¡Hola! My name is Toyin Jackson, I’m a sophomore at Mizzou, and I am currently participating in a study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain. Last week, I started attending CETT – Campus de Turisme, Hoteleria, y Gastronomia (Campus of Tourism, Hospitality, and Gastronomy). The school is affiliated with the University of Barcelona. This semester, I am participating in the their gastronomy program studying a curriculum surrounding food and culture in the Mediterranean. As a food science major this is right up my alley, and I am ecstatic to learn more about the food industry from a more global perspective.

Barcelona view

I arrived in Barcelona on the morning of January 16 with loads of excitement and curiosity. I had done some research on this new city I was about to live in for the next four months but honestly had no idea what to expect. Thinking that I wouldn’t fall victim to jet lag, I expected to touch ground in Barcelona and start crossing things off my bucket list right away. To my surprise, the schedule change got the absolute best of me and I spent the first week and a half recovering. However, I didn’t let the sleepless nights stop me from getting out and starting to explore. I live in the heart of the city in the Sagrada Familia neighborhood so I have pretty easy access to any part of town. The first thing I did was walk right down the street from my apartment and revel in the majestic beauty that is the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, the unfinished Catholic Church designed by Antoni Gaudi. No picture does it justice – it is a must see.

La Boqueria

Paella!

Next, I ate my first Spanish paella at a local restaurant (El Petit Firo) which was one of the most amazing meals I’ve ever eaten in my life. The next two weeks involved me taking a day trip to the northeastern Catalonian city of Girona, the Salvador Dali museum, and a weekend vacation to southern Spain’s Andalusian capital, Seville. Locally, I visited Park Güell, the famous La Rambla and the incredible St. Joseph’s La Boqueria (public market). To say the least, these past two weeks have been busy, but I’ve been enjoying every minute of it. I’m excited for this new and spontaneous season of life ahead and I‘m eager to see what is to come in these next few fast months! ¡Hasta luego!

Toyin was a Spring 2019 Barcelona Student from University of Missouri