For Postcards from Abroad we travel to Barcelona, Spain, where Jordan Cimring of the men's soccer team is studying. He is a double major in economics and finance and has been enjoying his time overseas along with his twin brother, Zach Cimring.

What made you want to study abroad?
I have always enjoyed traveling and seeing new places. I especially like learning about other cultures because I think it helps you become more well-rounded as a person. I chose to study abroad because I wanted to try to become fluent in the language, but I also wanted to have a new experience. I wanted to meet new people from all over the country to see the European lifestyle.

I have been to Barcelona twice before so I knew it was the place I wanted to go because of how much I enjoy the city. But I think just being able to speak the language and learn new things has really been the reason. Many people may not realize but each day is something new and exciting when you're abroad. The excitement and sometimes anxiety has been rewarding; it has provided a great learning experience.

What classes are you taking? Which class is your favorite?
I am taking Business of Sport in Europe - a class all about how sport federations such as FIFA make money and their purpose for carrying out certain actions. One question we talk about a lot is whether these actions are for the people/fans or for the business. The next class I'm taking is Organizational Behavior - A psychological Approach to the European Context. In this class we explore difficult questions about politics, social issues, and human rights. In International Finance, some topics we've looked at are exchange rates, parity conditions, balance of payments and foreign exchange markets. The fifth and final class I'm taking is The City as a Place to Live - The Barcelona Experience. In this class we analyze European cities and look at architecture, public spaces and what makes a city livable. We analyze what makes them effective, fun and beautiful.

My favorite class is International Finance, because being a finance major it is great to see my international professor's perspective on global finance He is a financial planner in Spain and he always gives us his insights. Although the material is the same, it is very interesting to hear his stories in a global context. I am also torn with saying Organizational Behavior because it makes me think about questions that are difficult to talk about. This class is heavily discussion-based, so we spend a lot of time exploring issues like race, gender and politics, and it's interesting to take these difficult topics and be able to discuss them.

Have you been able to travel at all yet?
Traveling has been a huge part of my experience thus far. The first weekend we planned a trip to Valencia. The weekend after, our school took us to Tarragona, one of the oldest Roman cities in Spain. We then went to Switzerland and visited Geneva, Zürich and Interlaken. Interlaken was absolutely beautiful. The mountains were stunning and it looked like a screensaver everywhere I looked. After, we went to Paris and went sightseeing. Then, we traveled to Copenhagen, which I absolutely loved. I found the city so fascinating and we even took a day trip to Sweden which was very cool. I plan on traveling to Amsterdam, Berlin and Frankfurt, Vienna, Malaga and England coming up.

How have you been training for soccer while abroad?
We were invited to train with one of the five founding members of La Liga, the Spanish professional soccer league. They are called CE Europa. We attended around eight practices. We practiced with their second team at the stadium so it was a really great experience both culturally and for soccer. The team actually played FC Barcelona in the Copa de Catalunya.

Furthermore, I have been running a lot here. We joined a gym because the cars are reckless, but we also ran a half marathon on February 10. The marathon is extremely famous in Spain; it's called the Mitja Marato Barcelona. There were about 19,000 participants from over 100 countries. I ended 3,162/19,000 with a time of 1:35:34. We have another half marathon planned in Malaga. Through running we have been able to see new parts of the city and countries we are able to travel to.

What is your favorite part about being overseas?
My favorite part about being overseas is being immersed in the culture. I love going to cafes and talking to locals. Additionally, having home cooked meals with my homestay host has been incredible because we talk only in Spanish. I enjoy living on my own: I think it has helped me grow as a person by being able to explore and try new things. 

I enjoy the foods here. My favorite is paella, which my host makes for us. I also like tortilla de patatas, eggs with potatoes and of course jamón serrano and tomato bread. I absolutely love all the pastries they have here and my favorite thing is probably the coffee. I find it so relaxing to sit at a cafe for an hour and get a croissant con chocolate and cortado or café con leche.

What do you miss most about Muhlenberg?
I miss my friends, the professors and the culture at Muhlenberg. Our school here is full of students from big schools so it has been awesome getting to know them and exploring with them; however, I do miss having that closeknit community that Muhlenberg has. I miss eating with all my friends and just relaxing with them.

Previous "Postcards"
Madison Forrest, Volleyball (Switzerland)