Pre-Departure Jitters

For the past few months, I have been telling friends and family that I will be studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain for 3.5 months this Fall 2011. And I've always been thrilled to talk about the exciting adventures I'll have, places I'll see, people I'll meet, and food I'll eat.

But as I type this, I feel as if I'm going on a short vacation or something. 3.5 months?! It just feels so surreal. I have a feeling it will hit me as soon as I am in Barcelona and settling into my new room with my homestay family.

I will up in the air in less than 13 hours and I've never felt so eager to have more time to prepare. I wish I could have just a few more days to get everything settled but...even if I did have those extra days, I just know that the day before I would be asking the same thing (e.g. just a few more hours/days/weeks). I suppose it's just pre-departure jitters.

It's funny because right now I feel part excited, part nervous, and part relaxed about the whole trip. I've read at least a dozen guide books and travel guides on Barcelona and Spain and watched two DVDs and a few Anthony Bourdain clips to get an idea of what to expect. So, I have a good idea of the top spots to see, what the food and culture is like, and the climate (more or less). Yet, I also feel like I'm plunging head first into the deep end in terms of being away for such a long period of time. Going to Santa Clara and being 30 minutes away from home spared me from the typical homesickness most college students experience their freshman year. However, this isn't my first time traveling by myself outside of the country - so no problem there.

Anyways, as many of you know (obviously from reading this blog) I will be studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain for 3.5 months and taking classes through IES Abroad.Currently, I'm signed up for Mediterranean Oceanography, Internship Seminar (hopefully with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce), Economics of the EU (that'll be interesting, especially considering the current downward trend), and Spanish for Bilingual Speakers (I've been temporarily placed into this class but plan on testing out as soon as I can take the oral exam).

I'm a blogging newbie, so this will definitely be a new experience for me as well. I hope to write in this blog as much as possible not only as a souvenir of my experiences in Barcelona, but also to document the experience for all of you. If there was room in my suitcase, I would gladly take you all along with me, but unfortunately I cannot due to baggage limits (and expensive fees!)

Hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I do writing it. I will land in Barcelona on Thursday, September 1 at 10 am (around 1 am California time), so you won't hear from me for a while.

Oh and one last thing: feel free to comment along the way! I'd love to hear your thoughts :)