For ten days in February, students from Edison High exchanged their typical routines in Edison, New Jersey, for one across the Atlantic in Barcelona, Spain. In this exchange program, students lived with host families, attended their host schools, and explored cities like Barcelona and Madrid. This trip quickly became an experience full of cultural immersion, new friendships, and unforgettable memories.

I am a junior at Edison High School, fortunate to enjoy this unforgettable experience. Here is my sneak peek into the day-to-day happenings from el viaje de mi vida—the trip of my lifetime!

Day One – February 16 (Travel Day)

Today, our Barcelona exchange trip officially began. First, we met at Edison High School in the afternoon with our luggage, and we took a bus to Newark Airport together. Many of us didn’t know each other well yet, so we spent time getting to know each other before the trip started. Everyone was excited, but also a little nervous, as this was the start of our ten-day trip in Spain. The looming question in all of our minds was “What will our pen pals be like in person?”. Although we had been talking to them for months, meeting someone face-to-face is a completely different experience. After getting through the TSA lines, we waited together at our gate, talking and playing VR games. Once we were seated on the plane, everything actually began to feel real.

Day Two – February 17 (Arrival in Barcelona)

After a long overnight flight, we arrived in Barcelona in the early morning. Even though we were tired and jet-lagged, we were excited to finally be there. We quickly made our way through the airport and headed to our pen pals’ school—or, as they say in Spain, colegio. At SAFA (Colegio Sagrada Familia at Sant Andreu), we met our pen pals for the first time. At first, everything felt a little awkward, as we were meeting someone we had only spoken to online, but everyone was very welcoming. After meeting, we went our separate ways to our pen pals’ homes. I went home with my pen pal, Daniela Gostanzo, on the metro, which was one of my first real experiences navigating the city like a local. I went to her home, where I was introduced to her sister and mother, whom I would be staying with for the next ten days. I talked with Daniela and her family for a while before I unpacked. Later, all the pen pals and their exchange students met at a mall, where we tried McDonald’s in Spain and spent time discussing the differences between our countries before going back to our host families. By the end of the day, everything started to feel more real, and I was already beginning to adjust to this environment.

Day Three – February 18 (Guided Tour of Barcelona)

On day three, we woke up early, ate breakfast, and met at SAFA before leaving for a guided tour of Barcelona. Our first stop was the Gothic Quarter, where we walked through historic streets and saw a few of the city’s oldest buildings. Our next stop was the Sagrada Familia, a basilica designed by Antoni Gaudí, where construction has been ongoing for 144 years. As someone who had previously never been in Spain, I didn’t expect the church to be as massive or detailed as it was. The church’s architecture was stunning, especially the stained glass windows and intricate details on the inside. Our last stop was Park Güell, where we saw a beautiful view of Barcelona. By the afternoon, we returned to SAFA, but the day wasn’t over yet. We met back up with our pen pals and took the metro to play laser tag together, ending the night with a social activity that truly broke us out of our comfort zones.

Day Four – February 19 (Cooking Paella)

This morning, we met with the pen pals and their corresponding exchange students at SAFA, dropped off our pen pals, and took the metro to Plaza d’Espanya, a monumental square in Barcelona. There, we went shopping at Les Arenes, which used to be a bullfighting arena that was converted into a mall after bullfighting was banned in Barcelona. Our next stop was Montjuic, a Jewish Mountain, where we walked up and saw another beautiful view of Barcelona. Then, we finally arrived in Poble Espanyol, an open-air museum with Spanish architecture. In Poble Espanyol, many small boutiques and shops were selling unique items. We first spent an hour shopping and strolling in the area before we started our paella cooking class. For the cooking class, all of us stood outside as we were instructed by a chef who helped us cook the paella. This experience gave us a better understanding of Spanish culture and allowed us to bring this recipe back home to the U.S. Afterward, we met back up with our pen pals and spent the evening walking around their neighborhood as a large group.

Day Five – February 20 (Picasso Museum and Las Ramblas)

We began the day by visiting Las Ramblas, a popular street in Barcelona, where we stopped by La Boqueria (a well-known food market) as well as a fountain called Font de les Tres Gracies. Next, we were on our way to the Picasso Museum, where we were able to see the changes in his art as time went on. By this point in the trip, everyone was starting to feel tired. While Senora Van de Wetering and Senora Fedowitz were admiring the art, most of us sat down and started playing “Imposter,” a game where everyone but one person in the group knows the specified word for that round, and the goal is to figure out who doesn’t know the word, the “imposter.” After multiple rounds of Imposter, we took a relaxing boat ride, where it became very clear just how exhausted everyone was. After the boat ride, we went to a mall close by, where many of us went to Bershka, a popular fast-fashion retail store in Spain. In the evening, we returned home and tried churros con chocolate, one of Spain’s most well-known desserts.

Day Six – February 21 (Weekend with the Host Families)

On the weekend, we followed our host families rather than a group schedule. My host family and I met up with a friend of my pen pals, and then we passed Casa Batlló, another famous structure designed by Antoni Gaudí. After, we split up from my pen pal’s friend, and my host family and I ate tapas in the Gothic Quarter. Then, I went to an Egyptian museum with my host family, and that was the last thing we did all together. In the evening, we met up with the group at a mall again, and we tried American food in Spain.

Day Seven – February 22 (Another Day with the Host Families)

My host family and I went up Mount Tibidado. There, we took pictures and got a nice view of all of Barcelona since it’s the highest point in the city. Later, my host family and I went to eat at a restaurant near the beach, where I ate croquetas and patatas bravas (if you ever go to Spain, I definitely recommend trying both of these foods). In the evening, we met up with the group again and went to another mall, where we visited an arcade and got ice cream.

Day Eight – February 23 (Trip to Madrid)

Everyone from EHS woke up early in the morning to travel to Madrid by train. As soon as we got to Madrid, the difference was notable. While Barcelona was more touristy and surrounded by beaches, Madrid was clearly the capital of Spain. Once we arrived, the first thing we did was drop off our things at the hotel, and then we walked through the streets of Madrid until we got to Plaza Mayor, where we stopped to eat and shop nearby. Afterwards, we all went back to the hotel and got ready for a flamenco show. The show was very captivating as it involved sound and sharp movements, and the experience helped us understand more about Spanish dance culture. Lastly, we went to dinner after watching the passionate flamenco show. For me, this was probably the most memorable meal we shared as the group was all laughing and enjoying a meal in the beautiful city of Madrid.

Day Nine – February 24 (Exploring Madrid)

This morning we had breakfast at the hotel before heading to the Las Ventas bull-ring for a tour. We learned all about the history of bullfighting, how it works, and its role in Spanish culture. After the tour, we had free time to walk around a park with various statues and fountains. After enjoying some sun, we started making our way to the hotel, only stopping to get food for the train ride back to Barcelona.

Day Ten – February 25 (School Day and Closing Dinner)

Today, we followed our pen pals to their classes at SAFA to experience their typical day in school. To me, the most interesting thing was the differences in their schedule and ours. For example, they have block scheduling. Their classes were long, but they had a different schedule every day. After the school day was over, I hung out with my pen pal, Daniela, and a few of her friends before going back to SAFA for the closing ceremony. For the ceremony, we were presented with shirts and certificates by our pen pals.

We watched a nostalgic recap video of our trip before grabbing something to eat. Ultimately, we enjoyed our last real moments together. After leaving the school, we walked around the streets of Spain and sang songs, trying to forget the difficult goodbye that awaited us tomorrow.

Day Eleven – February 26 (Returning Home)

Today, we said goodbye to our pen pals and their families before leaving for the airport. It was sad to leave after spending so much time together and becoming a part of their daily lives. We drove cars to the airport and flew back home to EHS, where the snow awaited our return.

The exchange program was more than a trip; it was an opportunity to experience a new culture firsthand and step outside of our comfort zones. This experience has shown us how different and how similar people’s lives can be from across the world. Now, we are left with new perspectives, friendships, and memories that will last a lifetime, shaping the way we see others and ourselves.