Reflections from Barcelona: There’s No Right Way to Study Abroad

Before studying abroad, I thought I had an idea of what my experience was supposed to look like. I imagined constant travel, full weekends, new friendships, and a semester that somehow had to match the stories I had heard from friends and family. Without realizing it, I created expectations based on other people’s experiences instead of allowing myself to discover my own.  

Letting go of expectations, finding my way 

During my time in Barcelona, I sometimes wondered if I was doing enough. Was I traveling enough? Was I socializing enough? Was I falling behind compared to friends who stayed on campus? These thoughts did not take away from how wonderful my experience was—but they did make me realize how easy it is to compare your journey to everyone else’s.  

Eventually, I started to understand that study abroad did not have to look one specific way. I decided to treat my trips as moments to reconnect with friends from home and college, but I also gave myself the chance to stay on weekends in Barcelona and enjoy the city that had become home, even if only for a short time. 

Barcelona taught me the value of slowing down. Instead of feeling like I had to constantly leave the city to make the most of my semester, I began to appreciate the smaller moments: walking through different neighborhoods, trying new restaurants, and simply observing how the locals around me were living around me.  

Learning to enjoy my own company  

One of the biggest lessons I learned abroad was how to be alone without feeling lonely. Public transportation became a surprisingly meaningful part of that. Coming from Puerto Rico, where public transportation is not a common part of my everyday life, navigating the metro by myself felt intimidating at first. (During the first week, I could not for the life of me figure out the metro.) But over time, taking the metro became one of my favorite parts of the day. People-watching while I listened to my music made me feel in control and connected to the city.  

“I love food and I usually connect meals with friends or family, but sitting at a restaurant by myself gave me space to observe, reflect, and feel present.”

I also went to the movies alone for the first time while in Barcelona. I saw Hamlet (quite a choice for a solo movie, but I still recommend it). Since I was by myself, I had time to really sit with my thoughts afterward. I even wrote my own review, something I normally would not do, but has surprisingly become a habit that I now enjoy a lot.  

Eating out alone also became one of my favorite ways to experience Barcelona. I love food, and I usually connect meals with friends or family, but sitting at a restaurant by myself gave me space to observe, reflect, and feel present. 

My biggest takeaway  

For me, study abroad became about proving to myself that I could move to a new country, build a life in a new city, and enjoy my own company at my own pace. In the end, the most meaningful part of my semester was not doing the most, but learning to trust myself, bet on myself, and choose myself. And my experience was enough—because it was mine. 

Simone C. | George Washington University | IFSA Barcelona, Spain | Spring 2026