Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

A Journey Through the South of Spain

For most of my time abroad, Barcelona was my home, my classroom, and my playground. I immersed myself in the city's culture, its neighborhoods, its language, and its rhythms, and I grew deeply attached to it. However, as my program came to a close, I wanted to experience a different side of Spain, I had heard so much about but had yet to discover. So, for Easter week, I planned a trip through the south of the country with a group of friends, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my entire time abroad.

From March 28th to April 4th, we traveled through some of Andalusia's most iconic cities. I took a train from Barcelona to Valencia, then continued by bus through Alicante, Granada, and Málaga, before finally arriving in Seville. Rather than rushing through each destination, we dedicated one to two days to every city along the way, giving ourselves the time to genuinely absorb what each place had to offer. Every stop revealed something new, a different architectural style, a distinct historical legacy, a unique local culture. From the grand medieval structures of Granada to the coastal charm of Málaga, each city felt like a world of its own, and moving between them gave me a vivid sense of just how rich and diverse Spain truly is.

I am not a religious person, and growing up, religious traditions were never a significant part of my family life. So, nothing could have fully prepared me for what I witnessed during Holy Thursday and Good Friday in Seville. The entire city transformed. Thousands of people lined the streets as solemn processions made their way through the historic center, with participants dressed in traditional robes, carrying elaborate floats, and accompanied by live brass bands playing hauntingly beautiful music. The atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever experienced, deeply moving, visually stunning, and profoundly human.

This trip reminded me that personal growth does not only happen in the classroom. Sometimes it happens wandering through the streets of a city you have never visited before or standing on a street corner in Seville at midnight, watching a city pour its entire soul into a tradition century in the making.

Enzo Pablo Aravena Maguida

Enzo at Park Güell in Barcelona