Leen Jawhar
UMBC Faculty-Led: Phage Hunters in Barcelona, Spain
Major: Biological Sciences
Hey everyone!
My name is Leen, and welcome to my blog 😊 I’ll be using this space to document my study abroad experience in Spain throughout January. This is my pre-departure post, which feels a little surreal to write because it means that this whole thing is actually happening.
As of right now, I am feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. I’m excited to experience a new country and step outside of my usual routine, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous too. I don’t know many people in my class yet, and my Spanish is definitely not as strong as I wish it were. I do think it would be stronger if Covid never happened and I did not start taking Spanish online…
Anyway, I’ve never been to Spain before, so I’m going in with no expectations and a completely open mind. One thing I am really looking forward to is being near the beach, even if it’s still cold. I told myself I was going to go to college right next to the beach, and while I don’t think UMBC qualifies, studying abroad in Spain feels like a step in the right direction. I traveled to Europe for the first time at the end of high school, and I completely fell in love with it. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to spend part of my life living abroad. I love being exposed to different cultures, languages, and ways of life; it really puts things into perspective. Also, the time I spent in Europe, everyone seemed happier doing day-to-day life tasks, which I am excited to see again! This program feels like the perfect way to get more exposure to the world and, honestly, a pretty amazing way to start off 2026.
A little bit about me: I’m a sophomore at UMBC majoring in Biology on the pre-med track, and I also play on the UMBC women’s soccer team. Between academics and athletics, my schedule is usually pretty packed. Having both a fall and spring season, studying abroad during the winter semester was the best option for me. It fits with my soccer schedule, and the class counts toward my major, which is honestly rare as a biology student. When this opportunity came up, it felt like one of those “now or never” moments, and I’m really glad I went for it!
One thing I’m especially excited about during this trip is having the time to do the things I love. During the semester, life can feel like a constant cycle of classes, practice, homework, and trying to squeeze everything into a day. Studying abroad feels like a chance to slow down a bit and be more intentional with how I spend my time. I really want to go hiking while I’m in Spain and explore the country as much as possible. As an extrovert, I am also excited to see the nightlife! We have a four-day break built into the program where we can do whatever we want. Hopefully by then I’ll have made some friends, and maybe we’ll take a train to another city, or even another country. I love how easy it is to travel within Europe and the idea of spontaneous weekend trips.
Right now, though, I’m in full pre-departure mode…which mostly means packing and stressing about packing. One thing about me is I overpack. I always convince myself that I’ll need every single item “just in case,” and suddenly my suitcase is overflowing. I’m currently trying to narrow things down while also reminding myself that I’ll survive without packing my entire closet. This is definitely a work in progress.
To future Leen (and maybe to anyone else considering studying abroad), here are a few questions I hope to answer by the end of this journey:
- What ended up being the best part of studying abroad in Spain, and why?
- What do I wish I had done differently, or prepared for more, before leaving?
- What do I wish I brought with me (and what definitely stayed in my suitcase unused)?
- How was the workload between balancing classes with exploring, traveling, and actually living in the moment?
As nervous as I am, I’m more excited to meet new people, use the bus system + electric scooters, learn (and probably mess up) a new language, and see what the country has to offer. If you’re reading this, thank you for following along! I hope this blog gives you a glimpse into what studying abroad is really like, the good, the challenging, and everything in between. I’m excited to share my journey with you, and I can’t wait to see how this experience unfolds.
See you in Spain 🇪🇸✨
xoxo,
Leen
In-Country Post #1
Hiii everyone, I’m back!
After surviving my first week in Barcelona, I can confidently say that I had absolutely nothing to worry about. From the moment we landed, everything just… clicked. Even right after the flight, I started recognizing people from orientation day, and somehow we all just connected. It was one of those situations where conversations flowed easily, and it felt comforting knowing I wasn’t going through this experience alone. Any nerves I had before disappeared almost immediately.
Saying Spain is beautiful feels like an understatement. Barcelona, in particular, has completely exceeded my expectations. One thing I’ve learned very quickly is that I love city life. I love being able to walk everywhere, hop on public transportation whenever I want, and always feel like there’s something happening around me. There’s an energy here that’s hard to explain but so easy to feel, and it’s made settling in feel natural. I’ve noticed a sense of liveliness and ease among the people here. Barcelonans seem to truly live in the moment, and that energy is contagious. When I was at Parc de la Ciutadella, there were people dancing, singing, performing breakdancing shows, feeding ducks, and blowing giant bubbles for kids passing by. The city feels alive and crowded in the best way possible, and it’s made every walk feel like an experience rather than just a way to get from point A to point B.
In just the first four days, we’ve already done so much. I’ve visited several parks, including Parc de la Ciutadella and Parc del Laberint d’Horta. We also went to the Museu de Ciències Naturals, took a city bus tour of Barcelona, and explored La Boqueria Market. The architecture in the country is phenomenal. Everything is a work of art. Of course, I did a little shopping too. I finally got my long-awaited Cold Culture hoodie. We also spent time around Port Olímpic, and although we tried to go to a vintage flea market that only happens once a month, it unfortunately got canceled due to the weather. Speaking of weather… one thing I’m not loving so far is how cold it’s been. I did not expect to be wearing cold gear under my clothes every single day. Still, I’ll take the cold in Barcelona over the cold at home.
One of the most beautiful experiences so far was getting to witness the Los Reyes Magos parade, which is essentially Spain’s version of Christmas. Instead of Santa Claus, children write letters to the Three Kings, and they arrive in a massive parade filled with floats, music, and candy. The entire city came out for it; people were standing on ladders, trash cans, statues, literally anything they could climb to get a better view. I went to this with my new friends and one of my international friends from UMBC, who lives in Barcelona, so it was great to see a familiar face! Another tradition tied to the holiday is cutting into a cake called Roscón de Reyes, where one person finds a small figurine inside and gets to wear a crown, while another unlucky person might find a bean and has to buy the cake next year.
Looking ahead, there’s still so much I’m excited to do. I can’t wait to visit Casa Batlló and La Sagrada Familia. I’m also really excited to go to a Real Madrid soccer game during the last week, a lifelong bucket list of mine. My group has also been talking about possibly taking a trip to Morocco during our long weekend, the beauty of being in Europe.
Now let’s talk about the food, because it deserves its own section. The food here is absolutely amazing. I tried paella and birria tacos for the first time, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be thinking about them when I’m back in the U.S.
One really interesting cultural difference I’ve noticed is how meals are structured. Since nightlife and club culture are such a big part of life here, breakfast is usually very light, often just a coffee and a croissant from one of the many bakeries around the city. The main meal of the day is lunch, which usually happens around 3 p.m. and can include multiple courses. Dinner is much smaller and doesn’t start until around 9 p.m. It’s such a contrast to the typical American schedule of a heavy breakfast, lunch around noon, and dinner at 6 p.m.
The nightlife itself is also completely different. Barcelonans’ party in any weather, rain, wind, cold, it doesn’t matter. Clubs don’t open until 1 a.m., and people stay out until 6 a.m. when the sun starts rising. It’s wild but also fascinating to see how normalized it is here.
As for class, I officially had my first day today! We started learning how to use DNA Master, the main program we’ll be working with in the lab. A lot of the work is team-based. 1 out of 12 classes is officially done.
Overall, this first week has been everything I hoped it would be and more. I already feel myself growing, learning, and adjusting to a new way of life. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this journey has in store. As always, thank you for following along💛
xoxo,
Leen
In-Country Post #2
Hey blog!
Welcome back. I’m officially in the home stretch of my study abroad experience. I should have booked a one way ticket so there was no way back. This week we have Friday off, so my friends and I are taking full advantage of the long weekend. We’re planning trips to Montserrat, Tossa de Mar, and Tibidabo, which I’m really excited about. I love how easy it is to travel here and how much variety there is, mountains, beaches, cities, and viewpoints all within reach. Plus it’s starting to get a bit warmer.
Academically, this week was definitely one of the hardest so far. Class has been piling up and the pace has picked up a lot, which makes sense since it is only a three week winter course. At least I am able to figure out a lot of the work with classmates. That being said, this week is over and I have no homework for the long weekend. This week was also the start of my research internship I got selected for. It is interesting to see what is the same and what is different from the research I have done in Maryland. It’s nice to have a beautiful view of the ocean for research. I’m currently researching under a PhD student at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), working on a lung cancer project focused on concurrent mutations in KRAS and TP53. KRAS is an oncogene, meaning it’s usually inactive but becomes activated when mutated, leading to uncontrolled cell growth. TP53, on the other hand, is a tumor suppressor gene, it’s normally active and works to regulate cell processes and prevent cancer, but when it’s mutated, it loses that function. What makes this research especially interesting is that when both KRAS and TP53 are mutated together, the cancer tends to be much more aggressive. Our lab is interested in understanding the metabolic rewiring that occurs in these double-mutant cancer cells, in other words how their metabolism changes to support rapid and uncontrolled growth.
In previous work, the lab used CRISPR to knock out TP53 in an initial population of cells, creating a normal distribution of knockouts. Over time, as the cell population evolved, certain genes disappeared from the final population. The idea behind this is that if cells can’t survive or proliferate without a specific gene, that gene must be essential. One key finding from this work was that purines, particularly adenine (A), are extremely important for cell survival. This week, we’ve been working on cell culture passing and freezing to prepare for experiments next week. For next week, I will be attending my research instead of the scheduled class time. It’s been a great experience to complete research abroad!
Outside of academics, one of the most unforgettable experiences this week was watching an FC Barcelona game at a restaurant. Every TV in every restaurant and bar was showing the game. People were cheering, fireworks were going off, and the entire city felt alive. A few days before that when we went to watch the sunset at Bunkers del Carmel (which had the best viewpoint of the city), there was a lower-league match happening, and I kid you not, almost everything within a mile of the game was closed in order to watch the game. As a soccer player in the U.S., where the sport is still growing, it was special to see how much love and passion there is for the game here.
Another experience was one day this week, my phone died while I was out exploring alone. I vaguely remembered the directions from Google Maps where I had to turn right and go straight to get to the apartment, but I wasn´t exactly sure where. I made my way back using my intuition, and it made me feel like a local. Also, throughout the week, people kept coming up to me speaking Catalan and Spanish, which made me feel even more local.
I’ve been loving how easy it is to explore spontaneously, come across a museum or a show, cool architecture, parade or festival, or find something interesting without even planning it. Some things we did this week was going to Girona (where season 6 of Game of Thrones was filmed), went to a vintage flea market on the port, visited Casa Vicens by Gaudi, and went to Real Academia de Medicina de Cataluña hich was originally the Royal college of surgery in Barcelona. Trying new cafés and shopping have always been a favorite and I feel like those are now daily activities of mine. I have become a latte girl and have sadly spent way too much money on it. There’s always something happening, always something to see, and it never feels repetitive.
One of the most meaningful parts of this study abroad experience has been how close I’ve gotten with my study abroad classmates. We spend most of our time together. Next Tuesday, a group of us are taking a day trip to Madrid. Of course, we’re ending the night with the Real Madrid vs. AS Monaco European Cup game. The only problem is the train stops running at midnight and the game starts at 9 p.m., so there’s no way we’ll be able to catch a train back to Barcelona. So instead, we’ll be taking an eight-hour overnight bus back to Barcelona to make class the next morning. Is it practical? Not at all. But I know it’ll be one of those memories we laugh about.
I truly love it here and am so grateful for the experiences I’ve had so far. As this trip comes to an end, I’m realizing just how much this place, these people, and these moments have shaped me. I can’t wait to see what the last week of this experience brings!
xoxo,
Leen 🤍
In-Country Post #3
Hey blog!
It’s hard to believe that I’m writing this with only two days left before I return home. This experience has been everything I could have imagined. Studying abroad was something I had always dreamed about, and I’m so grateful that it became a reality. To wrap up my final week in Spain, I made it a priority to check off all the last-minute bucket list spots I still had in mind. One of those was a famous pizza place in Barcelona that people travel from all over the world to try. I had high expectations going in, and the authentic italian did not disappoint. I also made sure to see La Sagrada Familia which I started waiting in line at 7am to enter at 9am in order to get in for free on Sunday morning. I saw Montjuic castle, tried some more cafes, visited some parks, and some more art museums.
One of my favorite experiences this week was hiking Montserrat. Even getting there was memorable. On the train ride, I met other students who were also studying abroad, and we quickly became friends. We decided to hike the mountain together, which made the whole experience even better. They were from Colorado and definitely more experienced hikers than I am, but I’m proud to say I didn’t fall behind. There were so many stairs I felt like I was doing stairmaster. The views were unreal, I was literally in line with the clouds. At the summit, there was a circular viewing point where you could see in every direction, marked with a compass showing north, south, east, and west. We stayed at the top for about thirty minutes before it became too cold and we had to head back down. At the summit we met more study abroad people we became friends with and reunited with another person from the UK who started the hike with us but fell behind.
This week was the day trip to Madrid, which ended up being one of the highlights of my entire experience. Madrid was absolutely amazing, and I wish I had more time to explore the city. We managed to see some of the most iconic spots, including Retiro Park, Puerta de Alcalá, Plaza Mayor, and the Royal Palace. We ended the day watching the sunset at the Temple of Debod, which was truly breathtaking. There was a guy singing and everyone around me started bachating. I even learned one of the Spanish line dances. This night was also the night I checked off something that had been on my lifelong bucket list: attending a European soccer match, specifically a Real Madrid match. We went to the Real Madrid vs. AS Monaco game, and the energy in the stadium was unreal. The crowd, the chants, the atmosphere, it was everything I imagined and more. That energy just makes the game of futbol 10x better. On the bus ride home one of our classmates forgot to buy a bus ticket and had to spend the night in Madrid. The bus driver refused to let him on and we had to call our teacher on the bus to let him know he would be late to class. It still feels like a made up story.
When I returned to Barcelona, we wrapped up our program in the best possible way. As a class, we attended a flamenco show followed by a farewell dinner. Watching flamenco in Barcelona felt like the perfect cultural send-off. It was emotional, beautiful, and a reminder of how much I had learned and experienced during this month. What made the farewell dinner especially meaningful was realizing how close I’ve become with the people in my program, even our instructors. I truly made some of my best friends on this trip. I’ve never laughed so hard or felt so comfortable. We’re already planning hangouts and card night for when we’re back home, which makes saying goodbye feel a little easier.
Academically, the final week of classes wasn’t too bad. Most of our work involved writing papers about our annotations, lab work with my research, and reflecting on the experience as a whole. It felt like a meaningful way to wrap everything up, looking back at what we learned, how much we grew, and how this experience challenged us both academically and personally. As I prepare to leave, I feel a mix of emotions. I’m sad to say goodbye to Barcelona, Anna (the girl I was shadowing under), and the life I built here, but I’m also ready to go home. In the future, I’d love to venture beyond Spain and explore other countries. Spain gave me memories, friendships, and a new perspective on the world and myself. I’ll carry this month with me long after I return home. Thank you for following along on my journey 🤍
xoxo,
Leen
Return Post
Hey everyone, I’m officially home!
I came back just in time for the snow storm… if I knew we were gonna have off school for 3 days I would’ve stayed longer in Spain. Although it has been nice to be back with my family and friends, sleeping in my own bed, and getting back into familiar routines, I still miss my daily café runs. There was something so comforting about starting the morning with a coffee and croissant in the quiet city. Emphasis on quiet because people were probably just starting to sleep from the night before. The day I went to La Sagrda Familia I left the apartment around 6:45am and saw people returning home from partying. It was funny to see people end their day as I started mine. So far, I’ve been getting back into workouts and preparing for classes. Due to the snow, spring semester has been delayed, but my classes have already given homework. Now that I’ve had time to reflect, I want to answer the questions I posed to myself in my pre-departure post.
What ended up being the best part of studying abroad in Spain, and why?
This is an incredibly hard question to answer, so I’m going to answer it from a few different perspectives.
From a once-in-a-lifetime standpoint, attending the Real Madrid vs. AS Monaco game stands out. The energy in that stadium was unreal, and it was something I’ve wanted to experience for as long as I can remember. Seeing European fútbol culture firsthand; how passionate, loud, and unified the crowd was, was unforgettable.
From an everyday perspective, simply walking and riding the metro through the city was one of my favorite parts. No matter how many times I walked the same streets, there was always something new: live music in the metro, street performers dancing or singing, spontaneous shows, or the Montjuïc Magic Fountain lighting up the night Thursday to Sunday. The city felt alive, and it honestly seemed like everyone was just romanticizing their life. That sense of presence is something I’ll try to apply to my life in MD.
And from a personal perspective, the friendships I made mean everything. The bonds formed so naturally, ending nights playing cards around the dinner table, cooking or eating meals out together, sharing laughs until we cried, and even ending the semester with a potluck. I truly love this group so much. These are people I know will be in my life long after this trip, and that might be the most special part.
What do I wish I had done differently, or prepared for more, before leaving?
If there’s one thing I wish I had done more of, it would be practicing Spanish before leaving. Spanish (and Catalan) is the main language, but English is also widely spoken, which made it easy to fall back on what was comfortable. I wish I had pushed myself more to speak Spanish and connect with locals. Some of my classmates were able to do that, and watching them communicate so naturally made me realize how I could have tried harder. Even something small like consistently practicing on Duolingo or reviewing conversational phrases might have helped me feel more confident. I also wished there were times where I was more present. As an athlete I am always on the move and I sometimes carry that with me when it’s unnecessary. I wish there were more times where I could just stroll slowly rather than face paced.
What do I wish I brought with me (and what definitely stayed in my suitcase unused)?
It was colddd. Much colder than I expected. I definitely didn’t need some of the summer dresses I brought, there was maybe one day that hit 60 degrees and was sunny, and I’m naturally a cold person. I also did not need heels at all. I averaged over 20,000 steps a day and wore sneakers pretty much the entire time. Even when going out, sneakers just made more sense because you’re always walking. Honestly, that’s part of what I loved about life there, comfort and movement were built into everyday life. The locals were walking around in heels to school though and I found it impressive.
How was the workload when balancing classes with exploring, traveling, and actually living in the moment?
The workload was very manageable. Dr. Caruso was incredibly understanding and encouraged us to explore Spain and experience the culture. The second week was definitely the most challenging academically, but we got through it together as a class since so much of the work was team-based. By the last week, we were really able to relax. Overall, Phage Hunters was a great class to take abroad, and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering a study abroad program.
Looking back, I can confidently say that this experience exceeded every expectation I had. I always wanted to study abroad, and I’m so grateful that I made it happen. While I would love to do another, longer study abroad in the future, one where I can take more weekend or day trips to other countries nearby Spain using the train system, I’m very grateful for the experience I had. I miss the people, the lifestyle, the city. But I’m also thankful for the growth and memories I brought home with me. Thank you for following along on my journey 🤍Adios amigos!
xoxo,
Leen