Final Moments In Barca

After four weeks of discovering the twisted streets of Cataluña, today was our last day in Barcelona. It has been the trip of a lifetime with several impromptu ice creams, dozens of much needed coffees and an exponential amount of stories. We decided to hike up onto park Guell to see the entire city today so that we could reminisce together about this past unforgettable month. Antonia Gaudi, the architect who also designed La Sagrada Familia, designed the park. It was absolutely stunning. I chose Barcelona specifically to see his work and it has been nothing short of astonishing. The charm, buildings and spirit of this city have definitely blown me away and the friends I have made here are unlike any others I have ever had. I feel like my Spanish speaking skills have never been better and I couldn’t be happier to have been blessed with this opportunity to study abroad through IES.

If I had any words of advice for people who are considering studying abroad, it would be this: keep an open mind and do as much as you can in the time that you have. Do something every day, whether it’s a new experience or not. Go to the beach, go shopping or just get lost. Some of our best days happened because we just got lost in the city. Be smart. Never assume you’re going to be safe or that something won’t happen to you. Take precautions but step outside your comfort zone. Try new things! You don’t even have to like them. Make as many friends as you can. Take lots of pictures! And remember you are doing this for yourself. This experience is for you. Make it count.