Living in this vibrant cosmopolitan city, you are able experience a range of lifestyles by exploring the many subcultures in the city that pique your interest. It is a fantastic city to discover more about yourself as the list of activities, clubs, food, and nature is overwhelmingly full. Being a part of this large and popular program gave me the opportunity to continually meet new people from my college town and the rest of the states, but in my experience, meeting and interacting with locals requires you to step out of your comfort zone socially and put yourself out there!
It was most challenging to summarize my time in the program while making meaningful points about it because in my case, I participated in many activities and experiences that were not necessarily aligned with a common theme. For example, I spent a lot of the time traveling on weekends throughout Europe but also joined a Pilates studio and roller-skating community in Barcelona. Even though it was challenging to choose what was most important to conclude and how to summarize my whole experience, I think my paragraph pretty accurately summarizes my general sentiment and reflections.
Alejandra Butcher-Salazar
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
Major: International Business and Marketing
Program: CIEE Barcelona Business and Culture