Stay in a hostel--you won't regret it.

Traveling on a budget is easy in Europe and in my opinion it's the better way. A simple way to save a lot money is to stay in a hostel instead of a hotel. They cost 1/2 or 1/3 as much, and while you give up a little comfort you can almost always gain a few friends. Case in point:
The two guys that look like identical twins are in fact only brothers and one of them is a student staying in Dublin. The Sierra Nevada sweatshirt is a dead giveaway...they are of course 100% Californian. The two behind me are American volunteers in the Peace Corps. They have been living in Romania for something like a year, but I think they've had the education of a lifetime.

You think maybe we should branch out and talk to people from other countries, maybe stop looking in the mirror all the time. Truth is, after swimming nonstop in a sea of people so different from you--and Americans ARE different--it feels damn good to sit down and talk to someone who all of a sudden has a lot in common with you.

It is hard to imagine just how much you can learn by simply exchanging stories about your travel adventures over a few pints of beer. Traveling in a foreign country is instant sensory overload and often it doesn't sink in until you break it down to anecdotes and jokes. Even better, this one night out could turn into much more: if I ever find myself in Sibiu or Dublin I have a tour guide and a place to sleep only an email away. A perfect way to end my stay in Barcelona!