Jazmin Lopez is a student at Arizona State University and an ISA Featured Blogger. Jazmin is currently studying abroad in Barcelona on a Fall 2 program.
And so this truly AMAZING semester abroad has wound down to its last week – cramming for finals, trying not to think about saying goodbye to the friends you’ve made, stressing about what will and won’t fit in your luggage, and trying to make the most of your final days. It sucks, but c’est la vie! I have diminished my savings account by traveling throughout Europe – Paris, Rome & Dublin – and also by shopping and dining during excursions through ISA including Valencia, Sitges and Girona and ‘barrio walks’ through Barcelona‘s neighborhoods such as Gracia, Horta, Montjuic, El Born and El Raval. Getting to know the ISA family, my host-family and creating a family of my very own with my classmates are memories I will never let go and will continue to re-visit for as long as I can remember!
I can’t say enough how happy I am that I decided to come to Barcelona and do a homestay! My host-parents were the nicest, endearing and wise people I have had the pleasure to ever live with (just don’t tell my mom!). They always made sure we were not missing anything, and if we needed something, ever, they were on it like mac ‘n’ cheese! I do have to say, it is weird getting that type of attention from some “strangers” at first, but towards the end, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Don’t even get me started on how great the ISA Barcelona staff is, they’re always willing to listen to our crazy stories & metro mishaps, giving us advice on how to make the best of our stay abroad and always lending a hand when we need it most. Always upbeat, always in-step and always with a huge smile and warm hearts, I will miss the ISA staff so much! I also must mention my family of friends I accomplished to create in three very short months.
The only thing I can say is that studying abroad has been the best experience of my life. I recommend anyone who reads this, and is planning on traveling abroad in the near future, to please do it! It is an opportunity you just cannot miss out on! I say this only because I have learned so much (this will most definitely sound cliché) about myself and how I see the world while I’ve been in Barcelona. I will dearly miss the people-watching with a cafe con leche and a novel next to me on days when I was too lazy to explore, or the many things to do in Barcelona that always keep you busy. There is so much to do that with less than a week left I still have yet to visit the Sagrada Familia! It is insane that I have yet a list of things to see, but my list never ends!
And that is what I absolutely love about Barcelona, Spain or even Europe in general! So no matter where your choices, major, or budget take you, remember one thing: there is NO WAY you will ever regret studying abroad for as long as you live. It is such an amazing learning experience, whether it makes you think you never want to return, or think like me and start planning a way to move back to Europe to work and live.
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