Author: Collin Voegtle | Major: Finance | Semester: Spring 2025
Overlooking Budapest
This is my final blog for my semester abroad in Barcelona. I will be reflecting on the past month as well as my semester. I want to start by saying this has easily been the most fulfilling semester I have had during my collegiate career. I have learned so much about myself through solo traveling and making friends along the way. Through traveling to other countries, you see the differences between the way people live and interact in other cultures. For example, I go up to talk to a random group of guys in Netherlands and got commented on how that was a very American thing to do (talking to strangers). I went on three trips this month. First was Madrid with my program CIS. I enjoyed seeing how the capital city of Spain differed from Barcelona. It felt bigger city with people living their lives through work and not as many tourist activities. My friend humorously commented that it’s because people in Madrid have real jobs, unlike Barcelona. We went to the Palace where the Kings of Spain lived throughout history and walked through the large Central Park. The following weekend my friends and I went to Budapest which exceeded any expectations I had. This was my first time in an Eastern European city, and it felt very different. Budapest is a “soft dictatorship” according to locals, meaning they have elections, but they don’t matter because of the corruption in the government. Everyone was very friendly and appeared to be a very safe city. My favorite activity from this trip was a hike that allowed us to overlook the city. We climbed on some sketchy ledges and watched the sunset over the city. A very popular concept in Budapest is ruin bars. Which are abounded apartment complexes that have been converted to bars and clubs. Which made for a cluttered and artistic environment. Last weekend I went to Amsterdam and Utretch in the Netherlands. The city center of Amsterdam was what I expected but after exploring the suburbs and Vondelpark I was able to see a part of the city I never would have expected to find. Amsterdam is the 7th most expensive city in Europe and after seeing the elegant houses I could see why. This was one of my favorite days during my semester as we had no itinerary, and the entire day was an adventure exploring the the park and suburbs. One notable story was helping a group of Dutch kids retrieve their bike that fell into the canal. Utretch was cool as I had no plan and zero expectations. After walking around the city, we stumbled upon a Beer festival that was being held. We met Dutch people from all around Utretch and tasted some local craft beers. I will not let my travels take away from the love I have for Barcelona. Throughout the week I would constantly explore the city and revisit my favorite spots, especially bunkers del Carmel. This is the best place I have ever been to watch the sunset. The police kick everyone out after 5:30, but if you know a secret way you can go afterwards. This semester has brought me incredible stories, lifelong memories, and unforgettable friends. I am so lucky to have had this opportunity and continuously meet people who say “Yes!”. Although my program is finished, I will be doing a couple weeks of travel to soak up everything I can before my anticipated return to the United States.