Tara Snapper

If you were to sum up your Barcelona experience in one to two words, what would you say? My Barcelona Experience is…

Unforgettable & Unmatchable

Explain why you chose those words.

The friends I made are ones that were more deep and meaningful than I have almost ever made in the past. I built closer relationships with people on my floor at The Student Hotel in just two weeks, in a way that I was more connected and honest with them than I could have ever imagined would develop in the whole semester. I was pushed by the friendships I made due to the fact that my best friends I made in Barcelona were from Egypt, Albania, Ukraine, Hungry, France, and Spain, so I was not only making new friendships, but also learning about new cultures as well.

The education I received at UAB was both unmatched and unforgettable in the sense that the classroom experience created by the professors was so engaging, interesting, thought-provoking, and community oriented, where each day I was genuinely excited to walk into the classroom.

Lastly, the city of Barcelona is one that I am committed to return to. I fell in love not only with not only the beautiful ocean and mountains, but the culture of just sitting around with friends in a park, the Bunkers, beach, and more, chatting and enjoying life.

What was your favorite place to eat in Barcelona? Favorite food?

My favorite place to eat was Forastera, which was the restaurant The Student Hotel was connected to and had a meal plan with. I was able to have two meals a day there, including one “Menú del Día” with three courses, for just about 10 euros a day. My favorite tradition became having a mini bocadillo con queso (a baguette sandwich with cheese) and a café con leche (a latte). The staff were so friendly, new my order, and was a large reason why Barcelona felt like home to me.

What was something you were surprised to learn about Barcelona or Spain? Or what aspect of the country or city were you least expecting?

I was surprised by how international the city was. First, in my residence there were 100+ students from all across the world, I’d say about half coming from different regions of Spain, and the rest hailing from the US, France, Albania, Egypt, Ukraine, Columbia, El Salvador, Hungry, and more. Then, my classmates at UAB also came from the US and Egypt, but I also had peers from the Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and more. Yet, perhaps the most amazing was just simply walking on the streets, sitting on the beach, or watching the sunset at the Bunkers, you’d hear languages from all across the world. I was amazed by this and loved it whole heartily (especially as an International Studies major).

What is one piece of advice that you have for future students coming to Barcelona?

Try and do things by yourself!

One of the days I remember where I was truly the happiest was when I took off into the city by myself on a Saturday, and did what I wanted— went to Montjuic to work out and enjoy the scenery, roamed through the Arc de Triomf area and spontaneously got an Açai Bowl (while having a 30+ minute conversation in Spanish with the owner of the store), and made it back to The Student Hotel on my own time. Being alone enabled me to just find new things I liked and discover the amazing aspects of Barcelona that can be enjoyed no matter if you have someone with you or not.