Abhi Ajay
UMBC Faculty-led: Phage Hunters in Barcelona, Spain
Major: Biological Sciences
Pre-Departure
My name’s Abhi and I am a Senior at UMBC. I’m studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain through the SEA Phage Hunters Program. I had never considered studying abroad a real possibility until I learned about this opportunity. I hadn’t seen science-based study programs and could not justify the experience for a class that wouldn’t directly contribute to my major. I took Phage Hunters as my Genetics Lab (BIOL 302L) requirement last semester and it was extremely useful in learning a lot of fundamentals in general lab procedure. Some techniques I now feel confident in due to it are: gel electrophoresis, DNA isolation, agar plating, performing serial dilutions, and more. I am in part two of the course, which goes further into the analysis of bacteriophages we discovered in the Genetics Lab, we will be doing bioinformatics. I almost didn’t even sign up for study abroad. Initially, I disregarded the advertisements surrounding this opportunity because I was currently in the class but until I did research I did not know that this program offers the first and second continuum of the course. Through this, I’ll have the chance to experience a country I have been dying to see since Middle School Spanish class when we watched documentaries on the nuances between Jamon Serrano and Jamon Iberico.
After applying I learned of a unique chance to work on a mini-internship while abroad under a PhD student. I applied and was accepted for one of six internship slots. The internship I will be doing work for is with Mireia Rumbo. We will be doing work on Cxc114, the chemokine required for inner ear axon guidance, and the entry of lateral line axons to the hindbrain. Research will be performed using zebrafish largely due to their rapid developmental capabilities. One of my friends works in the Brewster Lab on campus which specializes in experiments using zebrafish as their model organism to view modalities of hypoxic environmental effects. I’m hoping to apply everything I have learned thus far from courses at UMBC but also personal work to the research to help contribute to future discoveries alongside my phage hunter work. Beyond course-based lab work, I have only experienced working in research labs under that of inorganic chemistry so gauging the needs and variants between the two fields should be interesting.
As of 8:51 pm when I finalise this, my flight to Barcelona is tomorrow. I just checked into the flight and I’m super excited. I recently found out a friend of mine signed up for this program too so we chose seats next to each other for the flight. We agreed to swap who gets the window seat since we have two flights there. My bags are all packed as you can see in the photo and now I spend my remaining time going over the airport plan for the 7th time with my mom. It took four attempts to get all my luggage to weigh and to adhere to TSA standards; I’m not willing to take any chances on my lotions getting dumped. I read that the weather in Spain during January has highs of 60°F to lows of 40°. It took a while to find a balance between practical outfits that I’d feel warm enough in since I am perpetually cold but also ones that would be fun to wear while experiencing a new country. I’m feeling a bit nervous but I think this will be a great experience, the likes of which I have never tried before. It feels surreal and I am incredibly grateful for this chance.
I have been sick with a cold since finals which has been annoying. The stress of finals and flu season teamed up to kick me down and it was winning. Thankfully I was able to be home after finals ended. I got a lot of my mom’s homecooked meals and was taken care of by her which was much needed. I have been nervous as to whether I will be feeling better in time for my travels and I am happy to report that I am. Due to that unforeseen and unfortunate setback, I have not had much time to identify specific locations to visit during my downtime. The main things I was able to narrow down pertained to shopping, museums, and restaurants. Restaurants are the main priority, however. I am hoping to visit flea markets like La Boqueria, try paella, and meet new people. I was excited to learn we would be studying on the coast. So close that our campus is called the Mar Campus, Mar means sea so we will quite literally be along the Mediterranean Sea while learning which is such a mindblowing idea. I only wish the weather would be warmer so I could swim in the ocean before class. See you in Barcelona!
In-Country Post #1
¡Hola!
It’s been about a week since I landed in Barcelona and it feels like I’ve been here way longer. I’ve become comfortable with my surroundings and even have some go-to spots now. I have had enough time to peel back some layers of the city and learn more about the cultural and societal norms of everyday life. One of my favourite aspects of the city is how interconnected it is. Akin to a grid, walkability and public transportation do little to limit my reach of exploration, a level the US is not even close to reaching. We were given metro passes which provide access to many prime locations. This contributes to the constant stream of families and friends interacting outside or simply going for a walk, adding to the sense of community. While every country has its problem areas, I also feel a lot safer here, to the point where I feel comfortable walking by myself even later in the day. While some aspects of the city are more modern, the constant incorporation of older architecture from quasi-roman arches and narrow alleys nestled between balconied apartments creates a dichotomy that makes common surroundings feel richer. I had some apprehensions about putting my Spanish lessons to practice and I can confidently say applying conversation has increased my assurance of my abilities. This lesson was compounded by the majority of people I have encountered being willing to speak to others in their native languages (Catalán and Spanish) but also switch to English if help is necessary. I learned that in primary schooling, the majority of students are taught Catalan, Spanish, and English so when they graduate high school they are, at the very least, trilingual. One culture shock for me was how much and how publicly people drink alcohol with nearly every meal, to the point that it almost seems like they drink it more than water. I’ve even seen places that sell alcohol cheaper than the water. Lastly, the largest adjustment for me was the societal time difference. This is beyond the initial jetlag, but rather the shifted schedule, for the sun seems to rise around 8:00 am which shifts everything further back. This causes events like dinner to take place much later around 10:00 p.m. I thought I ate meals at late times because of IST (Indian Standard Time) but they gave me a run for my money. 
We had our first day of class recently and it was an adjustment as well. I walked to class which is about a 20 to 30-minute walk, but it’s extremely reasonable because we are lucky enough to be at the Mar campus. This means that depending on my route, I get to see the Mediterranean Sea via Barceloneta Beach quite often. A group of us scoped out the area of our University Pompeu Fabra (UPF) before our first day and along the way, we stumbled across a little shop called Greek Pastry. I don’t hesitate to say this shop has the best baklava I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. The first time I ate it was in complete silence and dissociation. The owners make sure you know they’re from Greece in the flavours of their food. The shop has become a cheap staple for many of us, where after class we will walk together to enjoy a giant spanakopita, gyros, or a sample of a myriad of their desserts. One of the first days we went, one of my friends bought a baguette for €0.80 and it honestly blew all of our minds.
One thing I was very surprised by was how flexible the group of students on this trip was going to be. I was not expecting to become friends with so many and for many to be so inviting with their itineraries. We have a general system to announce plans in our WhatsApp group chat, as simple as getting a coffee, and the offer is open to all. Any worries I had about making new friends were assuaged through this. We’ve become pretty close to the point where some of us will cook together, stay up at night playing aggressive games of ERS, or take late walks around the city just wandering and exploring. I often forget that everyone in our group is from UMBC because many of them I have never seen before on campus. This adds to the summer camp feeling rather than that of a study abroad.
One of my favourite places I have visited so far was La Sagrada Familia, which is a towering church built more central to the city. This architectural piece of work is still under construction and is loosely expected to hopefully be completed within 10 years. I hope to return in that time to see it in its full glory. It was designed by an architect and artist, Gaudí and the amount of detail he put into depicting the rise of Christianity, Jesus’s journey, and many symbols closely tied to the religion is incredible. I may not be Christian but I have so much appreciation for the art. A group of us are planning to visit on Sunday because many historic churches in the area have a workaround to purchasing a ticket, by allowing people to enter the buildings for free for Sunday Mass. One of my friends attempted to go last week but due to the immense demand, going an hour early wasn’t even enough. She advised us to go even earlier which is the plan for tomorrow. I’ll be sure to update everybody on whether or not we made it. Earlier in the week we received a tour of the exterior of the Sagrada Familia where we learned about the symbolism carved into the stone. We learned that Gaudí knew he would not live to see the completion of his work so he ordered the construction workers to build the spires from the top down rather than bottom-up. He wanted their efforts focused on completing a single spire so that by the time he passed at 70, the precedent of how his work should stand could be established. In our hostel, we are lucky enough to be able to see the Sagrada Familia from our kitchen window view which is surreal. 
The last thing I think worth mentioning is homesickness. In our orientation presentation we were warned about it and to get ahead of it if it sets in. I thought I would be fine since it’s only 3 weeks (“only”), but I was oh so wrong. It hit so hard to a point I almost felt sick. Our rooms have blackout blinds to help combat jetlag but it did not help the cause leading me to lose track of time. I am so incredibly grateful for this experience but I was nearly ready to head home early. I felt guilty about having such a unique opportunity to explore this city but not being able to share it with my family. My mom knocked some sense into me and helped me realize that once I leave my room, I have a great time. I have realised that I can share the experience with her by sending my mom pictures of activities and places I visit. So to anyone on this trip, if you see me face-timing my mom in the middle of a tour, that’s why. I spoke to other people on the trip and they were experiencing the same which made me feel less alone in that regard. But if a little homesickness is the worst that’s happening, I’m doing pretty great. Hasta Luego!