I've officially been here for 4 days!! It's crazy how quickly those 4 days have went, and I can't wait to see what else I'll be up to throughout my time here. So far, I'm loving this city! It's gorgeous and everything I've heard about it has been true. It's sunny, there's palm trees everywhere, and the people are so friendly! I've been warned countless times about pickpocketing and stuff along those lines, but I honestly feel safe here. Navigating around the city has been seamless with the help of the city's metro line, it's so easy to figure out. I live 4 blocks away from the famous Sagrada Familia church, and there's a metro line right there, so I haven't gotten seriously lost or anything like that yet. I've seen a good amount of the city, considering how short my time here has been! I've been down to the beach, around the Sagrada Familia, around Parc Güell, and even through the gothic quarter a little! It's such a beautiful place with so much to offer! Things have been great in my apartment, too. The guys I'm living with have been great and they're really nice, and I've met some other nice people, too! Shopping around in supermarkets has been a challenge, not knowing the language. While I have dealt with the language barrier (quite well, might I add), the food here is ridiculously cheap! What would've cost $30 in NJ only costs me 18 euro here, which is so nice. I have a kitchen in my apartment, which was stocked with utilities by my program, CEA. I can cook and my washing machine is also in there, which apparently takes 2 hours to wash clothes fully.... That was kind of shocking, but I guess they'll be sparkling when they come out, right?! Aside from the minor things, the culture shock hasn't been too bad so far, locals really try to help me if they notice I'm making an effort to practice some Spanish (which I have been), so they appreciate that for sure! Aside from all this, I participated in some orientation activities this week, which were all pretty cool! I was shown my academic building, which is conveniently located 2 metro stops away from the beach. I was also given the chance to "Map my Barrio" or figure out where in God's name anything was around my apartment complex! I met some cool people that way, and I've gotten the chance to go out with them and enjoy the Catalonian nightlife here, which is awesome! So many people come from all over to enjoy the clubs and places along the beach at night, and everything is really clean and well-kept! I'm really enjoying myself, check for more posts soon, as I have my first trip coming up to the French Riviera this Thursday!!