Before arriving to Barcelona, I learned that a staple of their cuisine is tapas. Most Spanish teachers that I’ve had throughout my life have been from Spain and always rave about this type of food. As expected, I was pretty excited to see what all the fuss was about with these so called tapas. When I arrived to Barcelona, I was greeted with sheer disappointment. These tapas were incredibly small portions of various meats and snacks, all at an overpriced cost. I am a pretty big guy (6’5″), and three tapas would cost me easily 11 euros; however that is not enough to provide me with a substantial meal. In order to be satisfied, I would have to spend upwards of 15 euro, which is pretty ridiculous for a meal. Instead, I had to turn to different alternatives.

I searched the internet for hidden eateries in Barcelona and my curiosity turned out to do me well. I found various “hole-in-the-wall” restaurants that served delicious food for affordable prices. For example, Bo-De-Be in the heart of Barceloneta provided amazing chicken or beef sandwiches for a measly 3.50 euros; it’s hard to argue with prices like that. Another place we found was an Argentinian steakhouse called La Malandrina. From the exterior, one would think this place would give you food-poisoning, but that would be the complete opposite. For just 7 euros, you get a thick cut of sirloin steak and a side that rivals most 5-star steakhouses in America. Perhaps the most poplular place to grub among the program members was a place called Wok-to-Walk. It was an asian restuarant that offered numerous combinations of meats, veggies, starches, and sauces, all cooked in a quick wok and served to go. The food was delicious and most importantly, affordable.

In conclusion, myself and most of the group included found ourselves eating non-traditional Spanish food. Not because we didn’t like that food, but because we wanted the most for our money. Overall, I give the food in Barcelona great praise; it was delicious, diverse, and plentiful.

At our favorite coffee break spot!

I had the last day of my internship on Monday. I was can not believe my time working with them flew by so fast. They were so welcoming and helpful. I even made lasting friendships with some of them. On my last day they presented me with a going away card that everyone in the office signed. It was a very sweet gesture of them. I am so glad that I participated on this internship program. The lifelong memories I made will shape the way I live my life going forward. Living in Spain and traveling to other European countries has shown me a different way of life that I can now appreciate. My internship provided me the opportunity to work in the international business world.

The chance to see how things function here is unmatched by anything I could have learned back at home. First-hand experience is the only way to understand their culture. They explained to us what to expect on our first day, and I think I was not alone when I thought that they were joking. They told us a few basic rules on the Spanish business culture: time is elastic, there is no personal space, and the will ask lots of questions. All of those held true. They honestly just run on a different clock here. One minute is more like anytime between now and the next two hours. It is an adjustment for us schedule oriented Americans. Personal space does not exist here. I never thought that this would bother me, but people you are just meeting for the first timeare kissing your cheek and the men are getting their aftershave on you, its actually kind of gross sometimes. I know they do it with the best intentions. The people here are more casual, warm, and welcoming and the kissing is just a greeting that fits their culture. I have learned I prefer shaking hand with strangers. But when in Spain do as the Spanish do!

As the time is running out on my time in Barcelona, I feel sad that this, all of this is over. My roommate and I packed last night. We were both excited that we will be home by the end of the week. The emotions tied up in this experience are bittersweet. Our time with this group is over, wewill never be in this situation ever again. This is not the last time I will see the amazing friends I have made, or the last time I will be in Barcelona. I know that I will be back again. Barcelona has been home to me for two months, so I can not imagine not returning multiple times in the future. Until next time..

Barcelona, thank you for the best summer of my life, new lifelong friendships, and irreplaceable memories.

Love,

Lauren

Two weekends ago I had the pleasure to compete in the annual “Running of the Bulls” in Pamplona, Spain. Every year, at the beginning of the 2^nd week of July, thousands upon thousands of people flock to the small city of Pamplona for this epic celebration where runners sprint down a small street for a few minutes while being chased by big, angry, horned bulls. The event is a big deal in Spain, as it is nationally broadcasted live across the entire country, giving viewers the chance to witness the mayhem as it unfolds. I’ve been looking forward to this experience since I booked my flight to Spain months ago, and it sure did not let me down.

I arrived in Pamplona Friday afternoon not knowing what to expect. When we got off the train, we were immediately greeted with sights of people in all white outfits with red sashes around their waists and red bandanas around their necks, the traditional Running of the Bulls outfit. We hopped in a taxi to our hotel close to the city center. Word of advice: hotels and hostels in Pamplona during this week are extremely expensive, so book a long time ahead if you want decent rates. Lucky for us, there was a shop next to the hotel that had the entire traditional outfit for only 20 euros. Now that we had the proper attire, we were ready to party like a Pamplonian.

We headed into the city center to begin the night, grabbing some delicious food in the beer hall on the way to act as fuel to get us through the night. Once we got into the main area, we met up with some friends from Barcelona and the fun began. Fast-forwarding through the night and multiple cups of beer and sangria later, the sun was rising, letting us know that it’s time for the run to begin. We lined up at the start of the run, packed liked sardines, fear and adrenaline pumping through our veins. After the officials were done checking the streets, they gave the okay for the run to begin. The first horn sounded, letting us know the corral had been opened. At that point people started sprinting as fast as they could. I wanted to get as close to the bulls as possible while still keeping safe, so I waited a little bit until I could see the bulls coming. Once I saw them, I started running for my life, being sure to stay towards the side of the road… I’m not that brave. The bulls ran right by me, their massive bodies and sharp horns so close that I could almost touch them. I made it all the way to the end of the run, feeling like I was on cloud 9. However, the insanity didn’t quite stop just yet.

At the end of the run, you enter a huge bull fighting arena packed with thousands of people, cheering for you and the bulls as you all scramble into the arena. At that point I didn’t know what to expect. All of a sudden I hear the crowd go wild as I see fellow runners sprinting in different directions, and then I realize a bull has been let out into the arena. At first I was really frightened, but then I realized its horns were capped off, making him a lot less dangerous. The bull started running around, knocking people over like bowling pins as they tried to surround and taunt it. I waited patiently for the perfect time to interact with the bull until eventually that time came. The bull stopped in the middle, looking around at all the people surrounding him, eyeing his next victim. I ran up behind the bull and slapped it square on it’s behind and it didn’t even react. Disappointed, I tried again, this time accompanied by a few others. But the second time definitely drew a reaction from the bull, turning around immediately to charge at us. Thankfully he targeted the guy next to me (sorry compadre) as I escaped by a few feet. I ran back to the safety of the side, and watched as the crowd went wild when the bull made someone go flying or when a person successfully rode the bull for a second or two. After about 30 minutes of that, it was all over. Covered in sangria and dirt, I walked out of the arena satisfied and filled with adrenaline at what I just did. It was truly the most memorable experience of my entire life, something everyone should do once in their life.

Later that day I hopped on a train back to Barcelona, exhausted and happy. Although I loved Pamplona, I was looking forward to returning to the my nice apartment, Barcelona beaches, and good friends, with not a single bull in sight.

Interning in Barcelona has continued to be a rewarding and fulfilling educational and work experience. I am gaining valuable knowledge and skills related to accounting and finance that will be useful to me when I return to America. I will be able to apply these skills to both my education at the University of Arizona as well as my career after college. Working at SeCod, I have been managing the company’s clients’ accounts. Using the program Informatica 3, I have learned to bookkeep client expenses and record receipts. Below this blog I have included a screenshot of a blank account of a client using this program to illustrate the application’s format. Through Informatica 3, I maintain SeCod’s books and work with various accounts on a day-to-day basis. When I return to America and learn to use other programs, I will have experience working with bookkeeping programs already and will be familiarized. My experience at SeCod is helping me to prepare me for a future career in finance and accounting.

The language barrier in the workplace has continued to present obstacles for me throughout my work experience abroad, however it has only made me a more valuable asset to the corporate world. As work has progressed and I am taught more about using Informatica 3 it becomes increasingly difficult to communicate with my co-workers who speak no English whatsoever. The employees at SeCod only speak Spanish and Catalan, predominantly the latter; because of this, I have learned a significant amount of Spanish in order to complete my work. I constantly must be aware in order to understand what I am supposed to be doing and how to go about doing it. Whenever obstacles arise and I cannot articulate what I need to say, I resort to Google translate to help which never fails. The language barrier has only motivated me to be more independent and show more initiative by forcing me to push myself to work harder. The language barrier sets me back and accordingly I must put in that much more effort to be successful. Interning at SeCod has been a once in a lifetime experience that will be valuable to my future career.

Being successful in the business industry in the twenty first century requires individuals to differentiate themselves and prove themselves in order to be successful. An important way collegiate students can separate themselves from their peers is through international work experience. Being in Barcelona and working for a consulting firm like SeCod at my age is a truly valuable experience that will help establish my resume and background as a businessman of the twenty first century. International work experience is essential to today’s business world especially as technology continues to advance and bring countries around the world inter-connected. I look forward to returning to America with this abroad work experience where I will be able to apply this acquired skill and knowledge to school and work.