Cheyenne Payne
Major(s): Political Science, Global Studies
Pre-Departure Blog Post #1
¡Hola mis amigos! Hello, my friends!
I am somehow just days away from boarding a plane to Barcelona, Spain! For months, my morning routine has consisted of waking up and immediately checking my calendar to see how many days I have left until I embark on this European adventure. A number that was once in the hundreds has now somehow dwindled down to single digits, and I cannot contain my excitement!
Ever since I applied to UMBC as a senior in high school, I knew that studying abroad would be a part of my college experience. If you know me, you know that traveling is not only an obsession of mine but my greatest passion in life. If you do not know me, hello, my name is Cheyenne, and I am a compulsive traveler. Since I began my travel journey in 2020, I have been fortunate enough to visit many of the world’s most beautiful places, including 17 countries and counting.
One thing I have yet to check off my travel bucket list, however, is studying abroad. This summer I will be studying abroad at the world-famous Universitat de Barcelona in, you guessed it, Barcelona, Spain! While in Barcelona, I will be spending my time at the Hispanic Studies institution, where I hope to drastically improve my Spanish speaking abilities. I chose this program because after over a decade of Spanish learning, my knowledge of the Spanish language consists of basic greetings and a few Bad Bunny songs. My goal this summer is to change that.
Some things that I have done so far to prepare for my study abroad experience include packing way too many articles of clothing, talking to my host family, looking at pictures of La Sagrada Familia (a famous basilica in Barcelona), and impulsively changing my entire phone to Spanish. One of the things I am most excited about when I land in Barcelona is to meet my host family. Over the past few weeks, I have exchanged a few emails with my Spanish host mom about what time I am going to arrive and how to get into the apartment when I arrive. In addition to talking with my host mom, I have also talked with an Italian student who will also be staying in the apartment with me during the summer. Although I am slightly scared to live with people I have never met before, I am so eager to finally meet my host family in person and hopefully form lasting friendships with them.
Another thing I am very thrilled about is my layover. Before I fly to Barcelona, I have an eight-hour layover in Copenhagen, Denmark! I am really hoping that I will have enough time to leave the airport during my layover and explore the beautiful Scandinavian city. I have already researched places I want to visit when I arrive (the Nyhavn harbor and Christiansborg Palace) and foods I want to try (smørrebrød and pølse). I also picked out an outfit that I think resembles the results that come up when I search “Scandinavian style” into the Pinterest search bar. Hopefully, in my next blog, I will be able to give you all my ratings of the Danish cuisine and architecture in the city. 
Despite being beyond ecstatic to embark on this new journey, I am admittedly a little nervous about meeting new people and making new friends in my program. I am not studying abroad through a UMBC Faculty-led exchange or with any other students from UMBC, so making new friends is a necessity. As I get closer to departure day, I keep having this recurring vision of walking into my classroom on the first day of school and seeing absolutely no one I recognize. Although this vision is slightly terrifying, I think it is also equally invigorating.
Anytime I get nervous about not knowing anyone, I remind myself that I am not really alone. This past semester at UMBC, I was lucky enough to meet and become close friends with two exchange students from Spain named Carolina and Alba! Together, the three of us recently visited the Spanish embassy in Washington, D.C., which made me even more excited to visit Barcelona. This summer, I plan to explore the north of Spain with Carolina and travel around Barcelona with Alba, who lives near the city. It is super cool to know that my UMBC connections span far beyond Hilltop Circle.
Vale (okay), I am going to get some much-needed rest for the long travel days ahead. I cannot wait to share my experiences in further detail with you all once I touch down in Spain! ¡Hasta pronto! (See you soon!)
Blog #2
¡Hola desde España! Hello from Spain!
Wow! I am officially one week into my study abroad experience. So much has happened in these past couple of days, I don’t even know where to start!
Let me take you from the beginning. My journey officially began on Friday with an eight-hour plane ride from Newark, New Jersey, to Copenhagen, Denmark. While I was anxiously waiting for the plane to take off, I recognized a familiar face sitting just two seats away from me– one of my teammates on the UMBC Women’s Soccer team! We both had no idea that we were boarding the same exact plane to Copenhagen, so it was a huge shock for both of us. I was super relieved when the plane took off on schedule, because I really wanted to have enough time to explore Copenhagen (and explore I did). As soon as the plane touched down in Copenhagen, I hurried to passport control and got on the next train to the Copenhagen city center.
Any expectations I had before visiting Copenhagen were quickly thrown out the window once I arrived in the city. After just five minutes of walking, I realized that Copenhagen was different from any other city I had ever visited in my life. The colorful houses along the Nyhavn harbor, stunning architecture, friendly people, and beautiful greenery took my breath away. I could not stop smiling the whole time I was in Copenhagen. I kept on saying to myself how if I was a city, I would be Copenhagen. Although my time in Copenhagen was short, I was very content with the number of things I saw and places I visited throughout the city. I cannot wait to come back to Copenhagen in the future!
Okay, that is enough of my Scandinavian adventure for now. My flight from Copenhagen to Barcelona went by very quickly, and before I knew it, I was staring at a sign that read “Benvinguts a Barcelona” (welcome to Barcelona in Catalan). When I arrived, I met my Italian roommate named Emanuele, who kindly helped me carry my heavy suitcases to our apartment located on the sixth floor of the building. He and I quickly became friends, and the following day we visited the Gothic Quarter and Barceloneta beach together. I really enjoyed sightseeing that day and learning about Barcelona’s history. After a full day of exploring the city, I went to bed to rest for my first day of classes.
I was so incredibly nervous for my first day of class at the University of Barcelona that I woke up two hours before my alarm and could not go back to sleep. I checked Google Maps over ten times to see where my classroom was located before getting dressed and leaving the apartment. This was the first time reality really hit me, and I finally processed what I signed up for. My first day of class was both challenging and super fun. Although I was nervous to make friends, I met so many new people on the first day of class, including students from Germany, France, China, England, Canada, and the United States. During one of my breaks, I was added to a group chat with everyone in the class and went to lunch with some of my new friends.
The rest of the week, I have just been studying and learning the Spanish language. My classes are five hours long each day, which has left me admittedly a little tired of speaking and listening to Spanish, but I am so excited to see my future progress. My professors are super helpful and make learning very fun and interesting. In just three days of classes, I feel as though my Spanish comprehension has skyrocketed. I have gotten especially better at not being afraid to speak and make mistakes.
After every class thus far, I have gone out into the city with my friends to try different Spanish tapas and desserts. I found that I really enjoy huevos con jamón (eggs with ham). One of my favorite experiences so far has been going grocery shopping at the supermarket called Mercadona. I was shocked when I discovered how cheap food is at Mercadona compared to grocery stores in the United States. I am excited to discover more cultural differences between Barcelona and the United States in the future.
I am very excited to do some sightseeing this weekend while I am off from classes and can not wait to share more of my experiences in Barcelona with you all. ¡Chau! (Bye!
Blog #3
Hello again! I have somehow already reached the end of week two in Barcelona. It is weird because it feels like just yesterday, I was at the Copenhagen airport traveling to Barcelona, but at the same time, it feels like I have been here for months. This city has become such an important part of my life in such a short span of time. Let me tell you about what I have been up to!
This week, I really focused on establishing a daily routine and settling into living in Barcelona. I have never lived in the heart of a city before, let alone a European city, so the transition has not been without its mistakes. Google Maps has been my best friend thus far during my study abroad experience. That being said, I am proud to say that I can now take the metro without using Google Maps and have a good idea of where places are located in the city (emphasis on good, not great). I have gotten used to the massive amounts of people on the streets and love the Spanish culture of dining in the streets and dancing for hours in various plaças (Catalan for public squares) around the city. I have also gotten accustomed to the eating habits of the Spaniards and enjoy my dinners at 9pm the earliest. 
As for my classes, I am getting much more comfortable with listening and responding in Spanish. My professors are very nice, and I have made a lot of friends in the class. After class each day, my friends and I visit a new restaurant in the city and try different tapas and Spanish food. This week, I went to a really good pizza place in the Gothic Quarter and had great patatas bravas near the beach. I was originally a little nervous to try different foods in Barcelona because I am lactose intolerant, but everyone has been super accommodating, and I have mastered how to look for the “sin lactosa” (without lactose) sign on foods in the supermarket and ask “¿Tiene lactosa? (Does this have lactose?) in restaurants.
On Saturday, I went on my first larger trip outside of the city. During class earlier in the week, my professor recommended that we visit a place called Vic, which is located about two hours by train from Barcelona, so my friends and I decided to go. I am so glad we decided to go because the town of Vic was so beautiful and allowed us to explore an authentic, less touristy, area of Catalonia. While in Vic, we shopped at the local market which is held every Saturday in the town center, ate great food, interacted with the locals, and visited the many medieval and historical buildings in the town. It was definitely an experience I will never forget!
I spent the rest of the week trying to do a little bit of sightseeing after my five-hour Spanish class each day. I was finally able to visit Los Bunkers del Carmen, a famous viewpoint of Barcelona, El Passeig de Gràcia, an area with many shopping stores, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, Ciutadella Park, and the Arc de Triomf. On Sunday, I attended Spanish Mass at the Barcelona Cathedral, which was an incredible experience. 
Another interesting place I visited was the Hotel Vela, or W Barcelona, a famous hotel located in La Barceloneta beach. I visited the hotel and walked around La Barceloneta with two fellow student-athletes from UMBC, Nicol and Claudia! Claudia is from Barcelona and plays volleyball at UMBC and Nicol was visiting from Hungary and is on the UMBC swim team. It was so cool to see some familiar faces and talk about shared experiences from back home at UMBC. As student-athletes, we talked about how we are balancing staying fit in the offseason with traveling. For me, I found that I enjoy running in the city during the mornings and evenings. Claudia and I made plans to see each other again next week with another UMBC student, Alba, so I am looking forward to that!
Looking ahead to next week, I have a lot of super fun things planned and cannot wait to tell you all about my experiences. ¡Hasta luego! (See you later!)
Blog #4
Wow, it is somehow already the end of my third week here in Barcelona! I now truly understand the phrase “time flies when you’re having fun.” Although it may sound cheesy, in just three weeks Barcelona has become my home away from home.
This week in particular was very special for me because I got to celebrate my first Spanish holiday, Whit Monday (Pentecost Monday), and enjoy a four-day weekend away from my classes! During my time off, I finally explored the University of Barcelona’s campus. Let’s just say that my phone storage will never recover from the obscene number of photos I took of this beautiful place. The architecture of UB’s campus is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The various green spaces, stunning cloisters, and peaceful environment easily makes UB the most beautiful school I have ever visited.
After exploring UB’s picturesque campus, I got to check another thing off my Spanish summer bucket-list: watching a fútbol (soccer) match while studying abroad! On Thursday night, I went with two of my friends from my class to a lively restaurant to watch Spain take on France in the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League. The game did not disappoint, ending in a thrilling 5-4 victory for Spain! It was so cool to celebrate Spain’s victory in Barcelona with the Spanish people. The experience was so awesome that my friends and I went back to the same restaurant to watch the final. Unfortunately, Spain fell short of the title in the final after a tough loss against Portugal. Despite the loss, I still had an incredible time rooting for Spain and immersing myself in the pride and patriotism of Spain.
Outside of watching fútbol, I explored some of Barcelona’s beaches and went to the Picasso Museum with my friends Yasemin and Liza from class! As someone who is interested in paintings and artistry, I really enjoyed learning more about Picasso’s life and looking at his work. I also had so much fun spending time with my new friends outside of school and learning more about their own cultures and backgrounds.
Coming to Barcelona, I was so nervous that I would not make any friends. Now, I am so happy to report that I have met such incredibly kind people from all different parts of the world including Germany, England, Canada, Turkey, China, Italy, and France. As much as I love solo traveling, it is so nice to be able to see different parts of the city with other people. I feel so blessed for the friendships I have made during these three weeks and cannot wait to meet more people during the time I have left in Barcelona.
On the topic of exploring new places with friends, I ended my week with perhaps the most exciting trip of my study abroad experience thus far. On Saturday, I met up with Claudia again to travel south of Barcelona to visit Alba, a foreign exchange student at UMBC this past Spring semester. While Alba was at UMBC, she would always tell me that I must visit her in her home city of Tarragona while I am studying abroad in Barcelona. This weekend we finally made it happen! Claudia and I took the fast train to Tarragona and were immediately greeted by Alba as soon as we got out of the station. I was so happy to see Alba again and meet her family for the first time! After arriving, Alba took me and Claudia on a tour of Tarragona, including the beautiful beaches in Salou and ancient Roman ruins. We also went to a fair in the neighboring city of Reus where I was able to experience an authentic Spanish celebration and meet some of Alba’s childhood friends. While in Tarragona, I tried so many new Spanish foods including gazpacho, pan con tomate y jamón, and of course, paella! I was so sad to leave Alba at the end of the weekend, but we already have plans to see each other again in the near future so expect more adventures with Alba and Claudia in the future. 
My weekend did not end after returning from Tarragona, because on Monday I went to Sitges, a popular beach destination located south of Barcelona, with my friend Maaria. During our day trip to Sitges, we spent time on the beach and walked around the town. While exploring the town, I was stunned by how similar it was to the towns in Crete, Greece where my papou (grandfather) lives. The crystal-clear blue water, vibrant flowers, and beautiful architecture made Sitges one of my favorite places I have visited during my time studying abroad.
Looking ahead, I am so excited to learn more Spanish and really dedicate myself to understanding and speaking the language. My final exam for my Spanish language and cultural class is fast approaching, so I have started to focus on balancing studying with enjoying all that the city of Barcelona has to offer. These next two weeks are going to be action packed so stay tuned to see my Spanish progress and what places I explore next!
“Hasta la semana que viene” (See you next week!)
Blog #5
¡Hola mis amigos! I cannot believe that I only have one more week left in Barcelona. This past week in particular has flown by so let me fill you in on my many adventures!
This week, I had my first cultural visit with my Spanish class! Part of my study abroad course includes 10 hours of cultural visits where my classmates and I get to explore Barcelona with our professor. The tour is completely in Spanish, so it is a great way to put the concepts we learn in class into practice. Going into the visit, I was not sure what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying it (although 8 hours of Spanish in one day was a little tiring)! We visited some of the most famous markets in Barcelona, including the Mercat de la Boqueria and the Mercat De Sant Antoni. We also learned about the many chocolaterias (chocolate shops) in Barcelona and visited some of the best ones in the city.
Following my visit to the city, I finally got around to purchasing some clothes and souvenirs. To get the full Spanish shopping experience, I went to Zara and El Corte Inglés. I was shocked to discover that El Corte Inglés has eight floors, which admittedly did make finding items a little more difficult. Luckily, I was able to find everything I was looking for and practice my Spanish while doing so!
Speaking of Spanish, I bet you all are wondering how I am doing with learning the language. After all, learning Spanish is the reason why I am here. Well, I am happy to report that I have improved a lot in my three weeks here! I feel like I have finally gained the confidence to speak and answer questions in Spanish during class. During the first two weeks of classes, my heart rate would immediately spike every time my professors mentioned that we were doing a speaking exercise. Now, talking with my classmates and my professors in Spanish is one of my favorite parts of the class. My Spanish is still far from perfect, but I am happy with the progress I have made thus far.
Apart from class, another way I have been able to improve my Spanish is through talking with my host family. My host mom, Montse, only talks to me in Spanish to help me practice my Spanish speaking and listening comprehension. This week, my host mom and I went to my host sister’s fashion show at her university. Her school is located away from the city in the mountains, so it was so cool to explore a new place and have a more authentic Catalan experience. The fashion show itself was very fun, and I enjoyed seeing all the clothes the students designed!
After the fashion show, my host mom took me inside La Sagrada Familia, which was an unforgettable experience. For the entire month, I passed by the outside of La Sagrada Familia just waiting for the day I could finally enter. I had high expectations going into the tour, and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. The different colored stained glass, breathtaking artistry, and views of the city from the towers were incredible. I found the museum extremely interesting as well, and I even made a stop at the gift shop to pick up some rosary beads as a souvenir for my mother.
You might be wondering how this week could get any more memorable. Well, during the weekend, I visited the Costa Brava with my Spanish friends Alba and Claudia. The beaches of Costa Brava are said to be some of the best in the entire world, and I honestly couldn’t agree more. The water was a shade of blue that I have never seen before, and the vibrant trees and beautiful rocky coast made Costa Brava one of my favorite places I have visited thus far while studying abroad. 
Finally, I ended the week with the most unforgettable day of my time here in Barcelona. After struggling to get tickets for months, I somehow managed to purchase a ticket to see Billie Eilish, my favorite singer, in concert at the Palau de Sant Jordi in Barcelona the day of the concert! I still do not think that I have fully processed that sentence. My friend was able to enter the stadium for the concert just 20 minutes before Billie went on stage, making this whole experience a stressful but entertaining story. I spent the entire concert smiling (and singing, of course) in disbelief that I was actually able to see my favorite artist while studying abroad. Whenever I feel homesick or anxious when traveling, I always listen to Billie’s music to feel a sense of comfort and connection back home. To hear these same songs live in person was both therapeutic and unreal at the same time. Reflecting back on the concert, I just feel so incredibly lucky to have had this experience.
Vale (ok), stay tuned to read about what adventures I embark on in my final week here in Barcelona! See you later!
Blog #6
I cannot believe it, but my study abroad adventure is officially over. As I am writing to you all from a park bench in Lisbon, I cannot stop thinking about how quickly the time passed while I was in Barcelona. I know I have said that after every single week, but it is so true. Before reflecting on my experience as a whole, I want to fill you in on what I got up to this week.
Despite being in the city for three weeks, I still had a lot of places I wanted to see. I started the week off strong by finally visiting Gaudí’s famous Park Güell. I was a little hesitant to book tickets to enter the park because I was scared it was going to be overcrowded and overrated. When I got to the park, however, I was really surprised by its beauty and many spacious areas. I have been craving green spaces during my time in the city since Barcelona does lack greenery and parks, so it was super refreshing to visit an outdoors tourist attraction.
Following the outdoors theme, the next day my friend convinced me to go on a sunrise paddle boarding excursion held at Barceloneta Beach. The thought of waking up at 4:30am to go to the beach was not initially that appealing to me, but I am so glad I listened to my friend and decided to go! Walking around the city without the usual noise and crowds gave me a new perspective on Barcelona just before my departure.
While I was sitting in my bed after returning from paddle boarding, I scrolled past a video of Andorra, one of the smallest countries in Europe located 3 hours away from Barcelona. Me being me I impulsively decided to look for bus tickets and things to do in Andorra. Before I knew it, the next morning I was on a bus going on a solo trip to a country I just discovered existed the day before.
Now, you might be wondering what there is to do in Andorra (I was too). Well, it turns out that Andorra is the definition of a hidden gem. It has breathtaking mountains, picturesque lakes, and a charming capital city called Andorra la Vella. I enjoyed hiking in the mountains, window shopping along the main street, and soaking in the truly breathtaking views and nature of this underrated country.
On the 3-hour ride back from Andorra, I started to process that my time in Barcelona was quickly coming to an end. It was good that I started to reflect on my experience then, because my last day in Barcelona was nothing short of action-packed. After a full day of class, my classmates and I took our exam for the B1 Spanish level. I was super nervous during the exam, but I did the best I could and was very relieved after I finished. That night was the “Nit de Sant Joan,” a huge festival in Catalonia. I had heard the day before from my teachers and host mom that it was a really big celebration, but nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced that night.
On the night of Sant Joan, everyone in Barcelona goes to the beach to light off fireworks and celebrate the arrival of summer. If you think the Fourth of July is crazy in the U.S., you would be floored to witness this holiday in Barcelona. Unsupervised little children roamed the beach throwing firecrackers into the ground and people from every angle were setting off fireworks. Although I was admittedly a little scared for my safety, it was so cool to witness and the best way to end my time in Barcelona.
Without a doubt, the hardest part of my time here was saying goodbye to the friends I have made, the city I called home for a month, and my host mother. My host mother is one of the kindest people I have ever met, so saying goodbye to her was really tough. Before I left, she gave me some parting advice I will always remember: “Live your life because you only have one, and it is so short. Go on that trip, meet those people, and write the next page of your life.”
It is with those wise words that I will leave you all. I will forever cherish the time I have spent in Barcelona and feel so grateful for all the cool places I was able to see, things I was able to do, and people I was able to meet. I can proudly say that I am not the same, hesitant girl on a flight from Copenhagen to Barcelona. I am now more open to new experiences and more independent.
I loved sharing my experience in Barcelona with you all and hope you were inspired to travel to new places or study abroad yourselves! Adiós for now!