I cannot believe that it has been a year since I came back from the most amazing summer of my life. For years and years I dreamt about being Barcelona and as much as I imagined it, the experience was truly so much better than I could ever begin to describe. From the beautiful and extravagant monuments to the small narrow streets there is nothing I would’ve changed from my trip (except maybe the ability to stay there longer).
In honor of my Barça-versary, here is my feature on my programs site – BarcelonaSAE. This program gave me the incredible opportunity to visit my favorite city and to work with my dream company International Policy Group. Go ahead and check it out (the original link here)and if you want to read about my adventures and favorite places, check out my older posts on this Ciudat Bella!
Adriana Campos-Korn
Political Science & International Affairs
Florida State University
International Policy Group
What are you up to these days? Have you graduated? Are you working? How did your experience in Barcelona have an impact on your life?
I graduated in the spring of 2014 prior to going to Barcelona. I am now working in Miami while taking a year off before heading off to law school. Barcelona was exactly the kind of experience I needed to have. It allowed me to experience a different culture and submerge myself in a world unlike my own. It also made me realize I can easily adapt to any situation I am in and the city from large monuments to narrow roads made me thankful for the experience every day.
If you were to sum up your Barcelona experience in one to two words, what would you say? My Barcelona Experience is…
Resilience & Charm
Explain why you chose those words.
I chose resilience because I think to identify yourself as Catalan yourself and the people of your past had to be resilient. So many things have happened to these people – oppression and pain and confinement – and despite this their culture has thrived. The culture is something you can feel around every corner of Barcelona and the people are proud to represent it as well. They have managed to move forward from tragedy and a dark history, and by looking at the city you can see the influence it has had in the growth and expansion as they step into the future. I chose charm because despite the large monuments and buildings, Barcelona is just that, charming. From the narrow roads to the small cafes inspired by local artist and culture, to the small tapas and all the work by Gaudi.
What was your favorite place to eat in Barcelona? Favorite food?
My favorite place to eat around barcelona were the small local tapas places and the boqueria because of all the fresh produce. My absolute favorite foods were pineapple wrapped in jamon iberico and pretty much anything with jamon iberico. I also loved bunuelos de bacalao and paella.
What was your favorite tour, day trip, or cultural activity? Why?
My favorite day trip was the day we went to the Codorniu Winery and Sitges. I loved it because it showed me a part of Catalonia that I probably would not have gone to on my own simply because I had no idea that the history of cava was so prominent in the area and as for the beach, I found Sitges to be much more beautiful than Barceloneta so I appreciated the time spent there.
Is there a site in Barcelona that you would recommend to future students that may be a little more “off the beaten path”?
Even though it’s not exactly “off the beaten path” I would recommend going to Montserrat. There is so much to do and will definitely require a whole day but the view is absolutely amazing and you will see some rock formations that are definitely not something you see every day. I would also recommend going through all the narrow streets around Ciudat Vella; it’s really picturesque and you will find so many great find from thrift stores to restaurants and even a fish pedicure!
If you had one perfect day in Barcelona where would you go, and what would you do?
If I had one perfect day in Barcelona I would leave my apartment really early and try and catch the sunrise at Parc Guell and from there I would go walk down and walk around the area checking out all the local places and see all the shops they have there. I would bring my camera and a fruit smoothie from a local market and just explore every nook and cranny.
What was something you were surprised to learn about Barcelona or Spain? Or what aspect of the country or city were you least expecting?
The few things that really took me by surprise were 1. that all the streets and signs were in Catalan; although I knew a lot about Barcelona before going, I had no idea the language was so prominent across the city and 2. The more I walked I realized how close everything actually is. So many places are really close by and seem farther away because of how many stops there are in the metro but it’s actually fun to walk and see everything in-between stops.
What is one piece of advice that you have for future students coming to Barcelona?
For future students I would advice you take full advantage of where you are – there is so much to see and do other than partying and the time ends way too quickly. There is so much you can do during the day and so spending it doing things you could do at home is a waste. Also, take advantage of the day trips and tours – they are free and they will show you something you probably wouldn’t see on your own. I would also recommend you walk if you’re not in a hurry to get anywhere – you will find so many places and things you would never see if you always used the metro or a cab (and you’ll be surprised everything in Barcelona is actually really close by).
Why was Barcelona SAE the right program for you?
Although in the future I would like to travel in a less structured program so that I can make my own schedule and travel from place to place as I wish, BarcelonaSAE was the perfect program at the time as it provided all the things I needed prior to me getting there and gave me enough structure to feel comfortable being in the city for the first time. I would recommend it to anyone going to Spain for the first time.
Honestly Ade 