Carina Pacheco is a student at University of Texas, Arlington and an ISA Featured Blogger. Carina is currently studying abroad with ISA in Barcelona, Spain.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I landed in Europe for the first time. I honestly still can’t believe this is really happening. Since before I came I thought this was all a dream. Now being here and walking through the streets of Barcelona, it has all finally begun to sink in.
The first couple of days were overwhelming; I was not used to the new time zone and my body was suffering from “jetlag”. I was super nervous when I initially arrived, but sitting through the welcome orientation on the first day definitely gave me reassurance. During the following days of my arrival we had various tours of the city and were able to see many of Barcelona’s fascinating sights. Taking pictures in front of Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia’s mesmerizing beauty was an awesome experience.
The most intriguing thing about Barcelona is the people’s lifestyle and homes here, not that there is anything wrong with the way they live, but it definitely is nothing like Texas. Since the first time we pulled into the “garage” of my new home, I know I was in for a huge surprise. I remember it taking at least 10 minutes for my Senora to park her car. It was insane. We, my roommate and I, had to get out of the car before she was fully parked because otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to open the door! Immediately I noticed how limited the space here is. Walking into the building I remember my roommate, Elena, warning me about “the much smaller elevators” and as soon as the elevator door opened, I understood exactly what she meant. After leaving the crammed elevator I remember entering my home stay apartment for the first time. Everything was clean and organized, but I saw very little space, something I was not accustomed to. I went from living in a two-story huge home with horses in my backyard to a downtown two bedroom apartment with a road full of traffic right outside my glass door! The first couple of nights were horrible; I heard continuous talking and sirens coming from the street. I missed the wind blowing in my window from the trees or the chirping of the birds every morning, however I began adapting to the noise quickly and now I can actually sleep through the night!
