Delanie Tasto: Blog Post #2

It has officially been three weeks since I arrived in Barcelona!! Since then, I have traveled to Chamonix, France, London, and Monserrat! I could not be happier with the decision I have made to come abroad and with the lifelong lessons I am learning. This experience will reward me for the rest of my life, and I am ecstatic about this process of personal growth!

Since arriving in Barcelona, I have settled into my classes & home quite well! I love all of my teachers, and the classroom environment is unique, as the teachers love to engage and learn from us. My cognitive & abnormal psychology classes are definitely my favorite! It’s fascinating to tie in my psychology background with my biology background. I love my health psychology class; we constantly discuss the mind-body connection. I leaped to take Spanish while I am here as well, which has already proved to assist me within the culture in Spain. I have been taking care of my mental health while working out here in Barcelona. Their Pilates & yoga classes challenge me as most are in Spanish. However, I leave riding a high for an hour due to the intensity of the workouts. I would recommend to all the students studying abroad who are struggling with their mental health to work on their breathwork/meditation and try and complete at least two workout classes/week! This has changed the game for my mental health during all these changes! I cannot wait to keep trying classes & expanding my knowledge of health & wellness.

I am so excited to say that I have had a fantastic opportunity to do research in Switzerland with VIR while I am out here! I cannot wait for March to come to be able to share the amazing experiences that this will reward with my career aspirations and trajectory!

I hope that every person who is curious about traveling abroad finds the courage to take the leap. It is truly an unforgettable experience, and I already don’t want it to end!