Reflecting on My Summer Abroad in Barcelona

My flight from Barcelona landed in Miami almost a week ago. Since then, life has been a lot calmer than it was for most of the summer: I go to bed early, unpack my suitcases bit by bit, prepare myself for classes, which will start soon, and spend a lot of time catching up on Love Island USA. I miss Barcelona endlessly, especially the friends I met there and how cheap the chocolate croissants were. But I’m trying to keep the post-abroad blues at bay by looking forward to catching up with all my college friends and beginning my senior year, bringing with me all the memories I’ve made and ways I’ve grown this summer. For my last blog post (😢 👋), I wanted to share some of these with you all. 

Two nights before I left for Barcelona, I made a list in my journal of goals for my time in Barcelona. It wasn’t so much a bucket list (I did that in a Notes app on my phone) as it was hopes I had for myself and things to keep in mind to keep myself in check/on the path of who I wanted to be coming out of the summer. So while there were some objective things that I could definitively check off or not (like “#10: take a dance class” and “#3: lessen unnecessary spending”), the majority of them were more aspirational in nature, like “#2: deepen my connection with my intuition” and “#11: be confident! Be outgoing! Be friendly :) ”. 

            I have my journal open next to me as I write this, and I can confidently say that I met all my goals. I took a few salsa classes, improved my Spanish a ton, and got really comfortable being on my own by setting aside intentional time alone, like going for ramen or reading in the park. I also accomplished “#1: make the most/best out of every moment/scenario” by catching myself during more pessimistic moments and redirecting negative thoughts. As much as I loved my time abroad, there were definitely a few moments of frustration, particularly in the beginning when I was still getting acclimated to the new world around me. But there’s few things a mindset shift can’t fix, and in these moments I would remind myself that living in a new country is a huge change that is bound to bring about bumps in the road. These challenges were not things to get upset about, but instead signs that I was fully immersing myself in this new way of living, and in the grand scheme of things I was really lucky to be having “problems” that were brought on by a thing as beautiful as getting to live in Spain for a summer. 

            In summary, I’ve definitely noticed the ways in which I’ve changed after living abroad for two months. On the surface, I eat healthier foods, I have a more elevated style (or so I like to think lol), and I like to spend more time alone. On a deeper level, I’ve noticed I’m less anxious, more hopeful, and I approach the things and people around me with a more understanding and open mind as opposed to judgement. I think it’s really beautiful to be able to look inwards and notice growth; it’s like watching a garden blossom over time, or seeing the column of pencil marks on a wall that tracked your childhood height and noticing how all the versions of who you once were have brought you to who you are now. 

I’ll close off with two quotes I found (on TikTok, of course) that perfectly sum up how I feel about this summer. 

"I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote. To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen 

Love, Natalie