I pretty much have the same answer every time I’m asked about this past year working for Meddeas as a language assistant. That it’s been one of the best years of my life and it’s probably the best decision I’ve made.
This year abroad forced me out of my comfort zone. It helped me meet great friends and showed me the joys and challenges of helping someone learn and working with kids, and countless other lessons I’ll never forget. After this year, it feels awesome to say that the great city of Barcelona feels like a second home to me.
The People Make the Place
I’m a firm believer that the people and relationships built make the place. It definitely helps that Barcelona has just about everything one could ask for in a city… beaches, mountains a short trip away, great restaurants, etc. With that being said, I have no doubt that the friends I made is what made the city so special and feel like a home away from home. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some moments during the first few weeks feeling homesick and questioning why the heck I moved across the world. That didn’t last long.
One of my favorite things about Barcelona is how international it is, and how many people are living there from all around the world. This gave me, someone who previously had friends just from the US, the opportunity to meet people from all around the world. I became close friends with people from Spain and the US of course but also Norway, Sweden, England, Ireland, Germany, Argentina, and all over the world.
It was so cool for me to get to know so many great people. I’m confident I will keep in touch with them for many years to come.
A Family Away from Home
Continuing with the idea that the people make the place, a really important aspect of Barcelona feeling like a home away from home was the family I tutored for. Early on in the year, I was provided the opportunity to tutor for a family from the school I was placed at… I couldn’t say no to a little extra money coming in and some more teaching practice.
From October to June, I tutored a couple days a week for a few hours and became very close with the family. They were extremely welcoming to me inviting me to confirmations, football games and helping me out whenever I had questions about the city. This made my time 10x more enjoyable knowing I had great people I could count on if needed.
From the friends I made to the family I tutored for and my great coworkers, Barcelona really started to feel like home. Investing in relationships and always trying to meet new people showed me some really cool things. It provided me with great opportunities, and I’m super grateful for those I met along the way.
For those of you joining Meddeas, I wish you the best of luck making Spain your home away from home.
