A Welcome Break from Campus Life

I have just returned from CIEE Barcelona - Advanced Liberal Arts and already want to return. There's a magic about studying about in Barcelona that is unparalleled anywhere else. The weather, the people, the language, the culture, and the program all have created this incredible environment that I would not trade for anything else. The support of the program staff such as Director Alberto Del Rio and Andres Taberez was incredible. I could go to them from quick questions about where to buy a toaster to academic issues and personal issues. They are the heart and soul of the administrative side of the program, and I am lucky to have met them and got to know them on an academic and personal level.
The program provides frequent activities and trips for students to attend, all voluntary. The best trip was the overnight trip to Basque Country because the entire program got together for trips. The weekly trips are with the other programs studying abroad through CIEE. These programs include cultural events and activities, tours through Barcelona, day trips to nearby towns and cities, yoga, etc. I went on nearly every day trip and found them interesting, as I got to see different parts of Catalonia that I never would have thought of going to. For example, we went to a dairy farm called La Fageda. We got to meet the cows (they were pampered with daily massages and classical music) and got to sample the products afterwards. I'm really going to miss the yogurt from La Fageda (it's only sold in Catalonia).
CIEE and UB were not too academically challenging. I've come out of the program having learned a lot about Spanish history, cinema, and writing (these were the classes I took), but the workload didn't inhibit me from traveling on the weekends. I traveled outside of Barcelona about half of the weekends during the semester, as did many of my friends who wanted to travel a lot. The program is very understanding of our desire to see Europe and have a generous absence policy from classes.
What I loved about being in Barcelona was that my days could vary from going to the beach, hiking through Tibidabo or Park Guell, going to a museum, walking the streets of the Gothic Quarter, El Raval, Poble Sec, Gracia, etc., stumbling upon street markets, and cheap restaurants. Barcelona is a city ripe for exploration. It's teeming with life and activity, and it's safe.