The countdown begins

I wanted to get this blog started before the packing and chaos begins! As you'll soon see, blogging isn't my forte, but I know its a great way to share my experience with everyone...so here goes nothing!

In exactly a week and 5 days I will embark upon my semester "studying" abroad in Barcelona, Spain. While the daunting task of packing is making me a bit nervous for my big trip, I am excited and eager for the journey ahead. I choose Barcelona because of the vibrant culture, it's international presence, the beautiful Spanish and Catalan languages, the world-famous beaches, and obviously...the nightlife and food.

The program I am going through is called IES and I have heard that it brings about 500 students from all over the US to Barcelona each year! 1 out of 500 students traveling there is comforting when I think about having to make friends, but in a city of 4 million...I know I eventually will have to branch out. I am hoping in my two classes at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra will allow me to get to know locals and further enrich my experience in Spain. While I will miss GW, the modern-meets-historical campus at la Universitat leaves nothing to be desired as you can see below!!!

"Una, Grande, y Libre" is a motto taken from the Movimiento Nacional during Franco period in Spain. It means "One, Great, and Free" and represented the indivisibility of the Spanish state. While Franco's reign is long gone, I think this motto represents what I hope and believe my adventure in Barcelona will be....One trip, in a Great city, living young and Free!

So for now this is goodbye and hopefully my next post will be filled with excitement after arriving in Barcelona!