Spain

By: Drew Moffatt, British Columbia Institute of Technology, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Barcelona, Spain

By: Drew Moffatt, British Columbia Institute of Technology, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Barcelona, Spain

By: Drew Moffatt, British Columbia Institute of Technology, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Barcelona, Spain

As the common saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. The same goes for countries around the world. With people having an abundance of information at their fingertips, we can easily get misconstrued as to how we perceive a country nowadays. From social media to multiple news outlets, one never knows what to believe anymore.

Drew Moffatt, British Columbia Institute of Technology, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

By Janna Wale, Thompson Rivers University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team.

If you are anything like me (poor university student), budgeting is your best friend. This becomes especially important when travelling. The more places you want to see, the more things you want to experience, the better you have to be about keeping track of your money. Luckily, I picked up a few tips about travelling on a budget, even in a more expensive country like Spain.

My last couple months on exchange were jam packed with traveling to different cities, meeting new people, and cramming for final exams. I had a few weeks off after the semester was over before I had to return back to Canada and was able to travel to some of the major tourist hot spots. My first stop was Paris where I visited the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, saw the Tour de Eiffel for the first time (it’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be), and generally just ate a lot of sugar crepes. My next stop was in Amsterdam, where I ate the most delicious food I’ve had in Europe.

Here’s an update on my study abroad experience so far: I’ve been here for almost 4 months, with only 2 months left until my journey is over. Spain is a beautiful country with a diverse landscape and culture. Between attending classes and studying, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to a few different major cities. Here are some places I’ve been to in Spain:

This semester I will be going on an international exchange through the University of Victoria to the Madrid, Spain where I will attend the University of Alcalá. I will live in the municipality of Alcalá de Henares for five months while I am attending school. I am so excited to embark on this amazing journey where I will experience a new culture, language and way of living.

Life at ESADE Business School has finally begun! The first week of welcome has concluded and all I can say is, "overwhelming, exhausting and a lot of fun." 

The daily grind here in Barcelona, Spain is a little different than Vancouver, BC. I'm slowly adjusting to the walks to the metro station, scenic train ride and then the 20 minute walk through the suburb of Sant Cugat before finally arriving at campus. When I arrived at school, it was strange to be dressing up for "CV photos" and finding my assigned seat in class after five years of going to the office. 

Recently, I read an article in the Atlantic called Living With Less. It is about the minimalist lifestyle, “living a simpler, less materialistic life”. I realized that was exactly one of the reasons why I love the experience of living and studying abroad. There is something very liberating and simultaneously terrifying about pairing down your life to a few essential items that fit into one suitcase and leaving the comforts of home to nourish your own personal and professional growth.