Journal Entry One

Hi y'all. For context, this is a journal entry that I had to submit for class, but I figured I'd share it on here just to have all of my writing from this trip in one place. Enjoy :)

I think that one thing that has taken a lot of getting used to is simply the pace of life as well as the different behaviors and values here. One day recently we took a day trip to Les Planes where we did a little hike and then stopped off at a small restaurant bar type thing at the bottom of the hill. Myself and my friend Sandy split a bottle of wine and my friend Lily got an estrella. We scouted out a good place to sit because this was a very open area and everyone had seemed to have brought their own drinks and food but were just mingling and listening to music and we wanted in on it. I loved that this was how people were spending their Sunday. So, after a minute or two, we found a group that looked very approachable, and were speaking English, ideal for us non-native Spanish speakers. We introduced ourselves and got into conversation with them, and they were truly so friendly. I have been told by multiple people that people in Barcelona can be more touchy and hands on when they speak. And when we were talking I saw that with this group. One girl was named Virginia and she was there with two guys and one other girl. Her friend, the girl was touchy in a way of having a few glasses of wine and embracing new friends. I really appreciated it. They were so friendly and I think their behavior really lended to that vibe. They also shared with us plenty of authentic Barcelona recommendations and with that, we saw how their values of being social and being with friends takes priority. I love it.