A Year of Paradise in Barcelona

Hello to all future Erasmus students! My name is Bianca and I am Romanian. I have been in Barcelona since September doing an Erasmus exchange for the entire school year. I am going to talk to you about some of my experiences here and I hope those of you who plan on doing an Erasmus exchange will find what I have to say useful.

I would first like to say that I am deeply in love with everything regarding Barcelona (customs, culture, food, parties, people, climate... ). I decided to do my Erasmus exchange here because I came here once on vacation about three years ago and I loved what I saw, and seeing as it was on the list of potential cities in which to go study in, it was an easy decision. Once I arrived I didn't have anywhere to live, I was all alone and it was a little bit difficult arriving in a new country where no one is waiting at the airport to give you a big hug once you arrive. However, I stayed strong and told myself "in Barcelona you don't cry, you enjoy! "

Regarding Housing

I went to a hostel... and to search for somewhere to live! I first found two apartments that I didn't like at all, they didn't provide some comfortable living conditions and they were asking for too much money. However, the following day, I saw another ad on the internet (here is the website I used for those of you who are looking: http://www.loquo.es), and I called... and a very nice man answered the phone and told me he's living there with his partner. Obviously I didn't really want to live with a man and his wife because you never know what could happen and so I started talking to them and telling them that it didn't interest me because of this, but then he told me that he lives with "my partner", but I'm gay and we've been married for five years.

I went to visit the apartment and once I entered the dining room, I saw that the house was very colorful and full of photos; I loved it! And so I decided to stay! These two men greatly inspired me and helped me build up my confidence, and I knew that living with two gays is the best option.

I've now been living with them for seven months and it's been incredible, I'm the princess of the house, they treat me as if I were part of the family, as if I were their little sister. I feel protected and thanks to them I miss my family a lot less and I can say that if it weren't for them my stay here would not have been very easy. This is a part of what I had to live through to find accommodation, and from my point of view I was very lucky. And the rent is the cheapest you'll be able to find, 250 euros with all expenses included!

Regarding University

I only have good things to say. I am studying social work in the UB (Universitat de Barcelona). The teachers are delightful, with the exception of one that is a dictator in the classroom... but in strong>general everything is good... the organization of the university, my classmates that helped me out a lot, keeping in mind that they speak Catalan and I didn't understand anything at all.

There are services available for all of the students: libraries, study rooms, sports facilities, a ton of activities, well-equipped classrooms and you really do feel comfortable and at-ease. The classes are generally interesting, even though some give you headaches...

About Catalonia's Capital

In Barcelona you can instantly notice how the architecture is different that of other cities, this is mainly due to the works of Antoni Gaudi, who set the artistic trends in the capital city.

There are several places to visit, starting with Las Ramblas de Cataluña, Barcelona's port, the Gothic Quarter, Montjuic, Tibidabo, the Sagrada Familia, the Wax Museum, and many other things that are worth a visit...

The food here that differentiates Barcelona from other cities are the calçots, which are essentially big onions that are eaten in a sauce. These are only made in Catalonia, and they are delicious! I personally enjoy all types of food, in fact since I arrived I've even gained seven pounds... I would recommend tasting the Catalan salad, bread with tomatoes, the spinach, Catalan-style and the meatloaf with sepia. And, of course, the seafood is delicious... yummy yummy... there is really a bit of everything and the food here appeals to everyone's taste and budget.

On Transporte

I give Barcelona a 10/10. Barcelona is so well-connected that it's impossible to get lost. There are metros, trains, trams, everything; you can get from one point to another really easily and the prices are very reasonable.

What more, the people are very friendly, they will gladly welcome you in their homes. Everything is good really, I have nothing to complain about, the only bad thing about Barcelona is the humidity, sine here there is more humidity than in other places and sometimes it hurts my bones but really only this.

I am really happy to have had this opportunity to stay here and it kind of saddens me thinking that it's all going to end in three months. This being said, I've lived a magnificent experience and I would recommend it to everyone, and my heart goes out to everyone that I had the chance to meet and all the amazing moments I've had. I hope that one day in the future I can move here forever and find a job in a field that interests me.

I can't really name too many positives about my own country. I know that this isn't a good thing to say, but the truth is that there it's tough to make a good living. Salaries pay on average 200 euros, there aren't too many jobs... and I know I can't have the future I would like to... yet we do have very nice traditions and now that Easter is approaching and I miss spending Easter with my family, but that's fine because I'm really good here. I'm really joyful and happy and I am going to try to take advantage and enjoy every remaining moment until the bitter end and I'm going to go back home with my head held high happy about the experience that I was able to obtain while here.

I can say that my Erasmus experience has been "a process of getting to know oneself and a maturity process of viewing life from a different perspective, to understand the sacrifices that our parents have made so we can have a better future than them. I learned to appreciate people more, and to further appreciate what they have to offer. "

I hope that my story can speak to you and convince you that if you want to participate in an Erasmus exchange, Barcelona is the best option by far. This way you can get all excited... long live Barcelona, long live students and long live Erasmus and students exchanges and the people that work to make it possible that our dreams can become reality for a semester or a year.

And one more thing... Vote for me, please!

Kisses to everyone and good luck in your lives!

Thank you!