I discovered that, while I could conjugate an imperfect subjunctive or third conditional, my grammar-led education struggled to keep up with an easy conversation in a social setting. Especially when there’s Catalan in the mix.
However, rather poetically, it all soon came together. When I stood on a balcony in central Barcelona at midnight on Sunday morning to hear the cheers, bangs, and whistles of a community who had been liberated from a months-long curfew, I, too, had a taste of freedom.
My first month has flown by in a barrage of museum exhibits, tapas trials, and cans of clara. I still have so much to see here in Barcelona, a vibrant city with history around every corner, with increasingly less time to do so.
I am constantly learning; whether it be new vocabulary in my morning lessons, a new strand of Modernism in my afternoon internship, or quicker routes to make city life more seamless. I feel more confident speaking, walking, living with every encounter. My time is short, but I plan to make the absolute most of it. With restrictions easing here in Catalonia, weekend city-breaks are also on the horizon as well as greater freedom to take in this extraordinary city.
-Lily Alford
2021 Journalism Intern in Barcelona, Spain