How do you make a city your home? It’s a difficult question to answer as a college student; my uncertain future makes it hard for me to truly settle in a city and form feelings of attachment. As it is, I’m still in the early stages of my summer in Barcelona, but I’ve realized that living in a foreign country has prompted me to find the comforts of home in a way that Bloomington hasn’t. To maintain a peace of mind abroad, I’m determined to find a sense of home during my short stay.
A view of sprawling Barcelona from Gaudi’s Parc Güell
Uncovering Barcelona is like Christmas morning.
As I type this, I frown; Christmas morning doesn’t speak Spanish and it certainly doesn’t feel so confusing. So allow me to rephrase my simile. Uncovering Barcelona has provided me with the thrills and rewards that Christmas promises.
After months of anxiously awaiting the day of my arrival to Barcelona, I’ve finished my first week here. In many ways, familiarizing myself with the city, my home and the program has felt like a continuous holiday. However, like a child on Christmas morning, my near-perfect week has been laced with a tinge of disappointment. But unlike the child, I’m not upset with what I’ve gotten. I’m disappointed in myself.
My summer abroad in Barcelona isn’t going to begin when I step off the plane in the unfamiliar Spanish city. As I face my half-packed suitcase with a furrowed brow, I realize that my upcoming adventure has already begun, at least to a degree.
IU's Office of Overseas Study helps more than 2,500 students earn IU credit by exploring educational opportunities in 40 countries and in 17 languages each year.
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