The best days of my life

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.