Preparing for Barcelona

This past summer, I had just begun to take the steps to study abroad with CEA, now here I am getting ready to travel 4,000 miles to Barcelona! I thought I was excited going into my freshman year of college, but the excitement that comes with spending four months in Spain tops everything. I'm so ready to go that I tried switching my iPhone to Spanish for some practice. I'm thinking I may need to do a bit more refreshing studying before I can commit to the full language switch…!

Me neither, Siri...

As soon as finals ended this semester, my full attention was on Barcelona. I'm constantly on a laptop watching videos of past study abroad trips and reading blogs by current students. I find myself looking into the food, the weather, the clothing, the music, and every other little detail that gets me more and more ready to be in Barcelona. The night before I leave for Spain, I'll be like a little kid on Christmas Eve, completely unable to sleep because of the anticipation of what’s to come in the morning. Speaking of Christmas, it seems that the few things I asked for are all related to my trip. FC Barcelona soccer jersey, adapters for power outlets and more!

Santa came early with this gift!

Preparing to go abroad takes effort and planning. How do you pack for a four-month trip to a country you’ve never been to before? I’ll let you know if I find the perfect answer to that! There are, of course, tons of helpful tips that can guide you in what to bring, and how to properly pack an entire semester into just a few suitcases. Each day I do something that is preparing me for this trip, and it's not as stressful as it may seem to plan and prepare if you tackle it a bit at a time. Will I forget something? Probably, but whatever it is won’t hold me back from having what is sure to be an incredible semester.

After doing the work needed to get ready to travel, it’s an amazing feeling when the reality sinks in that studying abroad is really about to happen. I can’t wait to meet people from all over the world, and to create memories through each and every new adventure. Each day will bring a new experience, and I think that is what I am most excited for. There’s no way I'll find myself bored when an entire country is waiting to be explored. I know that every single day I’ll wake up and think how lucky I am to have the opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona. I’m not even on a plane yet and I’ve already decided that going abroad is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I can’t wait to begin this journey!

Kevin Mooney is the Spring 2016 CEA MOJO Blogger in Barcelona, Spain. He is currently a junior at the University of South Carolina.

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