An Experience of a Lifetime

Barcelona is a city that is truly alive. There are always festivals, parades, human towers, rallies, you name it, that makes the city what it is today. The problem is that many students find that they come to the city as a tourist, and leave the same. In order to integrate into Barcelona, I found I had to learn about its history, and the history of Spain. This allowed me to understand both the hardships and the triumphs that the people have gone through, and I was able to discuss it with them. I mostly utilized my host family. They taught me their opinions on the past. I also watched the news which gave me even more insight. I have found that natives will see you as a tourist until you earn their respect, and I did that through knowledge. Once I was able to talk to them about things that they found imperative to their livelihoods, I could tell that they took me more seriously. I learned that you must respect the culture, people, history, and customs of wherever you travel and be aware that, although they may have prejudices about who you are, if you are able to communicate effectively, you will only feel like an outsider for a short time.