There are places you visit.

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There are places you live.

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And then there are places that become a part of you.

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For me, that place is Barcelona.

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For four months, Barcelona was my home while I studied abroad. Almost every weekend, I packed a backpack and explored another corner of Europe. I saw incredible cities, beautiful coastlines, and countries I had dreamed of visiting for years.

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But no matter where I went, I was always excited to come back.

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Barcelona wasn't just where I lived.

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It was home.

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The first thing I fell in love with was the lifestyle.

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Life simply moves differently there.

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People walk everywhere. I would get my 10,000 steps every single day without even thinking about it. Walking to class, taking the metro, wandering through neighborhoods, grabbing groceries—it was all just part of everyday life. I never had to force myself to exercise because movement was naturally built into the culture. You could notice this too by seeing older people out using pubic transportation or walking to coffee. They also live in apartments without elevators so they are forced to take the steps. 
 

One metro card could take me almost anywhere in the city and even to beaches further up or down the coast. It made life feel so easy. I didn't need a car. I didn't have to think about traffic or parking. Everything I needed was within walking distance or just a short train ride away.

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That freedom was something I had never experienced before.

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Barcelona taught me that cities can be designed for people instead of cars.

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One of the things that makes Barcelona so special is how much beauty is packed into one city.

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You have the Mediterranean Sea on one side and mountains on the other. In the morning, I could run along the beach, and by the afternoon, I could look up and see the hills surrounding the city. Palm trees line the streets, colorful buildings fill every neighborhood, and no matter where you are, there always seems to be another beautiful view waiting around the corner.

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The weather certainly didn't hurt either.

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Most days were sunny, warm, and perfect for spending time outside. Before or after class, I would walk along the beach, watch the sunrise over the Mediterranean, or go for a run with the ocean beside me.

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Those ordinary moments became some of my favorite memories.

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The food was another thing I absolutely loved.

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Everything tasted fresh.

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I could stop at a neighborhood grocery store almost every day and buy exactly what I needed. Fresh bread, fruit, vegetables, cheese—simple ingredients that actually tasted like food. The bread didn't have a long list of ingredients I couldn't pronounce. It was just bread.

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There wasn't a need to stock up for weeks like I often do at home.

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There were grocery stores on almost every corner, so I would simply buy what I needed for the day.
 

Let's talk about some of my favorite foods and places now. 

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Myka: the frozen Greek yogurt shop that quickly became my favorite treat in the city. I still think about it.

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Orange juice: every bottle you got was fresh and you could even make it yourself in the grocery stores. 

TKO: A Mexican taco place where each taco was 1 euro and they actually tasted real. 

Honest Greens: a restaurant that uses real ingredients.. the salmon was delicious. 

Life felt simpler.

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My apartment reflected that simplicity too.

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My room was tiny. We didn't have a dryer, so we hung our clothes outside to dry. At first, it felt different from what I was used to. Eventually, it became one of the things I loved most. Life didn't revolve around having more things. It revolved around spending more time living.

Life didn't begin on the weekends. People would gather with their friends every single day or every single night after they worked.

The Spanish culture completely won me over.

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Everywhere I went, I heard Spanish being spoken. The cafés were full. Families gathered together for long meals. Children played outside in parks until late in the evening. There were little playgrounds built right into the city where kids laughed while their parents sat nearby talking.

People didn't seem to be rushing through life.

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Work mattered, but it didn't define people's entire identity.

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There was more time for family.

More time for friends.

More time to simply exist.

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Another thing I absolutely loved about Barcelona was the fashion.

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People simply have style.

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Even if someone was just walking to grab coffee or groceries, they looked effortlessly put together. Fashion felt timeless instead of trendy.

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Walking through the city almost felt like watching a fashion show, and it inspired me to put more thought into how I dressed.

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Shopping became one of my favorite things to do. Whether it was wandering down Passeig de Gràcia or discovering little boutiques hidden on side streets, there was always something beautiful to find.

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The wellness culture was another reason I loved living there.

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Even the gyms had a different energy. Instead of English music like I hear back home, they played Spanish music. I liked Spanish music even before I went to Spain, but I became obsessed with it after living in Barcelona. It sounds like a small detail, but it made me feel immersed in the culture, even while lifting weights. Spanish music will always be my favorite because there's just no way you can be sad when you listen to it. It's such a vibe with all the beats and makes me want to dance.

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And then there was FC Barcelona.

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The soccer culture is unlike anything I have ever experienced. It isn't just a team—it is part of the city's identity. You can feel the pride everywhere you go, from jerseys hanging in shop windows to people talking about the latest match over coffee. Going to one of the games was one of the best experiences ever. 

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Another one of my favorite memories from Barcelona was joining a local soccer league.

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Getting to play soccer in Spain, a country where the sport means so much, was something I never imagined I'd get to do. It reminded me how sports can connect people no matter where you are in the world.

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Another memory I'll never forget happened one afternoon when a few of my friends and I were kicking a soccer ball around for fun. A little boy walked over and asked if he could play with us. Even though we barely spoke the same language, we spent the next hour laughing, passing the ball, and just enjoying the game together.

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Moments like that reminded me why I love traveling. Sometimes the best connections don't require many words.

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Even the nights felt different.

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I'm not much of a partier. I don't drink.

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But there was something about going out with friends, dancing in clubs to Spanish music, and being surrounded by people simply enjoying life that was unforgettable. The energy was contagious. Everyone was singing, dancing, and living completely in the moment.

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It wasn't about drinking.

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It was about feeling alive.

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Barcelona gave me that feeling almost every single day.

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More than anything, Barcelona showed me what life could look like.

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It taught me that cities can prioritize walking instead of driving.

That grocery shopping can be done one day at a time.

That public transportation can actually work.

That people can spend more time outside than inside.

That children can grow up playing in parks instead of sitting indoors.

That slowing down doesn't mean accomplishing less.

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In many ways, it means enjoying more.

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Every weekend I would leave Barcelona to explore another country.

Italy.

France.

Portugal.

Switzerland.

England.

Croatia.

And so many more.

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Every trip was incredible.

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But every Sunday, I couldn't wait to come home.

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That surprised me.

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Because Barcelona had become my home.

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When it was finally time to leave, I wasn't ready.

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Not even close.

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For days before my flight, I cried.

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I cried packing my room.

I cried saying goodbye to my friends.

I cried riding the metro one last time.

I cried walking through the streets I had memorized over four months.

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I wasn't just leaving a city.

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I was leaving a version of myself.

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Coming back to Pennsylvania was much harder than I expected.
 

It took me a long time to adjust.
 

Everything felt different.
 

I wasn't walking nearly as much anymore.

I missed hopping on the metro.

I missed the beach.

I missed hearing Spanish everywhere.

I missed buying fresh food from the grocery store.

I missed Myka.

I missed Honest Greens.

I missed hearing Spanish music in the gym.
 

I missed the sunshine, the slower pace of life, and the feeling that every day was meant to be lived instead of rushed through.

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