Wonderful City

I very much enjoyed my semester studying in Barcelona. For someone who always pictured themselves living in a city, this was a great opportunity to test it out. The city itself is fantastic. There's always something interesting to do, and of course there is always the beach. Some of the highlights from my semester were the days I would spend wandering around the city's Barri Gotic. There are lots of small shops and restaurants hidden through these narrow streets. I also really enjoyed the antiques market that takes place every Thursday in Placa del Seu. One difficulty that I had was the amount of effort it took to feel immersed in the life of the city. Being in a city is a very different study abroad experience than a small town. It takes more work to seek out opportunities and make connections with local people than it would otherwise. For anyone attempting to get a more immersive experience, I would recommend living in a homestay, joining a conversation circle/language exchange program, and subscribing to one of the online news/events publications that post about happenings in the city (lecool.com is one).