I spent 7 weeks volunteering at the Eco-Friendly Hostel Internship in Barcelona. I have only been home for a few days, and I am already missing Barcelona and the hostel. It was one of the best summers I have ever had, largely thanks to the staff, the guests, and being able to get to know Barcelona.
The days at the Eco-Friendly Hospitality Internship consisted of either serving breakfast, bartending, or “activities” days (going anywhere around Barcelona with guests). Working breakfast meant early mornings, but waking up early was the only part of the internship’s duties that felt like work. Working the bar was great for getting to know the guests, and activities days were always easily accomplished as I was constantly hanging out with guests regardless of being scheduled for activities or not.
Barcelona is amazing, but it was also the people that I was fortunate enough to meet along the way that made this trip so great. I picked pictures of a few fun memories starting with a day when some friends and I rented scooters and explored the neighboring beach town of Castelldefels.
Every night there’s a pub crawl that leaves from the hostel. The pub crawl is great for bringing guests together, and never failed to be an interesting experience. If nothing else, the pub crawl always presents an opportunity for entertaining people watching.
Another one of my favorite days was spent venturing to Montserrat, a famous monastery about an hour’s train ride out of Barcelona. The mountains surrounding the monastery are beautiful and really fun for hiking.
Antonio Gaudi’s works dominate the tourist attraction scene in Barcelona, and among his different sites is Parc Guell. I went to Parc Guell with guests relatively early on in my time in Barcelona, but it remained a favorite site throughout the entire trip.
Beyond the tourist attractions, Barcelona culture is felt and seen throughout the city. One day while I was wandering around the Gothic neighborhood I stumbled upon live music and dancing right outside the Cathedral.Barcelona is beautiful, and there are several different locations to get great views of the city. My favorite place to lookout over the city is Bunkers del Carmel. From the top of Bunkers one can see the entire city, the sea and the mountains.
I am so lucky to have had this experience. Leaving Barcelona I have a much greater sense of independence and a newfound awareness of the sheer amount of different places and cultures the world has to offer. I have never had a stronger appetite to travel, and credit my time in Barcelona to opening my eyes to the fascinating world of travel.
