FGX Barcelona was a time to remember. My first time out of the country and with some of my closest friends, which we somehow became even closer once we were there. I knew I didn’t want to take the opportunity for granted so I made sure to make the best of every moment, which unfortunately meant very little sleep, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. I now have memories that will last me a lifetime and that I will enjoy sharing with my friends and family.

One week was definitely enough, since I’m not used to being away from home, by the end of the trip I was extremely excited to go home and see my family and tell them all about it. I don’t think I would have been able to stay longer than a week, I was very exhausted both physically and mentally. But now that I had my first taste, I’m more than ready to keep exploring.

My favorite part of the trip I would have to say, was on Saturday visiting the Gothic Quarter, although we walked a lot and I was very very exhausted, I enjoyed getting to know the city and going to the Picasso museum, and then to La Sagrada Família. I realized that there is so much to the city and it made me more curious wanting to visit as many different places as I could.

I also enjoyed going to Sitges very much and we got so lucky to have gone on a day that the weather was so perfect. I love the ocean and the culture of people around the ocean. Walking through the streets and walking along the beach was probably my biggest highlight. I definitely had to get in the ocean, there was no way I was going to miss that, and I definitely am very happy that I did.

This trip really taught me that I want to travel the world, that it was barely my first taste in all the different places I want to explore. I learned I’m great at navigating and finding my way in a new city, and I learned to not be afraid to ask for help. I now know I want to take my time and get to know the world and all of its amazing different cities and cites. There is so much out there for me and I want to take advantage of every opportunity that I can get.

Seeing all the different architecture and the design and the way the city is, just fascinated me. I want to be an architect some day, so having the opportunity to see first hand Gaudi’s work and the work of many others, showed me just how truly passionate I am with design and all these different structures.

I am not done traveling, and I am already starting to plan for my next trip.I know I will be studying abroad my junior year. I am not sure exactly where yet, but I definitely want to keep adventuring.

I’ve decided I am in love with Barcelona. As much as I may miss my home and family, I don’t want to leave. I have become so used to navigating the streets and getting around, and there is so much more for me to explore.

Monday: we visited the consulate and the university. I was very tired from such a busy weekend but definitely enjoyed the visits. It was cool to see all the services that are offered for Americans. At the university, I loved being able to see another university in a different country, and comparing it to the ones that I’ve seen back home. I’m not going to lie though, so much taking made it very very difficult to stay awake for both. That evening a few of us ended up going shopping in the gothic quarter. I bought a few souvenirs and we just walked around looking at all the different shops and carts in the middle of the streets.

Tuesday: we did a scavenger hunt type thing and I actually very much enjoyed exploring the city more and on our own. Once I figured out the city more, exploring was a lot of fun to me. This day we were supposed to go to Tersa but it ended up being canceled which was very good since I unfortunately got an allergic reaction out of nowhere and I would not have enjoyed going to Tersa like that. That evening we chose to go to the Barcelona beach and play volleyball until sundown. Although it was very windy, I enjoyed it so much.

Wednesday: I woke up feeling very sick but there was no way I was missing my friends last day. We visited Siemens which actually was very interesting. I really enjoyed learning about their work and the process, and their technology is incredible. Afterwards we went to System Action and I was amazed. Fashion is something that I very much love, so seeing the factory and speaking to the designers was something I very much enjoyed. The design boards and the room full with next seasons collection was really nice! The clothes they sell are beautiful and definitely my style. The most fun part of the day was going to cook paella. Everyone had a lot of fun doing their parts and eating something new. I have to say my favorite dish was the tortilla de patata and the pan con tomate, I had like almost all the little basket.

At the end I was very sad because I had to say bye to everyone. This trip was incredible and so much fun and I was not ready for it to be over. I do have 2 extra days but it’s definitely not the same without everyone else. This trip has been an amazing experience and I’m so happy we all became even more close. We started our freshman year together and we ended it together. I will never forget my freshman year.

Time to explore on my own with my roommate!!!!

After many hours of flying, I was exhausted but so excited. I was ready to get dressed and start exploring the streets of Barcelona! The minute I saw the beauty of the city, I fell in love.

The first day was very exciting. I had an outfit planned out since weeks before that I was dying to wear. When we got to the restaurant, my mind was racing with thoughts about how the trip could possibly be. After a bit of eating, all the excitement was overthrown by my body’s exhaustion. I was crashing. And as much as I wanted to stay awake, I definitely struggled and would fall asleep.

Our visit to Park Güell was amazing, the entire time I just kept thinking how much my mom would enjoy seeing everything in the park. I ended up taking lots of pictures because I could already see her taking millions if she were there.

On the second day, visiting the Gothic Quarter, Picaso Museum, and La Sagrada Família was really a dream come true. All 3 are things that I had been learning about since I was younger, and never did I imagine that I would be there seeing it in person. The one thing that was not the best was all the walking, my feet and legs hurt too much. I also really enjoyed that as a group, we all decided to hang out that night, and how certain events caused us to see just how close we all really are.

On the third day, I will admit waking up was very difficult. I was running on very little sleep but I was still very excited for the day. Our visit to the winery was beyond beautiful! But because many of us had little sleep and basically no breakfast, that cava hit a bit too hard. We then went to Sitges and got to enjoy the most beautiful day at the beach with everyone. And to end all off, a few of us were able to go see Messi play! Which Barcelona won 2-1!!!

So far my trip has been nothing but incredible and amazing. I have become even closer with the people I thought I was already close to. I have been able to explore and bring out new qualities in me that I didn’t know I had. Like, apparently I am very good at memorizing my way home and to the metro, and I am great at reading maps. Just thinking about going home makes me sad. I definitely miss my family, but I love it here so much.

I never imagined going to Barcelona, let alone that I would get to visit it with many of my friends. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I have always wanted to travel outside of the U.S. somewhere other than Mexico, which don’t get get me wrong, I love very much. I can’t wait to visit all the touristic sites and learn more about the culture. The part that I am nervous about is flying. I’m not scared of flying but I just get anxious after being in such a small and tight place for so long. The week before leaving, I have been extremely stressed and busy, with finals and packing up my dorm. So much so, that I had to leave packing to the very last minute. Thankfully, I already knew what I wanted to bring. I was filled with so many emotions before arriving to the airport, but over all I’m just extremely excited. I hope that the weather will be decent enough, I brought a lot of dresses that I really Hope I get to wear without getting cold. I also hope that I enjoy seeing all the different cites and that they will help expand my knowledge. I learned that in Spain, the days tend to be long. There is always something to do and that makes me very excited because there is a lot that I want to do in order to fully enjoy my experience. I also learned that there are a lot of pickpockets and that makes me scared because I tend to be clumsy and forgetful. Hopefully I don’t lose anything! I really wanted to take this trip because of a variety of reasons. All of my friends that went on the trip previously said that it was a must. A lot of my friends were going to this trip, and Spain has just always been on one of my go to places that I have always wanted to visit. Gratefully, in Spain the primary language is Spanish and although it’s not the same as my Spanish, it is still very similar and will be extremely helpful for navigation. On my must see list, I would say that La Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Gothic Quarter, the beach, and the soccer stadium are the places I am most excited about visiting. Of course, there are many others but those definitely are the top ones. I don’t think that I will be able to get enough, and I already know my camera roll is going to get full, but it is all going to be worth it.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton