About an hour into my flight to Barcelona from San Francisco, I had my “oh, shoot” moment. It suddenly dawned on me that for the next four months, I’d be living in a new country, where I knew no one. I tried to swallow my fear as I watched the sun set over the wings.
Luckily, all worries were assuaged when I arrived at my homestay and was welcomed by my gracious host family. I then met my two roommates, both of whom would become my close friends. And somewhere in between the ornate buildings, natural beauty and vivacity of Barcelona, I found myself enamored with my new city.
Now, after four months of exploring, traveling, sightseeing, wandering, tasting, discovering and experiencing what Barcelona has to offer, I have to say goodbye to the city I’ve called home this semester.
I spent my last few days in Barcelona bidding farewell to a few of my favorite spots. My goodbye went something like this:
1) Sitting in the sun at Parc de Ciutadela, my favorite place to spend time when the weather is nice.
2) One last run along the beach
3) Wandering through El Born and the Gothic quarter to pick out a few souvenirs
4) Learning how to make a tortilla de patata with the careful instruction of my host mom (and fastidiously writing down her instructions so I can make it at home)
5) One last bocadillo at Bo De B and a final visit to Brunch & Cake
6) Finally having lunch at that café I’ve been wanting to try all semester.
7) Going back to La Boqueria twice in two days for some fresh snacks
8) Sipping water from the Fuente de Canaletas on La Rambla (legend goes that those who drink from it will get to return to Barcelona.)
9) Realizing that a difficult goodbye just means I’ve been lucky enough to be in a place I loved so much, with wonderful new friends who made it so special.
I leave Barcelona as a more competent, fulfilled person with gratitude and wonder at all I’ve gotten to see. So, like most who come to Barcelona, goodbye isn’t really goodbye. It’s more like “see you later”, because I know I’ll return as soon as I can.
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Rachel Thompson
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Hi there! I'm a California native studying journalism in one of the coolest cities in the world, at The University of Texas at Austin. I'm a fan of chocolate, watching sports (go Giants), nice people, anything vintage and pretty much all music. I write as much as I can, whether it's a news article, a blog, or just a journal entry. When I'm not writing, I love to run, try new recipes in my little kitchen, take dance classes and catch up with friends. My goal is to see every continent someday. I'm getting there!</span></p>
