Time Moves Faster Than You Think

I'm starting this blog a little late, mostly due to a lack of internet access. I have been living in Barcelona for exactly a month now. It has been a month of realizations, discoveries, and pure bliss. I've been out into the world before, but i've never really seen it from this standpoint. I've always been a passer-by, an observer; now, i'm part of it all.

When I first arrived here I was overwhelmed by how big the city is. Everytime I got out of the metro at a different stop I felt like I was in a completely different world. Barrios here, as they call neighbourhoods, are unique, much unlike the cookie-cutter design you find around the States.

Orientation consisted of long meals, meeting new people, and a bus tour of Barcelona. We drove along winding roads and saw how Barcelona stretches from Mountains to Sea. We stopped at the Olympic Stadium, which i found rather unispiring, and at Parc Guell. Parc Guell, I have learned, was supposed to be a housing development, but was left with only a few buildings, spiral staircases, a breathtaking view, and Gaudi's amazing tiled architecture. I have seen this style in pictures, but to see it in person is simply spectacular.

Moving into Residencia Onix slightly ended the feeling of being on vacation. Our room has blue walls, a large window overlooking the city, and a simple kitchen and bathroom. It is spacious and modern. At first I questioned my choice to live in a residencia as i was placed with a rather unsociable roommate who spends most her time staring at her computer screen, but despite that, the rest of my floor has become my family away from home. Now, i would not want to be anywhere else. It has also allowed me to become friends with spanish students who are living here, which has proved extremely useful!

Life consists mostly of wandering an ancient city, meeting new friends, and sampling delicious food and drink. When it comes to school, I am taking 5 courses, one more than most, including Photojournalism, Spanish Painting and Architecture, Barcelona's Past & Present, Spanish Civilization & Culture and GlobalPolitics: A Time for Change? I'm learning a lot about the world that I'd never even considered. It really makes me realize how closed off America is from the rest of the universe. There is so much history and past here, and so much going on in the world to get involved in that i marvel at how we have simply let it slip our minds.

I have rapidly adjusted to the Barcelona lifestyle.. It is more than common to take a siesta, and all the stores close their doors between 1 and 5. For the most part, it seems like parts of the city are always shut. The night brings the city back to life however. It is almost another part of the day. Pre-gaming begins around 1130, the bars are full between 12 and 2, and then people head to the clubs until 6 in the morning. I have come to realize why it is custom to take a siesta in Barcelona, as no-one gets any sleep for atleast 4 nights of the week.

I've already discovered so much since i've been here, but i can't help thinking of all that's still unexplored. Time really does go by too fast.