Didn't See This Coming!

     I did not realize how difficult this would be. I guess I can chalk it up to the fact that over the summer I avoided thinking about being away from everyone for three and a half months so that I could enjoy the 16 weeks that I did have of sweet summertime. To be honest, this absolutely sucks and too many tears have made their way down my cheeks. I did not come here with friends, I did not come here knowing the language, I did not come here with the desire to go out to all of the bars and clubs at night. I had no idea that 99% of students only “study” abroad to have access to the night scene, bars and clubs, and that their version of “having a good time” is equivalent to that of a night you literally cannot remember the next morning.

     But, I did not come to Barcelona for the above reasons. I came here to immerse myself in the language, to absorb the culture, to observe the different ways of life, and to actually study. It has been a frustrating transition into the Barcelona city life. I am struggling to find people that I can relate to as I seem to be very different from others, but I won’t give up until I leave on finding just a single soul that holds similar views as I. I miss everyone back home, terribly, especially a certain someone (Thank you for being my rock always. I could not do this without you.). But being away has led me to realize how much support I have back home. The love that everyone keeps sending through their messages and phone calls will be what gets me through this experience with a smile on my face! I appreciate the positivity because sometimes that is really hard to locate when you feel so alone in a foreign place.

     The only advice that some students offer is: You need to stop talking to people back home so you are not so attached to them and then you won’t feel sad anymore. I find that statement highly untrue. Those people back home are the reason that I am where I am at this very moment in time. I wanted to come home the night that I arrived here and a few days after the feeling had not gone away. If it weren’t for the love and support from those individuals back home, I would be back in Pennsylvania right now. They believed in me when I did not believe in myself. Thank you. A cousin of mine had the best advice, as she had been through a very similar situation and knew exactly what I am feeling. Her novels of advice have definitely hit me and turned my attitude around about being in Barcelona. Luckily, I am here for only three months rather than three years as she was in her locale. Also, I must give a mini-shoutout to Paula! You’re the best and it feels like I have two real moms sometimes! I cannot wait for Walking Dead to come back on!

     The students that I am studying abroad with, from my observations, are all quite similar. I worked hard to be here: searching for scholarship opportunities, keeping my grades up, and slaving away in the factory over the summer to earn the money for my plane tickets and other expenses. So I plan to take away from this city everything that I put into getting here. I want to see all that it has to offer, taste its food, take pictures of the amazing architecture, build relationships with my host family as I continue to pick up more Spanish, and simply enjoy being here.

     I have traveled to Tarragona, a beautiful city built amongst the Roman ruins. I have enjoyed a sunset sea cruise on the Mediterranean. I have explored the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, the most famous fresh market in Barcelona and ranked as one of the best in the world. I let the sand between my toes and allowed the water to wash over my feet on the coastline of the Mediterranean. I have explored the “hipster” section of the city where vendors create their own goods from local materials. This is just the first nine days of my adventure and I have plenty of time to discover what else this city has to offer.

     On a more educational side of this adventure, Spanish classes have begun and I have homework to do later! I am fully enjoying this part of Barcelona. I love to learn and my number one goal is to learn as much Spanish as possible. It is a language I will be using and building upon for the rest of my life for career and personal use. As a psychology major, I am well aware that language immersion is the best possible way to learn a language and was the strongest determiner on my decision to leave the United States. While they do speak a language known as Catalan (a mix of Spanish and French that only one state in Spain uses), all of the citizens also know Spanish. I am very proud of myself when I am able to communicate with my host-mother or a waitress in Spanish!

     So, here’s to the next 100 days of Barcelona and to making these 100 happy days. Wow, 100 days does not really seem that long anymore!

Bicycles you can rent around the city.

A goat head at la Boqueria. 

Gummy candy in all shapes!

Barceloneta, the beach.

Arc de Triompf.

Santes Creus.

Oasis in Santes Creus, an old monastery in Aiguamurcia.

Tarragona Amphitheatre. Gladiators fought here a long time ago!

Vending machine for cigarettes in a supermarket.

Barcelona from the Mediterranean sea.

Casa Batllo by Antoni Gaudi.

Safely in Barcelona

     Well, I have made it to Barcelona safely. I am here, arrived on Monday, September 1 at approximately 4am US time, 10am here. Flying alone is stressful and awful. Will be making future plans to always travel with another person, that’s for sure! But, I was lucky enough to have the middle seat empty on my seven and a half hour flight, so I opted to lay down and sleep for a few hours despite the screaming child and obnoxious couples sitting next to each other.

     My roommate, Kassie (who is very cool, by the way), was at the airport waiting with other students that had already arrived, so we were able to take a taxi together to the apartment. Our taxi driver was very friendly and talked to us in his thick Spanish accent the entire ride there. When we pulled our luggage up to the front doors of the apartment building, we were unable to figure out how to open the large glass doors, so our homestay father, Carlos, had to come down and open the door for us. We do have keys now and are fully able to open all doors necessary to enter the apartment! The elevator in the apartment building is the oldest working elevator in Barcelona, Carlos informed us. The apartment is very nice, and the shower is huge. Apparently, so I have heard, we are lucky to have such a large shower because most showers in apartments are very small. There is no air conditioning, so I will be losing a significant amount of water weight until it begins to cool down here in late October!

     Carlos speaks very little English, about as well as my Spanish; Josefina speaks no English. I am definitely in trouble, but will be picking up Spanish very quickly! I am not allowed to speak in English while at dinner, and Josefina takes the time to point to various objects around the kitchen and name them for me to say. They have five young grandchildren, all boys with very curly hair, who come every day to stay at the apartment. My bad luck continues as I was in the shower this morning… one of the grandchildren pushed on the door so hard because he really had to go to the bathroom that he unlocked the door and swung it right open!! He turned around and ran out of the bathroom and I had to quickly close the door, so I am hoping that they either start knocking on the door or Carlos installs a new lock on the door, because that one did not work at all! There is construction that begins around 8am every morning right outside of our balcony window, so I am lucky that my classes all begin at 9am anyways so I will definitely be forced to wake up.

     There are peculiar things that I am beginning to discover about Barcelona. For example, the floors always start at 0 and then proceed to floor 1, so I must be careful when entering buildings and trying to find a floor above the first. They don’t use ice, so I will be drinking warm water for three and a half months. You are still supposed to cross the street even when the little walking man on the sign turns red instead of green. I have been told to keep a keen eye aware of my surroundings as pickpocketing is a large issue in Barcelona, and I don’t want to lose any of my stuff. And I will be adding to this list as time goes on and I discover more and more about the city and its people.

     Homesickness has definitely set in already. I avoided thinking too much about it over the summer, but now that I am here, I am all on my own. There are a few people that I am tempted to fly out here to take away this feeling in my heart, but I will figure it out. I did not come with friends, like most of the students here, and I do not have family here, like some of the students here as well. It makes it tough, especially when my connection with my host family is inhibited by a clear language barrier. It also saddens me that the majority of students only desire to go out every single night that they are here, bragging about their ‘connections’ they have already made to obtain VIP passes to the hottest clubs in Barcelona. Fortunately, that is not the experience that I am here for and my goal is to mature through this experience rather than the opposite.

     Tonight, we have dinner at 8pm with other students living in the same area as us. Our RAV (Resident Assistant Volunteer), Unai, is meeting all of us there to introduce us to each other. Saturday is always chorizo for dinner (I love chorizo!) and Sundays are always pizza nights! This Friday and Saturday, we have a mandatory field trip to Tarragona to bond with the other students in our Spanish classes. Orientation starts soon, so I will be updating again soon! Hasta Luego!

     If you would like to see more pictures, follow my instagram at http://instagram.com/elnomada912.

     Also, to be able to comment on my blog, I believe you will need to create a google account, which is free to do. You can do that here: https://accounts.google.com/signup?service=mail.

Flying to Toronto.

The lovely construction from our balcony.

The Apartment Building.

Oldest elevator in Barcelona.

If You Don't Know What Is Going On...

Mallorca, Spain

Bienvenido! Hello all!
Most of you probably already know me because this blog is intended for family and friends, but for those of you that don't, I will offer a quick bio: My name is Megan. I am a student that will be studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain for the fall semester of 2014. I am a psychology major with an option in business and intend to graduate and continue on to law school. I will be taking the following classes at the study center in Barcelona - Spanish Language and Cultures: Novice Abroad II Intensive, Sports and Society in Spain, Leading Across Cultures: Principles and Practice, Human Development in the Spanish Socio-Cultural Context, and Cultural Perspectives in Psychology. Consider that class list as proof that it will not be just a fun-filled vacation time for this college student (although I have no doubt that I will be enjoying every second of my time in Spain!). I will also be going on many field trips to explore the city/country that will be my new home, including a weekend in Mallorca!
I have never traveled abroad, only been on a plane once to Florida, and speak enough Spanish to know how to ask where the bathroom is... "Donde esta el baño?" It is a strange feeling knowing that you will be spending 3.5 months away from the life you have known for 20 years: a mix of happiness, nervousness, excitement, and terror. My time abroad will not be easy, I am sure, but it is something that I will let myself make the best of. It will be a life-changing experience, an opportunity that too many others allow to pass them by, and I don't want to regret not exploring the world.
I will be living with a family in Barcelona, welcomed into their house and home and integrated into the Spanish way of life. This way, I will be able to pick up the Spanish language quicker and be encouraged to use Spanish instead of English. This is probably the scariest part because I will have no idea who the family is until a few weeks before I fly to Spain! My fingers are crossed that the family adores me and wants me to come back!
To my family and friends: Please leave comments and questions on my posts! I will hopefully be updating at least once a week with pictures and stories of my adventures. If there is anything you would like to know more about or a picture that you would like me to take of Barcelona and post for everyone to see, I would love to do so! I arrive in Barcelona on Monday, September 1, so my next post will not be until after that date. Hopefully I can make it feel as though you are also experiencing a little part of Barcelona with me. :)