![Picture](/uploads/3/7/7/2/37723387/9770957_orig.jpg)
Hola amigos/amigas,
This is my first post on what I believe will be an interesting blog. I am excited to start writing and let everyone follow me and my time abroad. Be aware now that some posts may become very emotional and others just informative, but in all I hope I will be able to connect with everyone reading this.
So basically I am just going to give you a "quick" rundown of how my first 3 weeks in Barcelona have gone so far.
WEEK 1: One of the longest weeks of my life. I had so many emotions running through me that I can truthfully say I was a mess. It all started with leaving the States the day before my birthday and flying from city to city and country to country for over 12 hours straight; which meant I landed in London for my second layover on my birthday. I eventually made it to Barcelona after a long day/night and a missed flight. But hey is it really an international flight without missing one of your connecting flights?? When I had finally got "settled" into my room at the hotel the meetings and tours started instantly. It was all a lot to take in because I was exhausted, emotional, and jet lagged. It was my birthday so of course I had to take advantage of the drinking age here and experience my first legal drink at a bar. The next day we moved into our official home for the next 3.5 months, this were I really got to meet me future roomies! I was very excited but very nervous. I was coming into this process with no prior experience dealing with roommates or living away from home.. Brave?? To say the least! The week continued with confusion and uncertainty. It was like I was just been born and had to learn everything there is to know in order to be able to survive.. That wouldn't be hard if I was given years.. In this case I had like 3 days. So the grocery shopping, metro riding, and meeting of friends began. Everyday was packed with ideas of we should go see this, oh and this, and that. My days started early and ended late. I began to get overwhelmed with not knowing anyone to trying to understand the locals. I struggled with a roller coaster of emotions that never seemed to reach a high point. I had somehow luckily made it through week 1.
WEEK 2: My second week here had finally come. I was so ready for school to start in hopes that having a routine and schedule would help me feel more sane and at home. Man was I wrong. The first week of classes were so boring because the school was in a process they call the add/drop period which gives everyone the opportunity to switch or drop the classes they don't want. For this reason the teachers don't find it necessary to start lectures. I would go to my what was supposed to be hour and 45 minute classes and leave within the first 45 minutes. Usually I would NOT complain about this but I had to sit on stairs or if I could find benches for the "breaks" in between classes. I was not ready to experience such a different way of teaching and learning. It is part of the process and it is definitely getting easier! So as I sat on the stairs of my gorgeous campus I couldn't help but just think. My mind would continuously have a battle within itself; one moment I was so happy to be there and knew the process would go by fast and the next minute my head would be so upset to be there and not UNHM. I knew that I had to control my head or I would go crazy. The days falling continued to get worse. I was on the urge of going home and calling it quits. Every time I talked to my mom is was about me coming home and that I didn't think this process was right for me. The weekend had finally come and I had planned a trip to what was known to be an amazing experience in Ibiza. Little did I know the people were total scam artists and it was nothing like it was explained; "The Goodlife Club". So shortly after the sun had set on the first day, my friend and I paid an outrageous amount of money to get back to Barcelona as fast as we could (at that time I would have paid any amount to just get out of that situation). After a long night in the Ibiza airport we arrived back into Barcelona at 8:00 am or so the next morning. I had a mental breakdown when I got back to my apartment (per usual). As horrifying as the whole situation was I am so grateful it happened. I learned so many lessons. I learned not to trust random people without looking up the organization and it also gave me a completely different outlook on this experience. I was not ready to waste my time in such an amazing place be ruined by one bad "trip". I was able to use this as a stepping stone in the journey I have ahead of me.
WEEK 3: I had some how made myself to week 3 without going home, within itself that was a major accomplishment. I took a minute to appreciate everything I had already experienced and realize how incredibly lucky I am to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity. Classes started up again and the teachers began to get into their lessons. I let classes distract me from all my emotions as much as they possibly could. I was starting to enjoy some of my classes the deeper we got. I am not used to having barely any homework so I have a lot more time on my hands. I am lucky my program (API) is so amazing, they have connections with a few organizations within the community that allow us students to spend our free time volunteering. I am in the process of connecting with a local grade school teacher that will allow me to accompany the students during class and help educate them in our complex language known as English. My weekends I spend here are full of exploring during the day and going out at night. I believe after my emotion-filled weeks I deserve a few good drinks. The bars I have been able to find around the city are very cute and some quite quaint/homey.
WEEK 4: I have just finished my first full day of week four here. I had a whole day of classes and even though it seems like its never ending when your at school, I look back and the day has flown by. I am starting to get into the hang of things and starting to feel comfortable with my surroundings. My mornings are definitely the worst just because I haven't been able to get a full night sleep (due to bad dreams/dreams of home) and because I know that I can text my family 20 million times and they wont answer because it is like 3 in the morning back home. I am working at being able to calm myself down and start my day. I believe it is a long process of experiencing every emotion but it will get better, in fact it already has. I have already seen so much change in myself since the day I left the comfort of what I have called home for 18 years to living in what I see as my temporary home. It is a big step to even say that Barcelona can be considered "home". If you asked me the first 2 and a half weeks if I would ever love this place and adjust, I would say absolutely not.
Studying Abroad is a process that only some are lucky enough to experience. I am so relieved to say that I am living out my dream of traveling. This is the first step in me becoming a better version of the old me. I feel like a conceptual art piece I had to make for my graffiti class; a butterfly model on a cork.. One side had a butterfly with pretty colors, a nice pattern, red eyes and wings that were somewhat folded in. On the other side a beautiful butterfly with amazing colors, very unique patterns, and yellow eyes with its wings fully spread open as if it were embracing everything around it. I thought of this as a representation of myself throughout my process here. I first started off with a great family (and boyfriend), a plan for the future and reachable goals. After this process has finished I will transform into an even better butterfly with a new outlook on life and many valuable experiences under my wings.
With all of that said I will leave you with a quote I believe can relate in any and every situation you may be in. Read this and honestly do yourself a favor and take a moment to think how true it is.
This is my first post on what I believe will be an interesting blog. I am excited to start writing and let everyone follow me and my time abroad. Be aware now that some posts may become very emotional and others just informative, but in all I hope I will be able to connect with everyone reading this.
So basically I am just going to give you a "quick" rundown of how my first 3 weeks in Barcelona have gone so far.
WEEK 1: One of the longest weeks of my life. I had so many emotions running through me that I can truthfully say I was a mess. It all started with leaving the States the day before my birthday and flying from city to city and country to country for over 12 hours straight; which meant I landed in London for my second layover on my birthday. I eventually made it to Barcelona after a long day/night and a missed flight. But hey is it really an international flight without missing one of your connecting flights?? When I had finally got "settled" into my room at the hotel the meetings and tours started instantly. It was all a lot to take in because I was exhausted, emotional, and jet lagged. It was my birthday so of course I had to take advantage of the drinking age here and experience my first legal drink at a bar. The next day we moved into our official home for the next 3.5 months, this were I really got to meet me future roomies! I was very excited but very nervous. I was coming into this process with no prior experience dealing with roommates or living away from home.. Brave?? To say the least! The week continued with confusion and uncertainty. It was like I was just been born and had to learn everything there is to know in order to be able to survive.. That wouldn't be hard if I was given years.. In this case I had like 3 days. So the grocery shopping, metro riding, and meeting of friends began. Everyday was packed with ideas of we should go see this, oh and this, and that. My days started early and ended late. I began to get overwhelmed with not knowing anyone to trying to understand the locals. I struggled with a roller coaster of emotions that never seemed to reach a high point. I had somehow luckily made it through week 1.
WEEK 2: My second week here had finally come. I was so ready for school to start in hopes that having a routine and schedule would help me feel more sane and at home. Man was I wrong. The first week of classes were so boring because the school was in a process they call the add/drop period which gives everyone the opportunity to switch or drop the classes they don't want. For this reason the teachers don't find it necessary to start lectures. I would go to my what was supposed to be hour and 45 minute classes and leave within the first 45 minutes. Usually I would NOT complain about this but I had to sit on stairs or if I could find benches for the "breaks" in between classes. I was not ready to experience such a different way of teaching and learning. It is part of the process and it is definitely getting easier! So as I sat on the stairs of my gorgeous campus I couldn't help but just think. My mind would continuously have a battle within itself; one moment I was so happy to be there and knew the process would go by fast and the next minute my head would be so upset to be there and not UNHM. I knew that I had to control my head or I would go crazy. The days falling continued to get worse. I was on the urge of going home and calling it quits. Every time I talked to my mom is was about me coming home and that I didn't think this process was right for me. The weekend had finally come and I had planned a trip to what was known to be an amazing experience in Ibiza. Little did I know the people were total scam artists and it was nothing like it was explained; "The Goodlife Club". So shortly after the sun had set on the first day, my friend and I paid an outrageous amount of money to get back to Barcelona as fast as we could (at that time I would have paid any amount to just get out of that situation). After a long night in the Ibiza airport we arrived back into Barcelona at 8:00 am or so the next morning. I had a mental breakdown when I got back to my apartment (per usual). As horrifying as the whole situation was I am so grateful it happened. I learned so many lessons. I learned not to trust random people without looking up the organization and it also gave me a completely different outlook on this experience. I was not ready to waste my time in such an amazing place be ruined by one bad "trip". I was able to use this as a stepping stone in the journey I have ahead of me.
WEEK 3: I had some how made myself to week 3 without going home, within itself that was a major accomplishment. I took a minute to appreciate everything I had already experienced and realize how incredibly lucky I am to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity. Classes started up again and the teachers began to get into their lessons. I let classes distract me from all my emotions as much as they possibly could. I was starting to enjoy some of my classes the deeper we got. I am not used to having barely any homework so I have a lot more time on my hands. I am lucky my program (API) is so amazing, they have connections with a few organizations within the community that allow us students to spend our free time volunteering. I am in the process of connecting with a local grade school teacher that will allow me to accompany the students during class and help educate them in our complex language known as English. My weekends I spend here are full of exploring during the day and going out at night. I believe after my emotion-filled weeks I deserve a few good drinks. The bars I have been able to find around the city are very cute and some quite quaint/homey.
WEEK 4: I have just finished my first full day of week four here. I had a whole day of classes and even though it seems like its never ending when your at school, I look back and the day has flown by. I am starting to get into the hang of things and starting to feel comfortable with my surroundings. My mornings are definitely the worst just because I haven't been able to get a full night sleep (due to bad dreams/dreams of home) and because I know that I can text my family 20 million times and they wont answer because it is like 3 in the morning back home. I am working at being able to calm myself down and start my day. I believe it is a long process of experiencing every emotion but it will get better, in fact it already has. I have already seen so much change in myself since the day I left the comfort of what I have called home for 18 years to living in what I see as my temporary home. It is a big step to even say that Barcelona can be considered "home". If you asked me the first 2 and a half weeks if I would ever love this place and adjust, I would say absolutely not.
Studying Abroad is a process that only some are lucky enough to experience. I am so relieved to say that I am living out my dream of traveling. This is the first step in me becoming a better version of the old me. I feel like a conceptual art piece I had to make for my graffiti class; a butterfly model on a cork.. One side had a butterfly with pretty colors, a nice pattern, red eyes and wings that were somewhat folded in. On the other side a beautiful butterfly with amazing colors, very unique patterns, and yellow eyes with its wings fully spread open as if it were embracing everything around it. I thought of this as a representation of myself throughout my process here. I first started off with a great family (and boyfriend), a plan for the future and reachable goals. After this process has finished I will transform into an even better butterfly with a new outlook on life and many valuable experiences under my wings.
With all of that said I will leave you with a quote I believe can relate in any and every situation you may be in. Read this and honestly do yourself a favor and take a moment to think how true it is.
With much love, Bryanne Barna :)