Living in the same country for the last twenty years has ingrained in me a certain set of social norms. I know how to act in a grocery store, what to do when I walk into a restaurant, when to make small talk, how to dress appropriately, and so on. Not only do I act a certain way because of my upbringing, but I expect the people and institutions around me to function in a predictable manner. Settling in to Buenos Aires I have had to adjust both my actions and expectations to fit into the city and respect the local culture.

If you’re in love with coffee like I am then one of your very first tasks in Barcelona will be to find the perfect coffee shops. I always enjoy spending late afternoons or weekends in a local cafe reading a book or journaling about my time abroad.

Each of my favorite coffee shops listed below are located in different parts of Barcelona. What’s better than exploring and sightseeing while also enjoying great coffee?

Here is a question I’ve been asked countless times by friends, family, and total strangers, from the minute I touched down in Tangier continuing through yesterday, as I ate gnocchi in Florence, Italy: What is it like to live as a woman, a foreign woman and, what’s more, an American woman, in Morocco?

Yesterday it was raining. Boo! For the last week or so, the weather in Rome has been superb. Days filled with sunshine and pretty skies. Needless to say, when I saw the rain I was bummed. On top of that, I had a presentation and a ton of work to do. Double Boo! Yet, as I walked home, the skies cleared up and revealed a profoundly beautiful sunset. Plus, my presentation went swimmingly and the work was a piece of cake. One of God’s immaculate metaphors.

"Travel Far Enough, To Find Yourself"

~David Mitchell
 

Traveling provides you with countless opportunities and adventures. Undoubtedly, we travel to see the world, try new food, meet new people, and so much more. But a significant part of your journey will provide the unique chance to learn more about yourself. Self-discovery is unavoidably a huge aspect of international travel.

Wait, I thought I just got in a new country, and I’m now already planning to leave it?

This is probably a common thought of the study abroad student. Being located in a central city of Europe definitely has the advantage of proximity to other amazing cities, and so a lot of study abroad students like to take advantage of this opportunity while they are here. Although I definitely have not spent all of my weekends out of Rome, I decided to take a few adventures to other countries, and I’m really glad I did.

One of the hardest parts about studying abroad is maintaining relationships with people at home. I would even say it is the hardest part. Everyone deals with it in their own way—some people try to unplug from their life in their home country, others set up regular calling schedules, others keep in touch by text and Facebook messenger. Social media can make things easier and harder—it’s easier to connect, but harder to go deeper.

Around the half-way point of the semester, I had the amazing opportunity to show my family and my best friend around Barcelona. I will admit that I was slightly nervous at first. I had to become their liaison to the city—their experience was completely in my hands! Before their arrival, I planned out a list of all the crucial places I had to take them to in Barcelona. Not only that, but I picked out the best restaurants I’d experienced so far—making sure they got their fix of traditional foods here: pan con tomate, calçots, etc.