Into the Abyss: First Impressions of Barcelona

Well guys, I made it to Barcelona safely! It’s my sixth day here, and I am absolutely, without a doubt loving it. My first impression of the city is that it's huge! It's very complex though, so I have a lot of learning and exploring to do until I feel I really understand it. It's a very cosmopolitan city with residents from all over the world. You have the beach, the mountains, and a bustling city all in one place! (Not to mention the welcoming climate). Note: I’ve never written a blog before, so the first couple entries may be a little dry, but hopefully the things I’ve been doing will make up for it! I also want to thank EVERYONE for the advice and support. I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for having such caring, understanding, and supportive people in my life, and for the opportunity to have this experience. I am truly lucky, and if anyone reading this is contemplating a study abroad program or vacation outside of the U.S. DO IT!! I miss you all, but will do my best to keep in touch through my blog, pictures (we all know how much I love to take those!), and other methods of communication. I have Skype, Gmail, and of course Facebook messaging and chatting. If you want any of these, please message me on Facebook or e-mail me, and I will send any and/or all of them to you! You can also request to follow me on Twitter @MarieBodda. 

So I want to catch everyone up on these last six days, a.k.a my first six days in Barcelona! Everything went perfectly at O’Hare, on the planes, and at El Prat, the airport here in Barcelona. The only complaint I had was that I didn’t sleep at all, but it ended up working out for the best I think because I’ve adjusted very well to my new sleeping schedule here. Our program directors based here in Bcn met all 15 of us at the airport with a nice coach-style bus, which took us to our dorms. We are staying in these dorms at Col.legio Sant Jordi for three weeks while we have out intensive language classes, and then I will be moving into my apartment. So Saturday we arrived at the dorms and unpacked, then had a quick group meeting about the regulations of the dorms with all the Illinois and California students. There are about 15 Illinois students all from Champaign, and about 40-50 California students from all different UC schools. After that we had our first dinner in the dorms- a typical make your own salad station started off the meal, followed by spaghetti noodles with a red sauce, and a side of spinach. Then there was the American portion of the meal, which we quickly learned would accompany all the dorm meals. The first dinner had chicken wings and French fries. There is a section of assorted fruits and some yogurt or pudding, followed by a personal French baguette. It was the first thing I’d eaten since the plane so I was starving, but I enjoyed it. After dinner we got some bottles of wine for LESS THAN TWO EUROS, and sat in the park across from the dorm. We decided to go to a music festival in the Gràcia neighborhood of Bcn. (I posted pictures of this on Facebook already). It was super fun! The band on the main stage was playing songs like “The Final Countdown” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” We also successfully navigated the Metro, which was a big concern of mine. Overall the first night was great!

Sunday was basically dedicated to catching up on sleep. I napped most of the day except for meals and for a meeting we had about everything and anything we would need to know this year. The directors here and very helpful, that’s for sure.

Monday and Tuesday we had field trips throughout the city. Monday we toured the works of one of Barcelona’s most famous architects, Antoní Gaudí. Some places we saw that you can Google if you are unfamiliar with Barcelona are La Pedrera, Casa Batlló, La Sagrada Família, and Parc Güell. It was a rushed tour, but I was so excited to see these places I have been learning about and researching for months in person! Unfortunately, this was the day after I uploaded pictures, and I forgot to put my memory card back in my camera. Soo I don’t have any pictures from this day, but when my friends post some I will share them! After the tour we went to the beach with some California students where I swam in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time and it was fabulous! After the beach we returned to the dorms for dinner and to shower, then headed to an Irish pub two blocks away to watch the FC Barcelona game. I tried my first Guiness beer, and it was very tasty! After Barça won, I came back to the dorm to sleep!

Tuesday we toured the Gothic neighborhood of Barcelona. It’s one of the oldest parts of the city. We first toured the Museum of the History of Barcelona, then we visited La Rambla, one of the most popular streets in the city, and La Boqueria, the largest market in Europe. We toured around this area for a couple of hours, then I purchased my local, prepaid cell phone. After the phone store I accompanied my friend Ashley on a showing of an apartment. You see, during the three weeks of Intensive Language Program classes all the UofI and UC students have to find their own apartments for the year on a website similar to Craig’s List in the US. I, fortunately, do not have to do this because my Catalan teacher found me a roommate through her younger sister. So I haven’t had to worry about the apartment ordeal, but I was still curious to see what the process was like. Because of the showing, we missed dinner in the dining hall, so Ashley and I got tapas! My first meal in a restaurant in Barcelona! I loved it. She and I shared a total of four tapas, and they were all excellent. I can’t wait to explore the cuisine further.

Wednesday we had our first day of Intensive Language classes at the University of Barcelona, or “la UB.” We are taking a total of four classes: Catalan, Grammer & Composition, Culture, and Conversation. They all seem very interesting, and the class size is about ten students, so I think they will all be extremely helpful. After class I returned to the dorms for my first siesta! Then started my blog, ate dinner, and did some homework. It was finally a relaxing day, and I feel like I am finally getting into a routine, even though there is so much to do here!                                    

Today, I had the ILP classes again. The most exciting part of the day was definitely seeing my apartment and meeting my roommate, Júlia! There is another girl, Mercè, but she wasn't there at that time. So we met at a close metro stop and she led me to the apartment. The neighborhood is very nice- just a ten minute metro ride from the university, or a short bicycle ride if I decide to brave the traffic here in Barcelona. It’s a quieter neighborhood, but it seemed like there was a lot of bars and small shops to eat at. The apartment is great! We have two balconies, and one wraps around the corner of the building! I get a beautiful street view from my bedroom window, a double bed, and lots of storage. After seeing the apartment, Júlia, her mom, and I went to a little cafe nearby for a refresco because it was so hot out! We talked there for nearly two hours! They were tremendously welcoming and I can’t wait to move in! I will post pictures of the when I move in and my room isn’t so empty.

So now you are all caught up on my adventures so far in Barcelona! Hasta luego :)