Un Día en la Vida: Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my daily schedule! We’ve woken up, traveled to the IES Abroad Center, had two classes, and took a break. What’s next?

 

1430- Time for Spanish! It’s a small class of about ten students, so everyone has a chance to practice speaking and ask questions. Our professor takes exercises from all different sources and has us do a variety of group work. She makes the class engaging by keeping us on our toes! This class, like all the others, is extremely relevant. We learn local vocabulary and phrases needed to navigate everyday situations, hence the course’s name: Language in Context. Also, Alison (IES Abroad Blogger) is in this class with me! You should check out her photo blog here!

 

1530- I have another break after Spanish where I do similar tasks as the first one, including eating a second lunch. I'm a hungry girl.

 

1730- My last class of the day is Self and Identity in the Postmodern World. The class is just as you’d imagine: lots of discussing, arguing, and philosophizing about aspects of the self and identity formation. As twenty-somethings abroad grappling with these issues ourselves, I’m not sure how this could be more applicable. Our professor challenges the class to take an alternative perspective or recognize hypocrisies in our own lives and cultures.

 

1900- When I finally finish with classes for the day I head back home. Being able to lie down on my bed for a little bit after a long day is so satisfying.

 

2000- Usually by eight o’clock I’m out the door again going for my daily run. I’ve noticed that a lot of people here in Barcelona run at this time before dinner. It brings me so much joy to see other runners out on the street even if the runner smile and solidarity wave isn’t as much of a thing here. After some trial and error, I’ve found routes that are relatively flat so I’m not running completely uphill for half the run and completely downhill the second half. Helpful hint: run east-west routes. Your calves and ankles will thank you.

 

2100- After a quick stretch, push-up set, and shower, it’s dinner time with my host mom and roomie where we chat in Spanish over delicious, healthy, and diverse foods. It’s a fabulous dining atmosphere complete with relaxing music and mood lighting.

 

2200- The rest of the evening I spend doing homework with some unavoidable online procrastination here and there. I ideally would go to bed at midnight but I usually stay up a little later.

 

This is my Monday/Wednesday schedule. My Tuesday/Thursday schedule has the same bread, but different meat. Instead of my area classes, I go to my internship in the psychiatric unit of a research hospital, then to my Spanish class, and then back again to the hospital (my little travel notebook gets a lot of writing those days!). Occasionally I do one small, fun thing during the week instead of running that day. So far I’ve been to a wine tasting and a cooking workshop sponsored by IES Abroad, both of which I would highly recommend! Also, once a week I get out of my internship early and meet my intercambio partner to talk in English and Spanish for 30 minutes each.

 

If this sounds kind of busy to you, the truth is it kind of is! It’s like my usual activity-packed five day school week condensed into four. It goes to show you that we are still very much college students, just in very atypical circumstances.