My journey towards a continent I had never before stepped foot on began nearly a year before in the study abroad office in old Reilly Hall. The process began with getting approval by the college, filling out a bunch of paperwork, and applying to a program overseas. It was very similar to the college application process but on a more accelerated pace. It didn’t even hit me that I was going away from college and home for 4 months until I actually boarded a plane bound for Europe. I arrived to the Barcelona El Prat airport on a sizzling Tuesday afternoon to be picked up by a complete stranger. She was a pretty young gal named Sara and immediately complimented me on my Spanish. Little did she know that I was actually fluent but it was still nice to hear that from an actual Spanish speaker, since my Spanish speaking ability is limited in the U.S. A time zone difference of 6 hours, changing flights in Portugal hours before my arrival, and undergoing orientation shortly after my arrival set my circadian rhythms up in arms. Exhaustion was an understatement upon arriving at my residencia ( a hotel housing designed for study abroad students). The next couple of days I got to taste exquisite food, marvel the magnificent architecture, and run through the streets and along the Mediterranean coast. My first weekend in Barcelona was also memorable since it was the first time we would head out of the city and gander at other parts of the Catalonian district of Spain. Calella de Palafrugell was a rather exquisite taste of Spain which varied from the bustling city of Barcelona. Big buildings and revving engines were replaced with local businesses and footsteps of the small town. As we wandered closer to the ocean, colors became vibrant and it was as if life could have not been simpler. Relaxing on the edge of a country, with what seemed as an eternal ocean whilst hearing the sounds of the waves and enjoyment of everyone around you was all you really needed at this point. After spending a couple weeks in Barcelona, getting used to my unusually longer commute to school and using public transit daily, I did not realize that the city was on the eve of the biggest festival/party of the year. La Merce was an annual festival celebrated for over 300 years which honored the Saint of the city, the virgin of grace or the lady of mercy. Concerts on the beach, parties on the streets until sunrise, and local traditions and cultural events were in abundance for the 4 daylong celebration. A magnificent set of fireworks with thousands of people at the plaza Espanya was a great way to bid goodbye to this holiday. A trip to the southern part of Spain was next on my itinerary or as they would call it there “El Sur”. Off the bat you can tell the difference in how Spanish is spoken in the province of Andalucia. Many people from Barcelona actually had difficulty understanding due to the heavy accent. Memorable sites in this region included the beautiful Plaza de Espana, along with the flamenco culture, and the remains of Christopher Columbus in a world class church. The next couple of months involved many trips to landmarks in Barcelona. Highlights included the Camp Nou, cathedral de Barcelona, Parc Guell, La Sagrada familia, and much more. A plethora of tapas, local cuisine, and diverse restaurants were taken advantage of. The weather was consistently wonderful, averaging 75 degrees of sunlight. It must have only rained 3 times throughout my fall semester in Barcelona. The holidays had also taken over the city with lights decorating the streets and its buildings. As the weeks passed and the weather ever so slightly cooled, my flight back to the United States was a couple of weeks away, leaving me to say goodbye to this beautiful new place. It was rather difficult as I had met some great people within my study abroad program and as well the local Catalonians. It was odd to think that after seeing these people nearly everyday, would come to an abrupt halt, with the possibility of never seeing them again for a long time. The idea of staying in a new country for 4 months while you are young is something that I knew would be very difficult to repeat, if even possible. It was without a doubt an experience I will have for the rest of my life. Contributed by Kimi San Miguel '16 majoring in Biological Sciences