Hola (Hello) from Barcelona! My name is Rachel and I have just landed in Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and is located in a region called Catalonia. Catalonia has such a rich history of its own, distinct from its being located in Spain. For instance, people from Barcelona even have their own language called Catalan. Barcelona is in the midst of an interesting political situation which I hope to tell you more about later.
While I would certainly like to pick up some Catalan phrases, I am here in Barcelona to study Spanish culture and to strengthen my grasp of the (Spanish) language. By the time you read this, I will have met my host family, settled in and started my classes. But at this moment, I am at the beginning of my journey and I cannot wait to share it with you!
Before boading my plane to Barcelona, I had spent my entire life in the Northeastern United States, specifically, in Taunton, Massachusetts. Taunton is situated south of Boston and north of Providence, Rhode Island. I spent a lot of time exploring both capitals as a kid. When it was time for college, I only went three hours north to beautiful Hanover, New Hampshire.
