Full academic year in Barcelona!

Did you know you can study at ALBA for a full school year? Well, you can!

Hi friends, my name is Daphne and I’ve studied in Barcelona for 3 terms (from September to June), and in this little blog post I will share my experience with you like a diary entry!

Disclaimer: I am a psychology major, and ALBA has a LOT of business classes and 3 art classes, but I had a lot of elective credits to fulfill!

Built by Charles, run by Charles, lived by me

The ALBA study abroad program was originally called Institute for Social and International Studies (ISIS) and was founded by my dad. For obvious reasons, the name needed to be changed, so it became Academia de Liberals y Beaux Arts (ALBA). It’s now just called ALBA because there are so many business classes (which started after ALBA became partners with UW-Foster school of business). My dad is Charles Grant, and he created this program with two main goals in mind: 1. Having classes be taught in English (in the 80s, study abroad program classes were mostly taught in the national language of the country you were in), and 2. Having small classes to ensure adequate attention from the professors. A fun fact is it used to be a requirement to take a Spanish class while you were on this program, but that has since been taken away. Another fun fact is that the program has been taken over and is directed by a family friend who is also named Charles and his wife Tracy!

Due to this, I grew up visiting Spain and loved everything about it, from the food to the flamenco. Then, when I was 12, my mom suggested that I actually do the program myself to be able to study IN Barcelona. To a lot of people, this might seem like a great idea, but for me, it actually sounded horrible. I’ve always been kind of socially inept and very anxious, so thinking about leaving everything I’m familiar with and going to LIVE in a foreign country with new classes, new people, new environment, and new everything made me want to crash out. It took a lot of convincing from my family to go for one term, but once convinced to do one term, my mom told me I might as well do my full Junior year. I agreed to this because I decided it would force me to grow and flourish. We then started discussing things with our family friend (Executive Director Charles), I started to get really excited. It felt safe knowing I could just come home after one term if things didn’t work out. When the dates got closer, I had more and more questions, and I spent hours stalking the ALBA Instagram and reading every page on the website just to prepare myself. I am also the sort of person who worries about how to go through TSA months in advance, even though I’ve been through it many many times. Anyway, this was all before I got here… Everything ended up being wonderful, and I in fact did stay for the full academic year.

From shy to a bossy D1 yapper

I chose to live in a shared apartment which is an apartment where the ALBA staff assign roommates (you can request to be with specific people if you want to). This forces a social aspect, but I was lucky and got along really well with my roommates. It’s individual bedrooms, with shared bathrooms and general living spaces such as living room and full kitchen. In the beginning, I was a little shy and scared to talk or be in the shared spaces… but things slowly and then kind of all at once, things changed.
Some of my favorite memories now are just simply getting ready to go out with my roommates/friends and playing music and discussing outfits and if my eyeliner was even or my contour was blended. We’d go to bars or clubs and sometimes even end up on the beach late at night and watch the moon.

Reaching the legal drinking age in this country has blessed me with the ability to really lock in on aspects of social life that revolve around alcohol, such as visiting bars and clubs. While I anticipated the social freedom, I did not expect the personal growth that would come with it (flourishing?!). It’s giving grown and grounded. I’ve developed a clearer understanding of my preferences when it comes to alcoholic beverages, as well as my own boundaries and responsible practices.
More importantly, this freedom has introduced a new level of personal accountability. Navigating social situations where alcohol is involved has required me to make real-world decisions (often in unfamiliar environments and at difficult hours). Learning to recognize my own limits while also ensuring the safety of friends has highlighted the difference between theoretical independence and actual responsibility. There’s no time for a diva to be down when she has to get her friends home safely.

These canon events (such as guiding myself and others home safely at 5 a.m. in a foreign city, or confidently hailing a cab) have challenged me in unexpected ways. They reflect not just social participation, but the gradual development of practical life skills that are essential to adulthood.

Trails and trophies

I have never lived in a super walkable city nor one with good public transportation before, but being here has transformed me into a huge walker. Initially, if you had told me it was a 30-minute walk, I probably would have opted for the metro. Barcelona is ridiculously walkable, and there’s something new to see every single day. A newfound hobby of mine is to put my AirPods in and aimlessly wander (no destination and no agenda). I will walk 10+ miles and hit 30 thousand steps several times a week by myself. I feel connected to the city and love noticing how everything is connected. As I’ve lived here, different places have new meanings and memories for me.

Going back to the metro thing, the only time I had used a metro was the New York Subway, but I just followed who I was with. Here, I had to learn to use it and be comfortable being on it alone. I’m embarrassed to say it actually took me four months to do it solo, but once I got the hang of it, I realized it was easy and kind of fun.

Something else I didn’t expect was gaining interest in football (soccer). I went to a Barça game at Camp Nou just to check it off my list, but ended up having a great time. There’s just something special about the crowd, the chanting, the emotional chaos, and the whole community feeling. I started watching more games with my friends and yelling at the screen like I knew what was happening lol! Now I recognize players and know some of their numbers, and keep up with the team (more than not at all). I’m grateful to have been a part of this.

Small wins, big growth

Some of my biggest “wins” abroad have not been big or dramatic but quiet, everyday things. Making and going to my own appointments (doctors, nails, tattoo, ear piercing), metroing alone, and ordering my own food (and in Spanish!). These silly little things used to overwhelm me to the point of deciding that if I can’t get someone to go with me, it’s not worth going. Before coming here, I was genuinely afraid of these things. Now, I just do them.
I’ve also learned to enjoy being alone. Not just with my “urban hikes”, like, I went on a solo beach trip and packed snacks and fresh fruit and just spent hours alone on the beach enjoying myself. I found peace! Somewhere along the way, I have become more confident, more independent, and way more grounded. I don’t need constant reassurance or company. But I’ve also gained a ton of social skills, and I’ve met so many incredible people.

Looking back, I’m really glad I stayed for all three terms, because it gave me the time and space to actually grow. If I had only done one term, I don’t think I would’ve discovered how much I love long solo walks, or how fun it is to get into football and actually care about a team (go Barça!). I wouldn’t have had time to become confident with things like navigating the metro alone, handling appointments, or just enjoying my own company. It also took time for me to come out of my shell socially (going from feeling super anxious and awkward to actually loving and looking forward to nights out with friends). Studying abroad isn’t just about where you go but also it’s about giving yourself the chance to grow into the experience, and I needed that time to really let it happen. These are the biggest things I’ll be taking home with me.