4 Months in Barcelona

Studying abroad in Barcelona has been the best decision of my life to date. Barcelona is an incredible place to study abroad because it has a young, fun, international atmosphere with PLENTY to do. You have the beach, La Rambla, Parc de Guell and all the other Gaudi architecture, exciting nightlife, great food and best of all you get to experience the Barcelona lifestyle. This lifestyle is what I enjoyed most about my time there. I am a night owl so Barcelona was a perfect city for me, where you do everything late: eat, go out at night, go to sleep, wake up. Everyone takes their time and really enjoys life to the fullest. I had a homestay and loved improving my Spanish speaking skills and experiencing Spanish life first hand. One thing that I noticed while in my homestay, was how much Spaniards really cherish their friends and family. When my parents came to visit my homestay parents cooked a massive meal that lasted for 3 hours and included lots of great conversation. It was one of my favorite moments abroad. I also was able to take two classes at a university in Barcelona called Universitat de Pompeu Fabra. This was really cool because I got to see what a Spanish student's life was like at school. Another great opportunity that I took advantage of was all the field trip that IES offers. Through my program I was able to travel to Valencia, Sevilla, Cordoba, Montserrat and Morocco. Overall, I had an incredible experience in Barcelona and highly recommend the city and the IES program.