Barcelona: The First Days

So I made it to Barcelona! I feel like this is the first minute I´ve had to breathe since I got here -- this city is beautiful and there is sooo much to do/see that we´ve been reluctant to stop and relax in fear of missing out! However, since the internet at my apartment isn´t very reliable I decided to take a break at the ISA office and update mis amigos! (Por favor, excuse any typos, it´s going to take me a long time to get used to these Catalan keyboards!)

I´m settled into my room at Rafaela´s apartment now - Lauren and I share a decently sized room and a bathroom. She is very helpful with trying to learn the culture, language and our way around the city and she is great about allowing us to be independent. Her dinners are delicious, and she packs us breakfast and lunch for before and after class.


Classes started yesterday; I´m taking Spanish language and culture, so far my teacher seems really cool and I´m actually very excited to learn more! (I´m a dork, I know.)

Monday we took a bus tour of the city which was great because our guide pointed out all the best spots to visit - now I just have to figure out how to get there on my own...

After class yesterday we went to the beach. There are a lot of different beaches in Barcelona but we went to the most touristy one due to proximity and lack of time. The beach is definitely A LOT different here than in Nueva Jersey- imagine the older locals sitting on 10th ave in Belmar without bathing suits(or anything else), man made ¨sand,¨Spaniards constantly asking you to buy ¨cold cerveza, coca cola y aguaaaa¨ and multiple Chinese women begging to give you a massage in exchange for 5 euros. Needless to say, I´ll be going back there for the restaurant and bars along the water but I think I´ll explore the other, less tourist-y and more beautiful beaches from now on! ;)


Don´t get me wrong, I am definitely NOT wishing my trip away but I can not wait until I get more familiar with the city so I can appreciate the beauty and culture with more ease. There is so much to do and so much to see, ergo, I am going to say Adios now! I miss you all in the US and I hope you´re all cheering for Spain in the world cup!! (watching the games here is awwwessommmee!!!)

Ciao! XOXO