Hannah Hubbard

Hannah Hubbard

AIFS Programs: Barcelona, Spain and Rome, Italy

¡Hola todos! My name is Hannah and I’m a senior at the University of St. Thomas where I’m studying International Business and Spanish. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to western Europe, where along the way I visited the city of Barcelona, Spain. To make a long story brief, I fell head-over-heels in love with this city. I set my heart on returning back to Barcelona in the near future, and this past spring semester I was blessed to be able to do so for my study-abroad experience. Immersing myself into both the Spanish and Catalan cultures, as well as utilizing my Spanish speaking capabilities, was an incredible experience to say the least. Eating endless tapas in the Gothic Quarter, beach days, shopping in Las Ramblas, hiking, and weekend trips abroad were just a few of the many activities that I participated in during my free time abroad. My semester abroad in Barcelona helped to open up my eyes to the incredibly diverse world in which we live. Traveling the world is a life-changing experience like no other. I’ve learned to enjoy every single moment in life, both the big and little; that a backpack, passport, and your best friends are all it takes to have a life-changing adventure; and most importantly, I learned the value of friendship. It’s not about how long you’ve known someone that makes them a true friend, but it’s the memories shared between them that do. I owe my amazing semester to the AIFS Barcelona staff, who made it the truly incredible journey that it was. Their endless love, kindness, compassion and support towards me helped to shape my experience into a truly incredible one. I’m so thankful that I can call not only Minnesota my home, but Barcelona as well. For these reasons, along with many others, I’m super excited to be an AIFS Alumni Ambassador, and to help encourage and excite perspective students to take advantage of this truly amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Barcelona, ¡tienes mi corazón para siempre!