MISTI Blogs

After seventy-two days in Spain, I’ve returned to my hometown of Muncy, Pennsylvania for a quick five-day interim before heading back to Cambridge. Being home is quite the contrast to my stay in Barcelona, a bustling city of 1.7 million stretched along the Mediterranean, compared to this town of 2,000 nestled in the hills of central PA. 

In my final weeks abroad, I got some common questions from coworkers and friends that brought the comparison between Muncy and Barcelona to the forefront of my mind. 

“What do you miss most about the U.S.? What are you going to miss most about Spain?”

I’d answer playfully: “I miss air conditioning in nearly every building, ice cubes, and free water at restaurants — American convenience! Here, I’m going to miss tapas, two-hour lunches, and walking by the beach after work.”

This response was somewhat true, though mostly meant to spark engaging conversation. Europeans like to hear about the funny things Americans covet, like our disproportionately large portion sizes and ubiquitous AC. My true feelings on the matter were a bit different. After being asked this question countless times by varying individuals, I began to give it more thought. What I really missed was my family, my friends from home, and my floor (Burton 3rd)… the community of people that I surround myself with. What I’m going to miss most about Spain are my labmates and the friends I’ve made outside of work… a community of people that I surround myself with. A common theme! 

Across continents, I’ve found what really prevails is connection. What made my time in Spain so special wasn’t the location. Sure, being next to the beach in Barcelona enhanced my experience, but it would have meant little without the people. Everyone I met went above and beyond to make me feel at home. Friends I made outside of work joined me for walks through the city and imparted their local knowledge to me. They explained the history of the superilles (or superblocks) of L’Eixample and revealed to me that the beaches of Barcelona were man-made, constructed for the 1992 Olympic Games. My coworkers invited me to after-work beach volleyball matches and weekend barbecues, and kept me in the loop about local happenings. On my last day of work, they even organized a send-off dinner and accompanied me to the Festa Major de Gràcia, a vibrant street festival in the neighborhood of Gràcia. We walked down the decorated cobblestone streets together while they explained the local lore that influenced the array of decorations. I heard the legend of Sant Jordi, the dragon-slaying patron saint of Catalonia, and learned about the Correfoc, a parade of infernal characters armed with fireworks that light up Barcelona’s festival nights.

Decorated streets from La Festa Major de Gràcia.

Through these experiences, I’ve really come to appreciate the pervasive sense of community in Spain. I was only there for ten weeks, but I made connections that will last much longer. Even outside of my personal circle, the sense of community within the city was palpable. Sidewalks were full of people dining together and sharing conversation, neighborhoods came together and planned celebrations, and friends greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek. Community, closeness, and socialization are ingrained in the cultural makeup of Spain itself. Surrounded by this atmosphere, I rarely felt lonely. Even when I did, a quick walk down the street or an evening at the park would remedy the feeling. 

What makes a place is the people. Sure, I’ll miss the sights of Barcelona, the narrow city streets, the beaches, and the water. But those physical landmarks won’t disappear. I can always visit again. What I’ll miss most is the community I had during my stay and the time we spent together. 

I can’t go back to those exact moments. I can revisit them through memories and photos, but those exact moments, that exact community, were ephemeral. This realization taught me to see beauty in the temporary and to value the relationships that define a place more than the location itself. I think that’s what was most special to me during my time abroad. It’s what’s most special to me about being back home now – catching up with friends over breakfast, going on hikes with my family, being surrounded by the people I grew up with.

Hiking and waterfalls back in PA

Going away made me appreciate the luxuries of American convenience, but in the end, that was a trivial answer to what I missed most. If anything, this experience taught me that yes, I can live without ice cubes and AC, but I can’t live without community. What I thought would be about discovering a new place turned into rediscovering something I had already known but had never put into words: that the value of connection far outweighs the importance of any physical location. The novelty of a new place fades, but the connections don’t.