Barcelona: A city moving on

I took some time out from different hours of the day to explore the neighborhood where I live in Sant Antoni, known for currently becoming one of the trendiest "barrios" in Barcelona. To look more closely is to see the movements that change the city.

There's the obvious movement in the city - the cars, the people. In Sant Antoni, particularly we also have the movement of strollers, suitcases, scooters, and shopping carts in motion at all times of the day. Businesses have been moving ever since the start of Covid. Some are moving out while others are moving in, shaping a new neighborhood. And there's the inevitable movement forward - the progress of time, seasons. And lately, we've been more conscious about making space - moving over, on the buses and in the shops, to avoid getting too close.

Occasionally, we witness more unique types of movements, acts of deliberate expression - the dancers, fighters, and beggars.

Sant Antoni is going through a rapid transformation right now. And for me, the constant change and movement are really characteristic of Barcelona. Sometimes we don't feel the changes. We move too fast to notice that they're happening. But what I really felt during my analysis was that the city, whether it is aware or not, is really trying to move on with or from the changes... Shit happens, whether in life or on the street. And we move on, keeping walking. We move on to let go, be free. We, as a student body at Elisava, have been moving on, carrying on, adapting to the situation. And I myself wonder how much longer I will be here until I need a change and move on as well.