Go to Barcelona!

I spent two consecutive semesters in Barcelona, both times with a host family. I still consider my time abroad as the best year of my life. The city itself is magical-- after traveling around Europe, I realized if I hadn't studied abroad in Barcelona it would have been the city I would most have wanted to return to.

IES is also a great program- the professors made the classes fun and memorable and the staff was always willing to help. Coming from Penn State, it was a nice change having staff and faculty actually recognize and remember me, and I will always value the relationships I formed with my professors and the staff.

I could not have asked for more from my host family, they were hysterical! They dressed up for halloween and my host dad always had a joke ready. They always made room for me, too, like when they had a big Christmas brunch in between semesters and invited me- they even gave me a gift! When my family visited, everyone came over to eat and even though not everyone spoke English or Spanish fluently, we had a great night.

I was rarely homesick, but it was difficult to adjust between semesters-- I had already lived there for three months, so I was over the "first-month-abroad-let's-go-out-every-night," but all the Spring students were just getting started. I also missed my friends from Fall, but I still made really valuable friendships with people I met during the Spring.

I took classes at UPF, a local university, and stayed after class one day and asked a bunch of Catalan girls if they wanted to get lunch and they were so accepting and friendly! I don't think I would have made my Spanish friends if I had only taken classes at IES.

It's difficult to describe any experience abroad in a few paragraphs-- go to Barcelona and see for yourself!