Barcelona - a dream you never want to wake up from...

I decided to go to Barcelona to learn Spanish mainly because it's the home of the best football club in the world, but I learned very quickly that you can find so much more than good football here in the mediterranean city. In fact, there is really almost nothing that Barcelona can't offer you. As a person who has been to quite a few cities, coming to Barcelona immediately let's you feel this special and welcoming vibe that flows through the warm and humid air as you wander around it's charming streets. One of the first things I noticed in comparison to other big cities is the fact that there are trees on both sides of almost every street throughout the whole town, which gives a friendly character to the otherwise urban environment. In general, the city is surprisingly green with a lot of nice parks to relax. Also the beautiful harmony of both traditional architectural styles and modern buildings immediately meets the eye even before landing by plane. Looking out of the aircraft, the first things to notice are the magical Sagrada Familia basilica erupting from the sea of identical housing complexes that is the Eixample district and on the other side of town the modern Agbar tower bathed in it's blue and red colours. One can quickly see that Barcelona is a city of culture and history but nevertheless is constantly evolving and reinventing itself. A perfect harmony of tradition and innovation.

I always tell people who ask me about Barcelona that for me it's a city that has everything! There is really nothing left to wish for in terms of culture, nightlife, art, sports, or any other aspect one might demand from a city. I mean the city ends right at the beach! What more could you want?! :) haha.

When it comes to the EF-language courses I really have to point out that I came to the school without knowing Spanish, but after just three months of classes I was already able to manage normal day to day life in Spanish without a lot of difficulties. The language classes are so different from the normal school lessons I was used to. Exciting interactions and modern teaching methods make the courses fun and you kind of learn the language in a more natural way. The competent teachers are always friendly, helpful and encouraging. The fact that I stayed with a host family also helped immensely since you are forced to talk communicate and practice not only in class but also in real life situations. After my time at EF I decided to study Spanish at university so as you can see EF Barcelona has had a huge impact on me. I loved going to class there and thats not very common right? haha

But the coolest thing apart from learning a new language and getting to know a new culture is the fact that you meet so many people from all over the world, make new friends and build connections around the globe. All the students find themselves more or less in the same situation so you immediately have one thing in common. This experience made me grow so much as a person and is unforgettable for the rest of my life. I can only recommend everybody to choose Barcelona: a city that makes you dream big and still surpasses those dream. A city so enchanting you fall in love with it over and over again.
I come back to BCN as often as I can and every time I walk back into the EF-school it's like coming home. EF will feel like family. And Barcelona will be your second home.