Anthony Vinson UVA in Valencia Valencia Spain Spring 2020 The Beginning of The End It feels like yesterday when the alarm on my phone was ringing at 7 am to start my day. I had a nice routine of waking up and running to the gym a mile away to lift for an hour. Followed by a casual stroll home through the market to buy a ham and cheese sandwich for an afternoon snack before going to my usual neighborhood bar to eat a few eggs, potatoes, sausages, and drink a café con leche. I read the Wall Street Journal […]

Anthony Vinson UVA in Valencia Valencia, Spain Spring 2020 March 6 Before I walk into the classroom, I can hear screaming and yelling down the hallway and the clashing of chairs and textbooks. For the first time in the past three weeks I arrived early, mostly because I did not get lost navigating the hallways. I walk into the room and am greeted with a hundred “Hellos” in English, while a swarm of fifteen-year-olds run rampant, unsupervised. To my right is a kid sitting in the trashcan. Another one is having his faced wrapped in masking tape by his friends; […]

Blake Page AIFS Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain Spring 2020 March 26 As this comes as no surprise, unfortunately I am typing my farewell blog from my home and not from the beautiful city of Barcelona. As a result of the current health pandemic we know as the virus Covid-19 my program, just like every other student studying abroad this semester, abruptly ended and all students were informed they had to return home. Although I am disappointed my time in Barcelona was cut short, I can not overlook the time I did get to spend in Europe, which I will be […]

Blake Page AIFS Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain Spring 2020 March 1 I am in the middle of midterms as I write this and the ones I have taken so far have gone well. The classes I am taking have been fun and interactive and because all of them are architecture and art related we have been outside of the classroom and explored the city, numerous times. That has been the best part of the classes so far, taking what we have learned in the classroom and seeing it or in the case of my photography class put techniques we’ve learned […]

Blake Page AIFS Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain Spring 2020 I’ve arrived in Barcelona and it has exceeded every expectation. The city is beautiful and very full of life. It is also very fast paced, with a lot of people walking, which was overwhelming the first few days. My main transportation for getting around the city and to class is the subway, of which I had to get familiar. The subway system was very confusing with many different routes and stops, in addition to the large amount of people using it. After the first week or so, it became much easier […]

Anthony Vinson UVA in Valencia Valencia, Spain Spring 2020 Three weeks later, I feel fully adjusted to Spain. I realized how lucky I am to have a host mother who truly enjoys my company and loves to enhance my Spanish. I have made friends on the trip who are less fortunate and fell victim to unloving host mother that serves cold food and had set strict rules to follow in the house. My host mother cooks hot meals and sends me to school with buffalo wings, fresh cooked potatoes, and fruit for a delicious snack. When I arrive home after […]

Anthony Vinson UVA in Vaelncia Valencia, Spain Spring 2020 It has been one week since I left the U.S. to embark on a journey to Valencia, Spain; here, I will be studying with the University of Virginia. Since this is my third time studying abroad, I was not nervous to be in a foreign country for an extended period of time; instead, I was excited. After landing in Valencia, and running on four hours of sleep, my host sister picked me up from the local soccer stadium, la Mestalla. She immediately started speaking Spanish and I quickly flipped the switch […]

Blake Page AIFS Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain Spring 2020 When deciding where I wanted to go for my semester abroad, it came down to architectural landmarks and architecture classes. AIF’s program in Barcelona, Spain met both those requirements, as Barcelona is a beautiful city with breathtaking architectural landmarks, while also offering architecture classes. I chose to stay with a host family because I heard great reviews of experiences while doing a homestay abroad. I am definitely looking forward to meeting my host family and eating traditional Spanish food, while also learning Spanish. I am also looking forward to the wonderful […]