Favorite Moment in History

My favorite moment in history that I have experienced within my lifetime is an event that is still ongoing. This past Spring I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad for 4 months in the beautiful city of Barcelona. There, I experienced the Catalan Independence Movement. Many people are unaware of this movement but it is actually very significant right now. The Catalans are a subculture in Barcelona, who are seeking Independence. Although there are several groups of people seeking independence in various places of the world, this movement is becoming very large and is the topic of debate in Spain right now. While abroad, I witnessed the several protests taking place in the streets with hundreds and even thousands of Catalonians. I witnessed Catalan holidays such as Sant Jordi and even indulged in Catalan cuisine.

 The Catalan movement has been progressing since the end on Francisco Franco's rein where he suppressed the Catalans from expressing their culture. Catalonia in short, is Barcelona and its surrounding area. It has its own language, flag, culture, food and traditions. Catalans have their own government and are fighting to be independent because their culture is very different from the Spaniard's. Other parts of Spain are against Catalonia becoming independent because Barcelona is one of the central sources of money for the country. It is a very complex debate. The famous rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona is further driven by this underlying tension between the two cities.
It was very exciting to experience history as it is unraveling. Perhaps in years to come, this time period will be read about in text books.