Blog Entry #1: Pre-departure

As I pack to travel to Barcelona I feel a variety of mixed emotions. There is the obvious excitement of seeing a new place and experiencing a new culture, but there is also a shadow of fear. Not a logical fear, like fearing getting hopelessly lost in Barcelona, but a fear of missing my flight. For some reason this fear has plagued my for the past couple weeks. I plan to arrive to the airport 4 hours in advance in order to ensure this does not happen but the fear still keeps me up at night. I think I am just so excited for the trip; the thought of missing it is unbearable. In order to distract myself from this unreasonable fear, I’ve been preparing. For the first time in my travel experience I packed early. I was completely packed three days before the departure date! I bought a Pocket Spanish Dictionary to keep with me and began reading the course material. I am nervous that since I have only just completed Span 3000 I will struggle with the course work. I plan to bring a hard work ethic to Barcelona and to excel in the classes. Though I have many fears, they far outweigh my excitement. At the moment I am most excited to meet my host family. My previous homestay experience was memorable to say the least and I am excited to participate in one again. I used Google map’s street view feature to “explore” the area I will be staying in and it is beautiful. There are American shops like Subway and Starbucks, but there are many new shops and restaurants for me to try. I know if I stay open to new experiences and take advantage of this amazing opportunity I will come back an improved individual.

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!

Onwards, to Barcelona!

Hey everyone,

 I'm so thrilled to be studying abroad in Barcelona!  I've wanted to do this since my freshman year and I can't believe it is finally happening.

First and foremost, I want to grow more comfortable speaking Spanish on a regular basis.  I've wanted to speak Spanish fluently for awhile now, and this is the perfect opportunity to practice  day-in day-out.  Maybe I'll even pick up the Spanish lisp along the way.  Who knows?

Also, I look forward to learning more about literature and culture in Barcelona while simultaneously experiencing these things outside of the classroom.  Literature is a doorway into the heartbeat of a city, and to be able to read about Barcelona and be in Barcelona is an experience I won't soon forget.
 
I want to explore different restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, anywhere where there is a whiff of something tasty, I'm there.  It will be fun to buy food at local markets and interact with the same people daily.  Maybe I'll whip up something for my host family one of these days.   
   
Most importantly, I want to forge lasting relationships with my host family, go on some rip-roaring adventures with you all, and make lasting friendships along the way.  This is an opportunity for me to experience something entirely new. 

 I have this sizzling mix of excitement and nervousness that has been building for the last 24 hours and it won't relent.  I want to be on a plane already!  See you all soon.

-Ryan