dedicated fans go. They all had on their jerseys while waving their huge flags and banners around. They chanted the songs of support for the team and roared every time Barça got close. Now, Barcelona FC plays in Camp Nou which seats over 98,000 people and I swear to you every single of one of those seats was filled with die-hard fans. The stadium was electric. When Messi connected with Neymar for the first goal the stadium exploded and sounded like a fighter jet had just flown over my head. It was absolutely amazing. Later on when Messi scored the second goal for Barça, I understood why he was such a big deal. Not only is he lightning quick, but his footwork and mastery of the game are obvious. The fan section I was in began chanting his name and bowing to him like he was a demi god. After Barcelona won 3-1 it was an absolute mad-house trying to leave the stadium. Everyone flooded out into the streets and turned the city into a sea of scarlet and blue. After having been able to attend a game like that I am definitely a fan for life. I can appreciate why their motto for the club is, “Mes Que Un Club” or “More Than A Club”. Barcelona futbol is a way of life.

Although I am in Barcelona for the semester, it would not be a true study abroad experience without traveling and seeing the rest of what Europe has to offer. To date, I have been to Sitges, the French Riviera (Nice, Eze, and Monte Carlo), San Sebastian, Valencia, Peniscola, London, Narbonne, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Collioure, Montserrat, and Paris. I have loved each one of the places for their own unique features. My favorite (if I had to choose even though I love all of them) is probably London. In my four days there I go to see so much of the city including: London Bridge, Tower Bridge, the Globe theater, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Belgravia, the National Gallery, Tate Modern Buckingham Palace, Picadilly circus, Camden Market, Burrough Market, the Eye of London, London Tower, Parliament, Big Ben, Millenium Bridge, Hampton Court, and Hyde Park. It was a whirlwind trip and I loved every minute of it. I have met some Americans who are studying abroad there and alot of them have not gotten to experience some of the things that I did in my limited time there. I did so much of that on my own and was happy I did so. There was nothing that was going to hold me back from seeing as much as I could.

Traveling and study abroad has taught me alot about Spain, culture, and myself. I have learned to not mind getting lost because I will always find something I did not know before. I have learned to try everything. I have eaten fish heads, had mussels for the first time, tried countless different types of tapas, and discovered my love for good french duck. I understand now that being uncomfortable is normal and actually good because I am much more open to new experiences now. I know that I need to be bold and just make decisions instead of letting others always decide. I have learned that you will always meet new friends and find really interesting people from all over and in my time that has included people from: Peru, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Russia, and France. Meeting all of these different people has taught me that getting to know other people enriches your life and also reminds you of your roots. While I have grown and changed as a person I feel even more proud now to be an American and a Kentuckian.

I am only a little more than half way through my study abroad and I simply am baffled at where the time has gone. It seems like only yesterday I boarded a plane to Barcelona and I know now that the remaining weeks I have left will go quickly so I intend to make the most of it. I have Prague, Dublin, and Madrid to look for to in the coming weeks and I am very excited for those. It might be cliche, but the one phrase that I think sums it up nicely is, “Life is beautiful.”

Until next time. Go Cards.