Omid S.: My First Two Weeks in Barcelona.

I can scarcely believe I’ve spent two weeks in Barcelona. Looking back, everything seems to have gone by so fast. I still remember waking up at 3:45 a.m. to catch my flight from Salzburg. Just a few hours after landing, I was already at the AC Hotel Sants for my first day. Thankfully, I didn’t have to start working right away. Instead, I took a tour of the hotel, met my colleagues, and gradually settled into my modern job.

Since then, my weekdays have found a nice routine. I work at the office of the hotel, where I support the team with administrative tasks, welcome guests and help them with recommendations for sightseeing tours and sometimes help at the reception. Each day brings something a little different, making the job both interesting and enjoyable. The best part of the day normally starts after work. Alternatively of heading home, I enjoy exploring another part of Barcelona. Some afternoons, I end up at the beach, where I've spent hours swimming or playing beach volleyball with locals I’ve never met before. On different days, I rent an e-bike and ride on the coast toward Barceloneta.

While exploring the city, I also visited renowned sites like Casa Batlló, Plaça de Catalunya, and the Casa Milà. Although I couldn't go inside the Casa Batlló & Casa Milà because the lines were incredibly long, seeing these buildings in person was still impressive.

As someone who has loved football since I was about three or four years old, watching matches in Barcelona has unquestionably been a highlight. Whether it was a local evening game or Spain's World Cup matches, the atmosphere was unique. We often watched the games together in the cinema of our student residence, but sometimes we joined the crowds in the city. Those evenings weren't just about football. They were also a enthusiastic way to meet people from England, France, Colombia, Chile and of course Spain.

So far, I'm really enjoying my time in Barcelona and I'm looking forward to the next few weeks.