Getting Settled Into Barcelona

We finally arrived into BCN on January 3rd after a long 11 hour flight. We were told from previous friends studying abroad that no matter how jet lagged you may be when you land, do not sleep your first few days away, but rather explore the city. That’s just what we did.

The first few days it took us a little while to get our bearings of where the closest ATM’s, supermercados, restaurants, and bare essential shops are located within walking distance. We also had to move into the apartment, unpack and get on Barcelona time so taking small siestas was very enticing. Every day however we made sure to walk around for at least a few hours. Even if it was just to go get laundry hampers we somehow made a small trip out of it and explored new nooks and crannies of the city. We also hit most of the tourist attractions of the city while we had no classes because we knew that once they started our days would be filled with going on campus and sitting in a classroom. Therefore, we visited Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Beach, went on walking tours of Gothic Quarter where we toured old cathedrals, walked around markets such as La Boqueria on Las Ramblas, and of course we made sure to check out the nightlife which Barcelona is notorious for.

If I had to pass down one piece of advice to future study abroad students, it would be just that: don’t sleep upon arriving no matter how jetlagged you may be. Understanding this was immensely helpful in my transition to living and studying abroad in this foreign country because knowing myself I would have slept through my first few days here, but instead I became familiar with the area I was in and felt more comfortable walking around without any directions. Overall my first two weeks were unforgettable here in Barcelona, and I’ll continue this excitement as we prepare to head to Amsterdam this weekend as our first weekend trip of many.