Activities with Maryland-In-Barcelona

One of the best perks about the Maryland-In-Barcelona program is the team of employees that work to put together everything. From helping to adjust classes to planning group-wide activities, they were always available whenever needed. They planned events that allowed us to learn about the spanish culture, including meals, day-trips, flamenco dancing shows, cooking classes and soccer games. Our first meal was traditional tapas style with tomato bread, tortilla, paella, croquettes and patatas bravas. This was right after orientation and allowed us to try foods that we would be eating for the next couple of months. We also did multiple day-trips to Tarragona, Girona and Montserrat. All outside of Barcelona, they provided us with tours of other popular Spanish cities that normally included more traditional food and interactions with locals. One of my favorite events was the cooking class where we made tomato bread, tortilla, paella and “crema catalana”, a famous Catalan dessert. Two other great events were the flamenco dancing show and a Saturday night FC Barcelona soccer game. Both of these were traditional night-time Spanish activities and allowed us to live like the locals for a night.

Other than the multiple planned activities they scheduled for us, all of the faculty was also super helpful with daily questions. For example, anytime I had a question about good doctors, recommended restaurants, or the best ways to get to the airport, they answered my emails within an hour with helpful responses. When living in a foreign city where not everyone speaks your language, it is quite a blessing to have people available to help you with the little issues you may have. While I recommend studying in Barcelona because of the city and culture, I also can’t stress enough how great the people who work for the program have been in making leaving the country a smooth and comfortable process.