fitness & fro-yo: It's Not All Rainbows and Smiles

It is hard to believe that this time last week I was running up the side of a mountain with the IES Running Club (well, technically I was sleeping since Barcelona is seven hours ahead, but you know what I mean), and now I am sitting on my bed in my room at SRD reading some Shakespeare. Crazy how time flies! Time for another reflection post!

The view from Montjuic

IES Running Club -- Josep, the male on the left, is the crazy who made us RUN up to one of the highest points in Barcelona! Miss you, Josep!

Montjuic

Though I loved my time in Barcelona, there were definitely things that I didn't like and that I won't miss. For example, I won't miss the amount of smokers that there are in Europe -- I felt as though my risk for suffering from diseases as a result of second-hand smoke rose significantly during my time there. It really confused me as to why almost everyone (even the faculty at IES!) smoked regularly. It is not as if Europeans haven't been told the negative implications that smoking has on their health. I often made faces when I passed people smoking, which was probably pretty rude, but there really is nothing worse than getting a huge breath of cigarette smoke!

Spaniards did NOT adhere to this rule! (Source)

Another thing that is very different in Spain (and all of Europe for that matter) is the subject of water. Something that is always free at restaurants in the United States costs money at restaurants in Europe -- often at least three euros! To top it all off, there is no ice in the water, and as an ice lover, this was definitely an adjustment for me; there is nothing worse than warm water!

Water bottles were often provided to the table rather than waiters bringing pitchers of water

Air conditioning -- I will most DEFINITELY not miss the lack of air conditioning available. Well, let me rephrase that. Air conditioning is definitely available, it is just used very sparingly. Have I mentioned that they are very environmentally-conscious in Barcelona? Anyway, Sarah and I suffered the heat in our room for FIVE weeks before discovering that all we had to do to experience some sweet relief was press the power button on the thermostat. Sorry, where we're from, air conditioning is a given during the summer. It was not just our room, it was everywhere! Air conditioning is just not very widely used in Spain, and though I eventually got used to it, I did occasionally wake up in a pool of my own sweat. Gross, I know!

If you were lucky enough to find working AC, the windows HAD to be closed

I will also not miss going to the beach and being bombarded with people trying to sell me fake Ray Ban sunglasses, cerveza y agua, or five-minute massages. I loved the beach, minus the fact that it was hard to relax because one, you had to stay on the alert for people who might be waiting to steal your stuff, and there was always someone trying to sell you something - whether it be sunglasses, keychains, messages, or some type of beverage. That was definitely not something that I was used to, and I found it quite annoying because if you accidentally caught one of their eyes, they assumed you wanted to buy something and they were not about to back down when it came to making the sale. They were so pushy! I never bought anything, but I came pretty darn close one time just to stop them from coming over to us anymore!

Barceloneta was ALWAYS crowded! (Source)

There were also naked people to worry about on the beach! That is definitely not something people make up when it comes to the beaches in Spain -- they are everywhere. I guess women save money by not buying a bikini top, but honestly, come on people! It's great that you are comfortable doing that, but some of us have innocent eyes! Going back to laying on the beaches in Galveston will be a welcome relief!

Extreme PDA. Y'all, it was EVERYWHERE. It was so common to look up and see a couple getting frisky in the middle of the street or on a bus. Being the creeper that I am, I managed to snag a few pictures, but I must say that I will definitely not miss all of the PDA that surrounded me everywhere I went!

Creepin', as usual!

A couple on the bus to Tibidabo

Protestors, protestors, protestors. There was nothing that could make me go from loving Barcelona to wishing that I was in the United States than walking up the steps from my metro stop to sounds of whistles, chants, and car horns protesting whatever, getting absolutely NOWHERE. It was so loud, so obnoxious, and honestly, wasn't doing anything to alleviate the situation. Luckily, it let up at our metro stop after about a month, but we still came across other protests throughout the city. I know there are plenty of protests happening here in the States, but none are quite as obnoxious as the ones I experienced! Phew!

(Source)

Don't get me wrong, I don't want y'all to think I hated my time in Barcelona, because I absolutely LOVED it. These were just a few things that made me appreciate my return to what I am used to. I am also not saying that the United States is superior to Spain in any way, these were just a few things that made me a little homesick for the US of A! And as frustrating as some of these things were, they really added to my study abroad experience. Studying abroad is not all rainbows and smiles -- I definitely had my share of "I want to go home" moments, but I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. It was absolutely perfect the way it was, lack of air conditioning and all!