1st Day

Hi everyone!

First, I want to say thanks for reading. I intend to use this blog as an avenue through which I will share my experiences and reactions to the new and exciting adventures on which I intend to embark upon in the coming months. If you ever have questions about a story, a city, or just want to hear more about my trip please do not hesitate to call or email me; I love to talk about my experiences.

Before I begin I also want to talk about some of my goals and expectations for the next 5 months. I also want to discuss my current feelings about this approaching endeavor. First, I cannot believe I am actually here. Studying abroad is something I have thought about for years. When visiting colleges in high school I would ask about study abroad programs with the knowledge that one day, in the seemingly distant future, I would pursue such an experience. As I sit in my room in my apartment, looking out my window and hearing the sounds of Barcelona, I am in utter disbelief that this day has finally arrived. Not a disbelief filled with shock or sorrow, but one filled with awe and amazement. A disbelief that I will not return to the comfort of a fraternity house in Champaign and that I am about to embark upon a completely unique and unprecedented chapter in my life.

There are many reasons that I decided to spend a semester abroad and, as a result, I have many goals to pursue as I script this dynamic chapter of my life. The number one reason for my spending a semester abroad is, simply put, I really like to travel. There is no better experience, no better way to learn about the world, and no better way to learn about oneself, than to eat, breath, and live in another culture. I like seeing famous sights where historic events have taken place, eating local cuisine, and seeing how other countries function- what are the societal norms? How are they different from the society in which I was raised and live? How did this come to be? To strive to answer these questions is the ultimate reason for travel. It is impossible to learn these things from textbooks.

As a result of this passion, one goal for this semester is to travel. Of course I want to truly experience the culture-rich city of Barcelona, but I want to experience Spain and Europe on a greater scale, as well.

Secondly, I want to learn Spanish. On the cab ride from the airport to my apartment, my cab driver spoke to me in Spanish- not surprising. I responded in Spanish and we exchanged a few words. When the cab driver asked what I was doing in Barcelona I told him that I was from Chicago and would be spending the semester studying. He responded by saying that I spoke well and asked how I had learned to speak Spanish without ever being in Spain. I was honored. Later I asked him if he had ever been to the U.S. He responded with an adamant 'no' stating that he can't speak English at all. I was shocked. This was one of the first times in my life that I truly needed to speak Spanish to get to where I was going and to communicate. I look forward to many more experiences like this (which I encountered very quickly at dinner this evening) and am excited to continue to improve my Spanish.

Thirdly, and possibly most importantly, I want to take advantage of opportunities. I try and live by this philosophy in everyday life- don't turn down an opportunity to do anything (well, almost anything). I anticipate I will come across many unique, unforeseen opportunities over the next 5 months. My main goal is to experience. Try and do as much as possible, take in every hour of everyday, and make sure that I make the most of this tremendous opportunity.

More concretely, the apartment seems nice, the two suite mates that are here seem great (my roommate arrives tomorrow) and I am still very frustrated with IES (my program)-my schedule is still messed up. Hopefully that will soon be resolved. Barcelona seems like a beautiful city and I can't wait to see it in the daylight tomorrow.

With that, a very jet-lagged and tired Josh must leave you. Hope all is well and hope you enjoy reading throughout my time here.