I have just left Barcelona after two months, and I already want to be back! I had the best experience exploring a city so unlike where I grew up and met introspective and wonderful people through my internship at a clinic for sick children, as well as through Connect-123. With like-minded new friends, I discovered amazing restaurants throughout the city, visited nearby places up the coast, went to a number of amazing art museums, and even went to an FC Barca game which was the best! My friends were the best, and I am even going to travel with some over the course of my gap year! Over my time working, I was able to form bonds with children struggling with challenging medical issues, as well as their parents, and doing so brought me fulfillment and awe of how such great difficulties can shape a person. All of my colleagues and the families were such lovely humans, and most of all inspired me to not take anything for granted and work through challenges with an open and light mindset. An experience I never would have found on my own, working at the clinic brought me clarity on the things I could see myself doing in the future and was lots of fun for improving my Spanish skills. The Connect-123 activities were a blast, my personal favorite was a tapas night on one of the best tapas streets in Barcelona! I am headed to the University of Washington this September, and while I will be sad to return back to the States, I am doing so with new perspectives of the world, new abilities to make global friends, and a mile-long bucket list of places I want to travel to next! Thank you Connect-123!