Spain: Alan Garcia (Daily Life in Barcelona)

Daily Life in Barcelona

It’s been just over a month since my arrival in Barcelona, and I can confidently say that my experience so far has exceeded all my expectations. Today is Monday February 5th, the start of my fifth week of courses in my program. I started my day by waking up at 7:30am to ensure I have enough time to eat breakfast and prepare myself for the day. For breakfast, I typically have a bowl of cereal accompanied by fruits. By the time I finish breakfast, it’s about 8am and I’m ready to head out for the day. I walk 8 minutes to the nearest metro stop, El Maresme Forum, and board the metro. It takes me about 15 minutes to arrive at my exit, Passeig de Gracia, which is only a 5-minute walk to CIEE

I arrive to CIEE with plenty of time to spare, ready to go for my 9am class, Strategic Issues in International Manufacturing. The course is extremely interesting as we do a deep dive into local companies and how they operate. We assess the efficiency of said companies and attempt to explain how they can improve that efficiency. This class goes till 10:30am, at which point I have a three-hour period until my next class. I’ll typically stay at the CIEE lounge for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour working on any assignment I may have.

Around 11:15am, I head out for some lunch. For lunch, my strategy is to walk around the city, headed in the direction of my next class (located at ESCI), and simply stop for whatever catches my eye. Today, I went to Bo de Be (the best sandwich in the city!!!). I’ll typically take my lunch to go, and then eat outside anywhere nearby. Whether it be Barceloneta beach, Parque de la Ciutadella, or the Arc de Triomf, this is without a doubt my favorite part of each day.

Once 1:30pm hits, it’s time for Corporate Finance. I find this class extremely enjoyable as it’s unlike any finance class I’ve taken at UW-Madison. It is much more independent and hands on. This class goes until 3:45pm, which definitely took some time to adjust to as the class runs for 2 hours and 15 minutes, far longer than any course I’ve ever had to take. Once done with Corporate Finance, I have to walk back to CIEE to make it to my 4pm class, International Finance. This is definitely the class most similar to one at UW-Madison. It covers topics I’ve already seen but goes much more in depth which I think will be extremely useful. The class goes until 5:30pm and is my last class of the day.

Once done, I will either stay at CIEE if I have any assignments to complete, or I will walk around the city, exploring different parts that I have yet to visit. Today, I decided to head towards Plaza Isidre Nonell and check out the Mural del Beso, a famous mural designed by Joan Fontcuberta and Antoni Cumella. After roughly two hours of walking around the Gothic quarter, I decide it’s time to hop back on the metro and head home. Once home, I make dinner, and facetime my parents and friends, catching up with them and running them through my day. This typically runs for an hour and a half, at which point it’s time for me to get ready for bed. So far, I try to make the most of every single day, exploring different parts of the city, just really taking advantage of this unique experience that. Living in Barcelona, meeting locals, and immersing myself in the culture has been an experience like no other and I feel extremely fortunate that I am able to live this experience.

Alan Garcia

Major: Finance, Investment, and Banking & International Business

Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Program: Spain – CIEE Business and Culture

Being a recipient of the Global Gateway Fellowship is an honor that exemplifies that my hard work, dedication, and perseverance has paid off. I am extremely committed to fostering global connections, expanding my cultural understanding, and developing a global perspective. Being a recipient of the Global Gateway Fellowship provides an opportunity to continue growing towards these things I hold dear to myself.

On this program, I hope to further develop my Spanish for business purposes. As a fluent Spanish speaker, I am extremely comfortable in using the language throughout my daily life. However, Spanish in business requires specific language skills which I hope to develop throughout my time in my study abroad program.

I am most looking forward to learning about the stunning architectural history present in the city of Barcelona. From la Sagrada Familia to Casa Mila, and to Casa Batlló, there is a lot of architectural styles and stories to unpack. As an avid FC Barcelona fan, I am also extremely excited to attend home games and witness the atmosphere in the city on a game day.