As 2023 draws to a close, there's a slew of new U.K. and European routes launching in December and the not-so-distant future of 2024.
16.11.2023 - 12:28 / insider.com
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelsey Frampton, a 21-year-old business student from Fresno, California, who's studying in Barcelona. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I'm in my senior year at California State University. In early September, I began studying at La Salle Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain, on a five-month exchange program as part of my business-management degree.
I decided to study abroad because I really wanted to travel and experience living in another country for an extended period of time.
I have four sisters and two brothers — I'm the fifth in order. At first I really enjoyed my new environment, but recently I've been missing my family. One of my sisters had a baby two weeks ago, and my other sister is due within the next two weeks.
I can admit I've daydreamed about returning home, but I remind myself to live in the present and enjoy this opportunity.
When I decided I wanted to study abroad, I looked at Spain, Australia, and Germany. Spain was the most affordable and has warm weather at this time.
Student housing was full, so I had to choose my own place to live. I landed on the neighborhood of El Raval, which is probably one of the most dangerous parts of Barcelona. But "dangerous" is relative, as here that usually just means pickpockets and robbery. Compared to the US, I feel safer.
I haven't experienced crime in El Raval, but my roommate's phone was stolen near Barceloneta, a beach in Barcelona.
During the day I feel safe; there are always police patrolling the streets, and most people keep to themselves. I feel a bit less safe here after midnight — but being out late is also very common in Barcelona, because people don't usually eat until 8 or 9 p.m.
I've found myself staying out a lot later than usual. The nightlife is addictive, especially when out with friends. We go to bars, drink wine on the beach, and walk Barcelona's streets while watching performers.
In California, people I know wake up at 5:30 a.m. to start the hustle. In Spain, working life is so much more chill. In the afternoons, some Spaniards take a siesta, which is a break or a nap in the middle of the day, although it's becoming less common.
My day-to-day looks like waking up around 11 a.m. because I was up late the night before, getting coffee and croissants with my roommates, and then going to class.
I hang out with my German and Dutch friends in between classes and then meet up with my roommates again for dinner, followed by a night of partying or sometimes a quiet night in watching one of our favorite films, "Shrek."
I've also been able to travel on the weekends. Last weekend I went to Madrid. I hope to get to Blanes, Tossa de Mar, and Costa Brava before
As 2023 draws to a close, there's a slew of new U.K. and European routes launching in December and the not-so-distant future of 2024.
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