Tomorrow It Begins!

I have always wanted to have the experience of taking classes abroad and living with a local family. Tomorrow I will meet my host family, become familiar with my new neighborhood, and begin my five weeks of speaking primarily in Spanish. While I am excited to begin, I do not have an exact idea of what my experience will be like and I am also nervous about this all being overwhelming.

I expect to to have a better understanding of what living in Barcelona as a local is like. Living in a neighborhood that is not prominently touristy and living with a family will give me the chance to see Barcelona from a perspective that I would not get from staying in a hotel. Living and studying in Spanish I expect my Spanish to improve, and to maybe pick up a few phrases in Catalan. Lastly, I expect to learn a lot about the history, culture, literature, and art of Barcelona.

Living in a big city, especially since I have never lived in a city, may be intimidating. I worry about getting lost, getting pick pocketed, or just being overwhelmed. Barcelona will be more intimidating since almost nothing is in my first language. On a more positive note, I know there is so much to see and experience. Another fear of mine is that I will miss a place, experience, or opportunity in my five weeks.  Finally, while living with a host family is a special opportunity and will hopefully teach me about Spanish life and offer me a sense of home, I do not know what my life in their apartment will be like, how they will eat, or how they will like me.

Nonetheless, I have new and exciting experiences ahead. I am sure once it all starts, it will all fly by. I can’t wait!