With just a few hours standing between me and my trip to the airport, there is still a lot to be done! As of right now, I have exactly two things packed in my suitcase—my bathing suit and the international plug converter I bought with my mom earlier today.
So I’ve covered all of the essentials, really. My goal for packing is to cram all of the things I’ll need for my two months abroad—from sandals to shampoo to school supplies—into one tiny, easy-to-carry suitcase. So far so good!
Assuming I get my act together in the next few hours, I’ll be navigating the international terminal in Barcelona by noontime on Saturday (I’m stopping in Munich first, but only for about an hour). From there, I’ll make my way to the heart of the city and our residences at the University! Which brings me to what feels like the first test of my summer school class: explaining—in Spanish, of course—to a cab driver exactly where I need to go or braving the city’s public transportation system for the first time.
I’m technically traveling alone, but many of my classmates arrive in Spain around the same time I do. This should definitely help everyone in terms of actually making it to our residences in one piece, but I’ll let you know how all of this goes in a few days.
Luckily, my excitement about the next eight weeks greatly overpowers any last minute apprehensions. Naturally, I’m really looking forward to practicing my Spanish and improving my ability to converse in the language. Another cool aspect of summer studies I didn’t mention in my last blog entry is the possibility of picking up some Catalan during my time in Spain. Catalan, the co-official language of Barcelona (and all of Catalonia), sounds a lot like Spanish to the untrained ear, but is actually very different, and learning a few phrases would add a unique twist to my studies abroad.
Of course there is classwork to look forward to as well, highlighted by student-led excursions during class time and probable weekend trips around Spain (and maybe other parts of Europe). Even without the issue of packing and preparing for takeoff, the imminent experience of travel to and cultural immersion in Barcelona would be enough to keep me awake tonight. Which reminds me, I should probably get back to packing…I’ll write again once I’m on the other side of the Atlantic! Hasta luego!