Experience of a Lifetime!

Hi there! I spent the Fall 2014 in Barcelona and truly LOVED it. The rich culture, the food, a musician around every corner. I was terribly sad once the program ended, and I wasn't ready to leave. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect once I arrived in Barcelona, but I was pleasantly surprised. I owe a lot of my wonderful experience to IES. IES was invested in making sure we had a great experience and offered many services. For example, I would like to be a physician someday and IES put me into contact with a physician I was able to shadow and even watch perform a back surgery. It was definitely one of the biggest highlights of my experience, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of IES. Barcelona has a lot to offer, from beaches to the nearby Montserrat all while being a bustling metropolis. I loved going and buying fresh juice drinks at one of the many markets located throughout the city. I also had the great opportunity of taking salsa classes at a great place called Antilla where I was better able to integrate and meet some locals. Some difficulties I encountered included finding a good balance between staying in Barcelona and traveling to other parts of Europe. I found that I didn't live as much like a local as I had hoped to and traveling a lot was physically exhausting, but my overall experience was great. This IES program is HIGHLY recommended!!