Sunday June 11

Es el primer día en Barcelona! We arrived at 9 AM and then took a bus to the CIEE center where my host family picked me up. My family consists of a mom and her two young sons along with their grandmother! I met my room mate who arrived earlier that day and then we got to rest after the nonstop travel. 

Later my host mom's brother and his wife came over who are also hosting someone from the program, so we are like host cousins! We enjoyed lunch together and then we walked around the city and saw the Catalon's National Museum of Art (pictured above). 

While it was so exciting to be in a new country, I was exhausted from jet lag and went to sleep at 7 PM in order to recharge! I was also a bit nervous because it just hit me that this was my home for four weeks in a new country with unfamiliar people. Although, I kept trying to remember how beneficial this experience is and as time goes on, things will get better. 

Monday June 12

Today was much better! After getting 12 hours of sleep it was nice starting the day refreshed. Our host grandmother took us to the CIEE center which is only a 15 minute commute by bus from our apartment. At the bus stop we met up with our host cousin and three other girls in the program who live nearby. 

Once we arrived at the center we walked to a hotel where our orientation was. We learned all about the program and what it entails and then had lunch there at the hotel. We also had to complete an oral interview in Spanish, which just ensured that we were placed in the correct level for classes after taking a pre-assessment in March. We got into our smaller groups with our respective program leaders, and there is about 12 of us in each one.

After the orientation we walked around with our groups and they showed us around the city some more. They also showed us the ins and outs of the metro (as we have unlimited passes) and explained how the buses work. An interesting thing here in Barcelona is that if you want the bus to pick you up at your stop, you have to wave it down, just like you would a taxi!

Once we spent some time with our group, we were able to have free time. A group of us went shopping in the stores nearby and then we took the metro to the flea market! I bought an old postcard from Barcelona in 1969. 

We made our way home by 7:30 so we could eat dinner with our host family around 8. It's common to eat later here in Spain, although we eat on the earlier side because our family has young children. After dinner we just rested to prepare for our first day of activities and class tomorrow!

Tuesday June 13

Today was our first "normal" day of the program! 

For our cultural activity of the day we had a bus tour of the city on our way to the "Castillo de Montjuic" or Montjuic's Castle. Montjuic is a mountain in Barcelona and there is a beautiful castle with a rich history where you can view a port in the Mediterranean Sea and the "skyline" of Barcelona. 

To make our way down the mountain we rode a cable car gondola down and there were some gorgeous views, even though it was rainy!

Then we went back to the center and had our first Spanish class. After this we had free time, and my friends and I explored some of the Gothic Quarter, an area in Barcelona with the most beautiful architecture. There were many fun shops that I hope to go back to. 

Wednesday June 14

For our cultural activity we got to visit a Spanish high school, and converse with other students who were learning English! This was such a great opportunity because we got to practice our skills but also learn about their culture and how things are similar/different in a high school setting. They also got to ask us questions about our lives in the US. 

For lunch my friends and I stopped at a café and I had my first "café con leche" here in Spain. 

I was tired and decided to go straight home and get my homework done instead of going out for our free time. 

Thursday June 15

Our cultural activity today we took a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter and what they call "Barcelona Antiga" which translates to "Old Barcelona." We learned that there are two parts to the city, one area being the original part and the other half being constructed later. It was a incredible tour, as I love the "calles estrechas" which translates to "narrow streets" and it seems as though every building you find in these streets has beautiful architecture and the more you walk, the more streets you can find. 

After class we found a café to sit outside and finish our homework at, because the weather was perfect. 

Friday June 16

Today my room mate and I stopped at the café right outside of our apartment and got a croissant to eat on our way to the CIEE center: it was very delicious!

We didn't have a cultural activity today, so we just had Spanish class in the morning and then my group had a check in with our program leader to make sure everything was going okay. 

Since we got out at 12:30 today, my friends and I went to the beach! While it's very crowded and a hotspot for pickpockets, I truly enjoyed myself. As long as you're careful, it's a fun time. The water was cold but refreshing because it was very hot. 

I'm much more confident in my Spanish speaking/listening abilities after being exposed to mainly Spanish all week. It's also much easier to use the bus/metro now that I've been here for almost a week! Although even with all of the public transportation, Barcelona is such a walkable city as well. 

Saturday June 17

Today was our first day trip! We meet at the CIEE center and took a bus to Tibidabo, a mountain in Barcelona with a beautiful church and amusement park! 

From this mountain, you can get some of the best views of Barcelona, because on one side you can see the terracotta hues of the city and the other you can see the forests and mountains in the distance. There is a church called "Basílica del Sagrado Corazón" or the church of the sacred heart. There are three different levels of view points: the first of which you can take an elevator to but the others just have stairs. 

After seeing the church we got to spend the whole day in the amusement park section of Tibidabo. There were many fun rides such as a ferris wheel, swings, and a log ride, which was great to cool down from the hot weather. We made sure to apply lots of sunscreen!