I studied abroad because I wanted to experience something drastically new. Going for my semester in Barcelona was the first time I flew on a plane by myself, the first time I was away from home for longer than two weeks, and the first time I truly saw myself grow and change as a person. The initial push was mostly because of my curiosity, but once I was there I knew that all I wanted to do was help people make that jump too! Studying abroad truly changed my life & API helped me have a wonderful experience because of the friends I made and the experiences I got to have because of them.

I am not a good example when it comes to planning ahead of time—especially with housing—but this experience reflects my life philosophy: when you stay open and flexible, things often work out naturally. I wasn’t planning to rely on anyone else’s help; I was simply comfortable letting things unfold.

I knew before the trip that the dorm would not allow early check-in, yet I chose to arrive in Barcelona one day early anyway. I wasn’t worried about where I would stay that night—I trusted that I would find a solution once I was there. With that mindset, I took my luggage to Plaça de Catalunya, enjoying the city while waiting for the next step to reveal itself.

That’s when I noticed another solo traveler—a girl from Ecuador—struggling to take selfies in the park. Photography is something I genuinely love, so I stepped forward and offered to help. I took a few photos for her, and she was clearly happy with the results. Seeing her smile made me feel fulfilled as well.

She invited me to have an authentic European coffee at a café next to the park. Over coffee, we began to get to know each other. Even though she wasn’t fully comfortable speaking English, our shared curiosity and openness carried the conversation forward. There was no pressure—just two strangers meeting with ease.

When she learned that I didn’t have a place to stay that night, she immediately offered to help. She contacted the Airbnb host where she was staying. Although there were no available rooms in the same building, the host arranged another place for me. I ended up staying in a beautiful, almost luxurious room at a surprisingly good price—something I would never have booked myself.

What makes this story even more meaningful is that it didn’t end there. We’re still in touch, chatting from time to time and sharing updates about our lives. I’m even planning to visit Ecuador someday to see her again.

The story began with a simple offer to help take a selfie and ended with an unexpected friendship and adventure. It reminded me that sometimes, when you stop worrying and allow space for connection, life meets you exactly where you are.

Barcelona is full of life. The best decision of my life was to choose this location to study abroad. There are so many fun things to do in this one city, I still have items left on my bucket list! Not to mention how amazing the entire country and surrounding countries are. I took Mediterranean culture classes and lived with a host family, 2 things I highly recommend. Being open-minded took me far on my journey, and I have endless stories I can't stop sharing! It was also fun to constantly be thinking in more than one language.

I chose to go abroad with API for many reasons, including the company's great feedback from former students, the sensible price for what was included, and the selection of coursework that was offered. I selected the International Studies program at UAB because not only did the classes interest me, but all four I enrolled in covered a requirement for me. While abroad I was able to cover a History General Education class through Spanish Civilisation and Culture, a Communication major class through Intercultural Communication, and two Social and Behavioral Science Global Education Requirements through Urban Interventions and my Spanish Language course. Opportunities are endless here, as I was able to see a great deal of Europe between my studies since the Barcelona trains and airport are at our convenience to travel in-and-out of. Living as an international student in a foreign city greatly improved both my problem-solving skills, as learning how to maneuver a new city can be daunting, and detail-oriented planning, understanding that there is a lot that goes into organizing trips. API: Barcelona was a great program for me; no matter what program you decide it is up to you to mold the experience that you want!

I had the best time during my study abroad in Barcelona. I was able to experience the nightlife, have home cooked Spanish meals, go shopping in local shops, and enjoy touristy places in and around the city. I was able to travel to different places in Spain such as, Burgos, Sevilla, Bilbao and Islas Canarias. I was also able to visit Italy and Portugal. This was all done in a short amount of time but has remained as some of my best memories. I met people from around the world and was able to pick up on Catalan. I lived right across from the the Picasso museum, as well as a beautiful park, the metro station, arco de triunfo and the Catedral. I would definitely recommend studying abroad in Barcelona and doing it through API because their staff was wonderful and all of the activities we were able to do were awesome. We were taken to learn how to make Paella, went bike riding in Sevilla, visited the Colosseum in Italy, watched a Flamenco show and so much more!

I spent a semester and summer abroad studying and living in Barcelona. This statement, that I say quite frequently in my everyday conversations, is the most proud sentence I can say about myself. I am so incredibly proud of this part of my life because it has changed and shaped me to be the successful person I am today. Through that amazing period in my life, I grew stronger by becoming independent; moving to a different country where English is not primarily spoken by myself, without any friends or family. Instead of grouping myself in an American crowd, a few friends and I insisted on making friends from other countries and from Spain to emerge in the culture. This was introduced to us as important in the very beginning by the program (API) and I am so happy they did. I still say, to this day, that the education I received abroad in Barcelona was the best education I received in my undergrad program. Not only was I in classes that were relevant to my majors back home, I was being educated internationally which taught me different cultures' way of "doing business". The Spanish classes I was in were tough. They challenged me everyday and pushed me to not only stop relying on English, when I wasn't sure on the word, but allowed me to become fluent in the language. Still to this day, 6 years later, I dream in Spanish: because Spain is where my heart and soul is.

API was very accommodating in the US and in Spain. They made my experience amazing and made me feel like I really belonged in Spain. The whole staff was really helpful and they knew the answers to our questions before we even asked them. I really liked how excursions were organized with the program. It was a nice to go on a trip and not worrying about any accommodations. Also I liked how on campus we had an academic advisor specifically for API students. I liked how API requires all their students to take a language class. If you are studying abroad in an non english speaking country I think this is a necessity. I wanted to change my schedule when I arrived in Barcelona and I did it with no worries because of our advisor. Also I liked how API set up events around the city that we could attend with other API students. Finally I really liked the housing options. All the options were very nice to live in. I would defiantly recommend API.

I studied in Barcelona for 7 weeks this summer. I lived in an apartment with four other girls, and we all were just meeting each other for the first time. A typical day included waking up and getting ready, taking the metro to class, grabbing lunch at the cafe next to our school in between classes, and ending class around one in the afternoon. We spent the afternoons sightseeing, shopping, walking around the city, or at the beach. The nights were spent hanging out with other people from the APi program, watching futbol at the bars, and meeting new people. Barcelona was all about trying new things, new experiences, and meeting new people. Living in an apartment on our own gave us a new sense of independence and pushed me out of my comfort zone. On the weekends I explored new cities and traveled to Germany and Italy. The program also took us on weekend excursions to the beautiful island of Mallorca and Costa Brava. All in all, the program was amazing and the coordinators responded to any type of problem immediately.