What It Feels Like to Move Abroad

Hey, I'm Palomi! I grew up in the vibrant chaos of Mumbai and moved to the United States for my undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts. In my junior year, I took another leap, studying abroad in Barcelona. You can tell that I have moved around a lot. However, each of those moves shaped me in different ways, and this is my story about Barcelona. 

What It Feels Like to Move Abroad: The three-day life switch 

People usually describe studying abroad with highlights such as weekend trips, delicious “grub”, and Instagram-worthy moments. While all of that is true, the in-between moments often get overlooked. The day before you leave, the long travel day itself, and that first day in a new country. Those three moments are when everything feels most raw, vulnerable, and real.

The Day Before Leaving

The day before moving abroad feels like standing in two worlds simultaneously. Half of me was still in Mumbai finishing up last-minute packing, spending time with my big family, and sharing goodbyes. The other half was already in Barcelona, excited to embark on this new journey. Packing was unexpectedly emotional because each time I folded a shirt or chose which shoes to bring, I thought about how they’d be reinterpreted. The clothes I selected felt more than fabric; they seemed like fragments of identity I was choosing to carry into a new place. Then came the heaviness of goodbyes. Having already moved once, from Mumbai to Amherst, I had come to understand the weight of distance. Saying goodbye to friends wasn’t dramatic, but more like a quiet acknowledgment that the next time we’d sit together in our favorite cafe wouldn’t be for months. There’s a strange feeling in realizing that the world you’re leaving behind will go on without you, and you’ll be building an entirely new one elsewhere for yourself.

The Day of Travel

Travel days are a blur in time with busy airports and changing time zones. The moment I rolled my carry-on on the aerobridge, it hit me that I was actually going. My emotions were magnified as several people surrounded me, each at the start or end of their own journeys. On the flight, excitement and anxiety wrestled with each other. I tried to picture what my room in Barcelona would look like, how my classes would be structured, and how I’d introduce myself to new friends. Of course, I also wondered how I would prevent being pickpocketed. At the same time, a voice in the back of my head whispered, “What if you don’t adjust? What if you get homesick?” The hours sitting on the plane felt endless, but also like a necessary cocoon before transformation.

The First Day There

Arrival always feels surreal. I stepped out of the airport into Barcelona’s crisp air and immediately knew my life was about to have a plot twist. That first day was a mix of awe and disorientation. Jet lag made time feel elastic, but adrenaline kept me going. Navigating the city (with the help of CIS site directors, of course), figuring out the metro, checking into student housing, and grabbing my first meal felt like small victories.

The cultural differences appeared in subtle ways. People lingered longer over meals, streets buzzed with life even on weeknights, and I quickly realized that I would have to be flexible with my schedule, which was both humbling and exhilarating. That evening, I wandered around Plaza Catalunya (the center of Barcelona) just to soak it all in. I remember stopping in the middle of a street, thinking that this wasn’t just a trip. This was home, at least for the next few months.

Moving abroad is never just about geography; it’s about identity, vulnerability, and possibility. The day before leaving, you carry the weight of what you’re leaving behind. The travel day stretches your patience and imagination, and the first day in a new city reminds you why you leaped in the first place.

Blog by Palomi Kotadia, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Interested in studying abroad in Barcelona? Check out available programs here!