And that’s a wrap for me at Barcelona! I left two weeks ago, and I’m doing this article in my home, sadly. Sad because my time at Barcelona is over, and I’m missing the beautiful city I lived for the semester. However, as one friend told me to cheer me up: don’t be sad because it’s over, be happy because it happened. This quote has definitely helped me cheer up these last two weeks and made me appreciate what I got this semester.

This study abroad experiences has truly been very enriching for me. I could say that I have grown personally, academically, and professionally. Personally and professionally because I learned to quickly adapt, be independent, and be resilient. Academically because I got to learn more about Spain’s political system and Barcelona’s wishes for independence. I made sure to take classes about Spain and Barcelona’s history at my host university, just to learn more about other histories and perspectives.

Not only did I get to grow as an individual, I also got to have a lot of fun! I was fortunate enough to visit 11 cities around Europe in 3 months. I got to see their city, culture, and a little bit about their history. The place where I had the most fun was in Morocco. Riding camels and sandboarding at the Sahara Desert is an experience that I think I will never experience it again. Morocco is a completely different country than others that I have visited and used to, and that’s why I had so much fun. However, my favorite place that I visited was Lake Como, Italy. This place probably had the best views I have ever seen and the best architecture, and that’s why it gets the #1 spot for the best pace I visited.

And I cannot forget about the food! Every place that I went I got to try their local dishes and popular foods. I spent a decent amount of time trying new food, and I could say it was very delicious! Additionally, I could confidently say that the food quality and taste in Europe is way better than in the US. My favorite food that I tried in Europe was the paella, which is a saffron-flavored rice cooked with meats, seafood, and vegetable. The other food that I really liked was the authentic pizza at Italy.

Now, I can conclude that my risk of going alone to Barcelona was totally worth it. To whoever is reading this article, and is scared of travelling alone or not sure of doing it–DO IT! Trust me, you will have the time of your life. I had a lot of fear before flying to Spain, but you will meet a lot of people, learn a new culture, gain new perspectives, and enjoy a better quality of life that makes everything worth it.

You will definitely learn a lot about yourself, and you’ll use those things when you get back home, and have a better sense of life. My advice is to always follow your heart. When I was deciding which city to go to, I was between Barcelona, Madrid, or Florence. I knew that I would be very comfortable going to Madrid or Florence since the majority of my friends are studying there for the semester. However, my heart was telling me that Barcelona is the way to go–so I followed it.

In the end, I’m very glad I did this program, and I want to thank everyone who encouraged me to do it and helped me through the process–especially my scholarship donor. Thank you for giving me the best three months of my life!

With love,

Andrés J Pérez Guzmán