Wisconsin BBA

I have been in Barcelona for just over a week now and I absolutely love it! It is definitely one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever seen. It is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid with about 1.6 million people, and it is the capital of the region of Spain called Catalonia. I love being on the Mediterranean coast and seeing palm trees everywhere. There is stunning architecture everywhere you look, giving this city a unique vibe. The weather here has been sunny and about 60 degrees during the afternoon, with chilly mornings and nights. I feel like I have already seen and learned so much, and I greatly anticipate spending an entire semester here!

View of Barcelona from Park Guell, made by Antonio Gaudi

The program that UW students travel to Barcelona through is administered by CIEE, and they have been very helpful in the transition of living in a new country. CIEE picked up students arriving at the Barcelona airport at two times during the first day, which was helpful being in an unfamiliar country and not having to worry figuring out where I needed to go right away. We had an orientation at a nice hotel downtown, and stayed there the first night. At orientation, we were broken up into groups that were led by a “guardian angel” which is a Spanish student that goes to the same school that we are attending. It was great to get to know them and ask our questions about what it is like to attend college in Barcelona. They gave us great tips about where are good places to go and fun things to do.

Roy Lichtenstein sculpture "The Face of Barcelona"

So far since I’ve been here, I have been spending a lot of time trying to get acquainted with the city by walking around and taking in all of the beautiful sights. It’s only been a week, but so far I feel like I have a pretty good idea of where I am going. Once you get the hang if it, figuring out where you are is not that hard because you have the mountains on one side of the city and the sea on the other, which serve as great landmarks. There is also a metro system that has been really easy, which is really helpful when it comes to getting around.

This first week has been amazing, and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for me for the rest of the semester. I will be starting some of my classes this week and others next week, and I am really excited to see what they are like.

View of Barcelona from Mount Montjuic