I'm an 19y.o. Indonesian that is studying in Australia. For my 2015 summer break I chose to do something I've never done before - living in Europe by myself, in a country where I do not know anyone and which language I did not speak, while having my very first (unpaid) office job. This has been the scariest and life-changing experience I have ever had, and most certainly one I'll never forget. :)

Barcelona is the right place for you if you enjoy going on hikes and getting some fresh air from the city on weekends (it certainly was the right place for me!). Whenever I'm not sick or working, I'm out having excursions and meeting new people. I went horseriding several times in very beautiful and memorable places. I went trekking and hiking and took trains to medieval villages. And the best of all, I get to travel while meeting new people from all over the world and especially Europe, which for me is the most important part of the whole experience. :)

I spent 3 months in Barcelona. During the first 5 weeks I had difficulties in adapting to the environment and I got sick many times - stomachaches, colds, fevers, you name it. Afterwards it got better but I still got sick at least once every two weeks - usually minor, but sometimes I could be immobilized in bed for hours. I have Asian friends who found the same problem - getting a lot of colds and stomachaches, hair falling out, etc,. Maybe the environment is more difficult for Asian people to get used to (lol, who knows). During those times I had to cancel excursions I have planned with my friends - and despite not being able to do anything about it, I regret it very much. I wish I had spent more time in Barcelona.

I loved my job in the office. I interned in a publishing company which also published the FC Barcelona's official albums, which is awesome. I designed banners and book covers and a lot of things for the company. During the process, my coworkers were very honest in giving me feedback and they were very patient with me when I do not understand something. However I think the company lacked communication with me - for example, I had to find out myself (from my friends who were working) that there was a public holiday the following week and that I did not have to be in the office. Other than that, though, it was great. They were patient when I made mistakes and were very understanding. As it was my first office job, I learned so many things from it. It was quite satisfying.

A tip for future interns: Adelante is DEAD SERIOUS when they say that this program is only for independent travelers. You are on your own to decide where you want to go and with whom, and you have to be able to find your own way to be able to meet new people. The Adelante representative in Spain did not meet or greeted me until almost 2 weeks after my arrival, and that was only to talk about work and if I have any other questions, which in my opinion was a bit late to ask about... The pre departure orientation packet was not very updated and helpful about the metro tickets - Make sure to enter your ID number when you buy one or you will be fined! (During the time I bought my ticket, a local who was helping kinda put random numbers onto it and I thought that was what we were supposed to do because it still works - but when the need to renew your ticket arises, you won't be able to do that.) another tip is to NOT go to the hospital that Adelante recommends you to. Contrary to what I expected, I was not given an English-speaking doctor regardless of my request, and the price to just see the doctor for less than five minutes was ridiculously expensive. If it's a minor problem, then just go to the local pharmacy and ask a pharmacist what to get. A final tip is to always be careful with your belongings no matter where you are. So many of my friends have had their things stolen. The hype is real.

The bottom line is, this program is simply a bridge. What you get out of it is your own choice. You will be handed a free rein to make your own experience and make it life-changingly awesome. For me, it certainly was! ;)

It's safe to say I had an unforgettable summer in Barcelona with Adelante Abroad. Working for a city guide gave me true insight as to what it will be like to work in the publication industry as well as professional experience that I will certainly benefit from once I graduate college. The intensive class at Kingsbrook Idiomas helped me immensely with my communication skills, which is something I definitely wanted to gain through this program. Over the course of the two months I was in Spain, I fell in love with Barcelona and met people whom I will remember for a lifetime. This program is absolutely for an adventurer who can handle obstacles and in no way for those who like to have everything laid out for them. If you are not an extremely independent person, I don't recommend this program at all. However, if you are, it's the perfect experience abroad.

Adelante's coordination of my marketing internship in Barcelona was great. The program followed through on all of its promises, and the support was clearly there if and when I needed it. Luckily, I didn't because Barcelona is such a awesome place. I am so happy I got to call it home for two months. My apartment was a hop, skip, and a jump away from the metro which could take me anywhere in the city. I worked for 4 hours a day, and that time split between work and cultural immersion made life extremely enjoyable. I met so many great people, wherher it was through school, work, the program, or a social setting. More importantly, it was a great time to get to know myself. This program was better than a study abroad expierence because I was truly free. There was nobody that forced me to do anything I didn't want to do, and there was no after-school homework. Many people assume that classes abroad will be a walk in the park, but I met more than a few people who were frustrated with class requirements. Adelante allowed me to bolster my CV in a way that I can be proud to talk about in my next interview. Barcelona itself is phenomenal city. As long as you are aware of whats going on around you, you should be safe. The city offers so many options, from being a beach bum to clubs to museums. The In the summer, it was hot and there was no AC in my apartment, but the draft made it relatively easy to sleep. The new culture provided me with a totally different set of challenges, but I feel I have grown as a person because of it. Adelante provided me with the platform to do just that.

During my internship in Barcelona I had a fantastic experience. The city itself is magnificently beautiful and there is no end of things to see and do. It almost feels like a perpetual vacation. The amount of students studying and traveling to Barcelona make it fairly easy to meet people. The work experience in my internship was also quite good. Adelanted helped me set-up my internship with the specific organization I was interested in. While there I had a support system via Adelante and the organization I was working with. I also had a number of exciting experiences, from meeting Spanish supreme court judges to going to campaigns with 17,000 people in attendance, to meeting delegations from Taiwan. However, on the day to day basis I do not feel as though I made much of an impact on the organization as a whole nor was I given much responsibility other than about one press release translation per week. The Catalan language was also an issue. Despite this, the overall experience of being in Barcelona the opportunities I was given during my internship absolutely made this internship worthwhile.

I have always wanted to travel abroad whether it was with or without a program. It was a good decision doing it with adelante because I was able to get to know Barcelona and gain experience as well. The program provided everything they said they would. The first week or two could seem hard to make friends and time did go by slow but by the third week everything went by quick. I recommend looking up free tours and paid ones of the city or pub crawls, it is a great way to meet people and stay in contact with them throughout your stay. The internship I was placed at was good and I was able to make friends with others completing their internship as well. I am definitely looking to go back to Europe in the future!

I was placed in an incredible internship and got to be part of historic moments in Barcelona thanks to Adelante. This experience helped me realize personal and professional goals and I really grew in my five months abroad. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun, the only negative part was that it was difficult to make friends and I was on my own a lot at my internship and at home. But overall a very positive experience!

My experience with Adelante Abroad was seamless. From the helpful staff and their willingness to communicate with me while abroad to my phenomenal internship placement, I could not have asked for a better company to guide me through this life changing experience.

What a great place to call home, even if it is only for a little while... Such a relaxed city, yet always filled by a bustling cacophony of sounds. If a coastal adjacent city filled with culture, fantastic weather are not enough to convince you of Barcelona maybe the selection of internships on offer with Adelante will.

You will not struggle to enjoy your time in Barcelona, from the internship experience for half of the day to the endless list of things to see, do and experience. Whether your preference is historical or modern, from Gaudi to Gucci, the metropolitan Barcelona truly can cater to any and all tastes. The city is filled with old and new, with the wide passage roads all the way to the pedestrianised labyrinth in the El Born district, there is always something on offer in the heart of Catalonia, just don't try and go shopping for food on a Sunday!

For me, I particularly enjoyed admiring the architecture put in place all over the city by Gaudi, and all of the gastronomic delights available to choose from. The only difficulty I have faced is trying to adjust back to life as it was now I have returned home, after three months 'como los Espanoles'!