I grew up hearing countless stories from my dad about his experiences as an exchange student in Frankfurt, Germany in the 1960s. The sights, the sounds, and the smells came alive through his stories and I knew that one day I wanted to experience them for myself. We went on family vacations to London, Paris, Germany, the Grand Canyon...however, these vacations didn't seem to satiate this desire.
I was finally satisfied (albeit terrified) when I stepped off of the plane in Barcelona in January 2012. No longer would I be "the tourist." I didn't have a choice but to fully immerse myself - in language, style, food, and culture. Although it has been over two years since I stepped off of that plane, I can still smell the paella, taste the sangria, hear the Spanish and Catalán, and see the Sagrada Familia, and I look back on my time in Barcelona with buenos recuerdos y una sonrisa.
I regret not keeping a travel blog to document my experiences in Barcelona. But I suppose they do say that hindsight is 20/20. Distance, both physical and mental, from Barcelona has led me to more discoveries about travel and about myself. I look forward to sharing these discoveries with you!
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| One of the first pictures I took on my study abroad - all of Barcelona! |
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