Ariel View Goes International!

I know I have not posted in a long time. Let me catch you up really quick... I graduated high school, went on to college at Pace University to major in communications with a minor in women’s studies. I am now in my junior year studying abroad in Barcelona! I got here on January 8th & so far it has been an amazing experience. My boyfriend of two years is here with me & we are living it up as much as we can.

So far we have gone to London, where we stayed with a girl studying abroad who also goes to Pace. We also met up with our friend Ali (Pace University graduate) in Barcelona as well as London. We’ve gone clubbing, to bars, & have tried to immerse ourselves in the Catalonian culture as much as we can. It’s so interesting to me how different people are in other countries, but we all live in the same world. I obviously knew that we were all different, but it is crazy to be here & actually experience the differences. For instance, not knowing Spanish or Catalan is difficult, but I am also really trying to learn Spanish & pick up a bit of Catalan as well. Additionally, I am really enjoying my classes. They are very interesting & go toward my major for the most part, which is excellent for me. & to top it all off, I have managed to not have Friday classes since I started college. Furthermore, I am loving life so far since being abroad. London was beautiful, but the weather was so dark & gloomy. The friendly people, however, are so friendly & willing to help anyone. & just so you know, fish & chips are not all it is talked up to be. Mashed & bangers (mashed potatoes & sausage) are much better & better for your dollar, or maybe I should say better for your pound. Also, the most recent status of my living situation is quite crazy & has changed drastically. After graduating from high school, I lived in the dorms during the school year & Warwick during the summer.

I then started staying with my dad during the summer as of last year. After that, my mom got a job in Vicenza, Italy after being unemployed for about a year. So we put our condo up for rent & my mom got to Italy a couple of days ago & is renting her own apartment & will be still be working for the US Army. After I finish studying abroad, I plan to stay with Mom for about a month & then head back to NY. All this change is unsettling since Warwick is where I grew up & it is what I’m used to. But I am so excited to be traveling & that my mom has finally done something for herself that is really good! It also helps that we only rented out our condo. It gives me the possibility of going back to Warwick if I ever wanted to later on. I think that is enough catching up for now. I’ll be posting more now that I’m abroad. Get ready to go international! P.S. The photo is of me & Sam at Sagrada Familia- an amazing site still being built & designed by Gaudí, a Barcelona legend.

Until next time... ciao 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13