I just returned from my fall semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain with CEA CAPA and had a wonderful experience! All the CEA CAPA staff were super helpful when it came to everything from housing requests and classes to student support or providing restaurant recommendations. And Barcelona as a city is a dream because it has everything - beaches, mountains, cultural activates, nightlife, awesome public transportation, convenient airport, tons of dining/coffee options, beautiful weather, and so much more. I'm a big city guy and it was so much fun getting to explore different parts of Barcelona and never felt like I ran out of things to do/places to explore. Outside of classes, you have plenty of time to explore your city (and travel to other Spanish cities/other countries), and CEA CAPA will organize lots of things for you to participate in too. There were walking tours, cooking classes, overnight and day trips, museum visits, etc.
What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The beginning - homesickness and culture shock is real! It can be very overwhelming in the first few weeks (especially if you're like me and went into the program not knowing anyone in advance). There's lots of things you can do to begin to acclimate: say "yes" to lots of things at first to meet people/explore the city, don't be afraid to do things on your own, try building a routine with good eating/sleeping/exercise habits, check in with your loved ones when you need to, but also just get out and explore!