Author: Tyler McDuffie | Major: Finance and Accounting | Semester: Summer 2025
Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Interest in Barcelona Spain
Waking up to the busy taxi-filled streets of the city filled with locals enjoying their morning coffee at a local café, pedestrians walking the sidewalks and last-minute commuters riding bikes to work was an experience like no other. I spent 38 days in the lovely city of Barcelona learning about the Spanish culture and expanding my international business knowledge. I came across Barcelona through a recommendation from a family member who had studied there in the summer of 2024. He mentioned to me the many different activities and experiences that the city had to offer. After some research I was intrigued by the Mediterranean lifestyle with late dinners, open air cafes and markets, as well as the vibrant atmosphere expressed by everyone in the city. I also found interest in the business market in Barcelona. Barcelona is known as one of Europe’s leading financial and entrepreneurial centers, even winning an award in 2025. This was the start of my journey abroad.
International Experiences
Imagine this, you wake up and take the bus to an old building located in the heart of the city. Outside it looks very old and almost run down but inside is a brand-new school with classrooms and facilities for those to learn and experience a new life. This was my life every morning in the city of Barcelona. I decided to study through an external provider offering academic immersion and self-discovery in Barcelona Spain. I had class for a total of 15 days, each day we learned about a international business usually from Barcelona. We also took field trips, one of my favorites being to the Estrella Damm Brewing Company where we learned about their eco friendly production line and even had beer tasting. The main course I took was international Marketing. I learned about companies having to adjust to many different cultures in each country, as well as trying to expand overseas into the western world. We also focused on Americas industry giants making to move over to Europe.
Each weekend I took a trip to a different city. I visited places like Madrid, Amsterdam, Zurich, and Venice. This is where I grew the most as a person. The many different countries in Europe make for many different cultures. Staying and consistently changing cultures was
eye opening. In Barcelona for example, people would go out very late at night compared to the Amalfi coast where others would get up early, work, then go to sleep early. This was the biggest stand out for me and my experience. Before my trip I heard many stories, but nothing compares to living in someone else culture. It changed me and changed my outlook on life.
Valuable Lessons and Take Aways
There is a quote by Greg Norman that says, “You only get out of it what you put into it…” This could not be true when it comes to studying abroad or visiting a new place in general. I learned many lessons academically and culturally but personally I grew the most. I spent many days with people I knew and didn’t know. This forced me to make some changes to my everyday life. Expanding on my social skills and being more interactive with others was something that I was not used to. I left Spain with a feeling that I had grown. One of the greatest memories I have was the last night I was in Europe. The day before, me and three of my friends took a boat out to sea and enjoyed the coast. We ended the day making good friends with our guide. Our guide decided to take us out that night and show us around. He showed us all the local spots and talked about life living in the area. It was experiences like that that made the trip.
I am very blessed to have been able to experience overseas. Studying abroad is a great experience for anyone with any background. Once you visit another country and meet new people it brings joy and excitement that you will never forget. Studying abroad was the best experience of my life.