Barcelona is so beautiful!  I have soaked up every possible sight that I can see!  The architecture here is everywhere.  Every single apartment building, school, park, and store is amazing.  And the city is as fun as it is beautiful.  Everyday after school, my roommate and I head out to explore a new sight that the city and country have to offer.  So far we have been to Mt. Tibidabo, Valencia, Pamplona, Girona, the Magic Fountain, the Chocolate Museum, and countless other places!  Speaking of my roommate, I love my homestay arrangement.  I have a fantastic host mother, Pura, and she has a really sweet son, Javier.  I have my own room with a desk, dresser, and bureau.  The only downside is no air-conditioning…but luckily I’m always cold so I have adjusted quickly.

The most interesting thing that I have learned so far is about the Spanish culture built around their fútbol teams.  I never knew that teams here had such a strong tie to the fans’ political ideology.  I have learned about this and more in my Sports and Society class.  I feel like I am learning a lot about the Spanish culture in that class.  In my other class, Spanish, I definitely can tell my Spanish is improving!  Our class is particularly focused around verbs, which is the weakest part of my language skills.  Unfortunately, I’m not quite fluent yet, but I am in the process.

As I’m sure this blog has made evident, I am in love with Barcelona.  There is such a community-feel here, which makes it seem like a lot smaller city than it actually is.  This reminds me of UofL, which helps me not have homesickness.  Definitely a home away from home here.

Hasta luego, Shelby