Hi everybody, welcome back to another week in my life here in Spain. This week was a rollercoaster, but I got through it. Also, I’m in Spain, so I can’t complain too much.
Monday, September 20th
This morning, I went to the gym, ate oatmeal for breakfast, bought a cup of coffee, and headed off to class. Afterwards, I bought some groceries, which included ingredients for a chicken-zucchini stir fry that I wanted to make. Even though I hate cooking, and as much as I wish I could keep buying and eating sandwiches for every meal, it’s not good for me or my bank account, so I have to come up with an alternative. After I cooked and ate lunch, I made an appointment at the Apple store for tomorrow because my laptop decided to stop functioning last night. Then, I went to Mediterranean Politics and International Business. During my last class, it started pouring rain outside and it did not stop. My roommates and I wanted to find a place with indoor seating for dinner, but some were already at capacity and others were too far out of the way. We found a place to eat, but it wasn’t very good, so we know not to eat there again. I’m looking forward to a better dinner tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 21st
Today was such a crazy day. After my usual morning routine and my first class, I ate lunch and took the metro by myself to the Apple store. That is where things turned upside down. Apparently, I had booked an appointment to buy something, not to fix it, and the next available time was not for six hours. I went back home, then to class, and then my roommate and I went out to dinner at our new favorite restaurant that is five minutes away from us. They have amazing patatas bravas and chicken tenders, and their prices are too good to pass up. After we ate, we headed back to the Apple store for my 7:30 appointment. But, when I got there, the employee told me that 7:30 was just an estimate, and my actual appointment wasn’t until 9. Even though this was inconvenient, my roommate and I took this opportunity to walk around more shops and try on clothes. Finally, it was time for my appointment. Nothing was really figured out, so I left my laptop there overnight, but I did find out that if I have to replace the hardware, it’s going to be $750 and my warranty ended last week, so that’s super fun. On our way home, we sprinted through the metro station to get away from a creepy man who was following us. Overall, a fitting end to the day.
Wednesday, September 22nd
My day mostly consisted of the same things it usually does, like the gym, classes, and a sandwich. Some additional things I did were: I cried in a library, I typed out my entire discussion post on my iPad, which is harder than it seems, and I talked to my therapist. Something positive to balance out the negative was that my laptop is going to be repaired for free and they are extending my warranty by a few days. To end the night I treated myself to some ice cream, and I am so ready to go to bed.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd
Was I determined to go to the gym this morning? Yes. Did the sound of pouring rain make me change my mind? Also yes. After sleeping in for a few hours, I made myself some avocado toast and went to class. Then I hung out for a bit and I finished another book, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”, which can only be described in one word: amazing. If you have the opportunity, I really recommend reading it. Anyway, I went to my last class of the week, and then my roommates and I went to dinner at our favorite place again. Later, we went to a sports bar to watch a soccer game, but it wasn’t very lively so we left at halftime.
friday, september 24th
It was such a fun day today. The study abroad program that I am on organized an excursion for our group to visit Cavas Cordineu (this is where Cava is made, which is a Spanish champagne) and Sitges, a coastal town in Barcelona. After the tour of Cavas, our bus dropped us off in Sitges where we had about three hours to explore. My roommates and I, along with a few other people from our group, went out to lunch at an amazing restaurant, and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, I had the best patatas bravas of my life. Basically, if you’re not already getting the message through these articles, patatas bravas are a must-try in Spain. You can never go wrong with potatoes. When we got back to Barcelona, I rested for a few hours and then my friends and I went out to a bar. It was really fun and I am glad that I got to be social!
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saturday, september 25th
After a bit of a rough start this morning, I went to brunch with friends. I had a beautiful açaí bowl, partially because it sounded good, and partially because it was the only thing I could stomach. After that, my roommate and I went to get our nails done, and while it was a fantastic manicure, I am not sure I’d want to spend 70 euros on it again. At 2 o’clock, we had tickets to Casa Batlló, which is a really cool building that was designed by Antoni Gaudí. We were given headphones which responded to a sensor every time we entered a new room, so we got to hear all the details behind its decor. I really enjoyed it, and after, there was a cool five minute immersive experience where we sat in a room that was all screens and Gaudí’s work was projected. After this, we took the metro home and relaxed before going to dinner at a pizza place right next to our apartment building. Now I am prepared for a much-needed sleep.
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sunday, september 26th
Today was a pretty lowkey day. I went to the beach, which was great. The water is so clear and nice to swim in and the atmosphere is so lively. Afterward, I did some research for a presentation I have this upcoming week and wrote part of a paper. Then, my roommates and I took the metro to dinner at a place called Burritos, which is very similar to Chipotle, and it was tasty! Then we got gelato and headed home, and now I’m preparing for the week ahead.
Overall, this was a productive week, but also quite hectic. I’m happy to share the good and the bad in these articles. This series is called “Life in Barcelona” for a reason because life is full of ups and downs! Thank you for reading, and I’ll be back next week.