In early February, one of my roommates and I were planning many weekend trips and weekends that we would be available to travel abroad. The idea of flying out to Spain and visiting Barcelona and Madrid came up. After booking our hostel in Barcelona, Airbnb in Madrid, and airfare and train tickets, we departed from Rome to Barcelona on Thursday, February 29. Not thinking much about the trip and just going to explore and hit another country and a couple of other cities, I did not expect the journey to change my life and outlook.
Before traveling to study abroad, I would hear stories of those who have experience studying abroad—how that person changed forever, learned so much, or had an eye-opening experience. One of the many reasons I decided to study abroad in Rome through ISA was to see if I could experience this. I set expectations and goals to ensure I would get “that feeling” at some point during my journeys. That feeling of “wow” or “this is life-changing.”
After a delay and an airport dilemma, we landed in Barcelona. From the airport, we took a taxi to our hostel, Urbany Hostel BCN GO. Instantly, once we arrived in the center of Barcelona, I felt something: a sense of excitement and curiosity different from what I had felt on previous weekend travels.
On our first full day, Friday, we had a packed day planned. We first got breakfast at Corgi Cafe, a brunch spot dedicated to corgis that is full of corgis! I got Eggs Benedict and an amazing salted caramel latte, quickly the best breakfast I have had since studying abroad.
We then visited all of the tourist attractions in Barcelona, such as La Sagrada Familia Basilica, Casa Balto, Casa Mila, the Kiss Mural, and so much more. But what stood out to me was the architecture. It was different than anything I had ever seen before; it was almost like it was created with the idea of love. Something seemed so friendly and welcoming about Barcelona. The people were great, and the city itself was truly unique. Friday night, I went to bed excited to wake up, explore Barcelona more in the morning, and later take a train to Madrid.
Saturday, we hit our last stop in Barcelona and made our way to Madrid. When we arrived in Madrid, I saw their culture almost instantly: relaxed, friendly, and polite. We stopped at the Royal Palace, Plaza de Nicaragua, the Sabatini Garden, and other tourist attractions.
But this is different from what stood out to me: the people. Saturday night, our last night, my friend and I were eating at a restaurant, La Casa Del Abuelo, where we met a group of people traveling around Europe, three men and two women. At first, when we started talking to them, they asked us basic questions such as where we went to school, where we were from, and how old we were. But then they started offering us tips for tracking the best places to go abroad and how to save money. We talked to them for almost an hour.
After the hour, right before my friend and I were about to leave, one of the women offered us positions at a company in New York City once we graduated college. At this moment, I felt my mind go, “wow.” It was not just one instance of kindness and generosity; every one of the locals and even tourists in Madrid was incredibly kind. Although I am far from graduating college and have a lot to think about before committing to a career, the generosity of this group of people changed me.
The feeling of traveling around Barcelona and Madrid will forever be unmatched. The level of care, generosity, and friendliness I encountered in Spain exceeded my expectations before my arrival. I recommend that anyone who can travel to Spain travel there.
Regan Reilly is a student at Rowan University and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is studying with ISA in Rome, Italy.