Experiencing Spanish Culture for the First Time as a Study Abroad Student
Did you know, in Spain, we eat dinner at 10 pm? And did you know most meals have a long chatting period for up to three hours after eating? I didn’t know either of these things (and much more) before I decided to study abroad in Spain, but I can confidently say my experience with Spanish culture so far has been an absolute blast. I’m loving every moment.
My name is Austin Wood. I’m an Urban Planning major at Old Dominion University in Southern Virginia. I knew Barcelona, Spain, was going to be my home when I first saw the ad on my school’s study abroad website. I was a bit nervous about having my first experience in another country be an entire semester of school, especially since I’d never been overseas before. But I knew that it would go on to influence my future capabilities in ways I couldn’t yet imagine!
When I landed in Barcelona on the morning of September 3 after an overnight flight, the very first thing I noticed was the language difference. I had known going in that in Barcelona, the primary language spoken is Catalan (a historic romance language containing French and Spanish influence), but navigating the airport was still a bit difficult. Luckily, many of the signs did have both English and Spanish, as well. I wouldn’t say this was particularly a hard adjustment for me at first, since most European airport employees know English, but it still posed a new challenge for me, which I was excited to face!
An information sign at the Barcelona airport
When WorldStrides’ taxis dropped us off at our host homes, something hit me immediately that I had not predicted: My host mom did not know any English! While this experience was challenging at first, this was exactly the kind of practice I had desired when signing up for a host family versus a dorm or an apartment by myself. Having the cultural immersion of living in a new country with someone else native to their region was an experience I had always dreamed of, and now I’m living it.
Some more things I had not predicted about my new home before I arrived are: Dinner starts around 9 or 10 pm (surprisingly nice, as you don’t have the temptation of snacking in bed), bedroom and bathroom doors don’t have locks, there’s no air conditioning in homes, and embraces always include besos—a kiss on both cheeks. All of these things took a lot of getting used to, but I’ve since grown to appreciate the differences in Barcelona versus home, and I know it will be just as different again when I’m back in the States!
Plaza Catalonia, on the campus of my university
Part of my journey of cultural discovery has also been deeply rooted in my love for history. As a geographer, I’m in paradise analyzing the Roman ruins in the history museum, and I’m always fascinated by the information in my classes about different empires and their planning strategies across different periods of time.
Having Spanish professors has also been an excellent way for me to immerse myself linguistically. While my courses are taught in English, most casual conversations with professors I approach with Spanish, as it is most comfortable for them gives me more opportunity to practice.
I love my courses, and my school is situated in the center of Barcelona, so I have an excellent time exploring the city in between classes or getting a quick bite to eat at my favorite coffee shop, Pannia. I usually get a soda and sandwich, and I order: “Me pones un bocadillo de jamón serrano y una Fanta limón con una taza de hielo, por favor.”
Plaza de les Glòries
While I did experience some brief homesickness in my first couple of days, I would say I adjusted to my new home fairly quickly. But it took some extra effort! The first week was a little bit rough as I didn’t know anyone, but I quickly made friends with the people in my WorldStrides group, as they took us on a couple of back-to-back events when we first arrived, such as driving up to the Olympic Stadium on the mountain Montjuïc, or a tour of the Roman walls in the Gothic Quarter.
I quickly learned that the best way to start fitting in was by putting myself out there in as many events as I could go to, and the city had plenty to offer. Some of my best experiences so far have been events with the Erasmus Student Network at my school, visiting Sitges with WorldStrides, and discovering the extensive network of plazas and parks where you can relax all day and people-watch.
Codorniu Vineyard in Sitges
Most of all, I am overjoyed to be immersed in everything Spain. Through language-learning experiences in school and conversing with my host family about politics, sports, TV shows, food, etc., I have really opened up a new world. I now open every conversation I have with a local in Spanish, and I feel at home and connected to the city around me and its history.
I’ve also had the opportunity to explore all over the city with my architecture courses, which have strengthened my understanding of why the city is built the way it is and how that affects locals, students, and tourists alike. I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my stay here in Barcelona, and I’ll see you all in my next blog!