Today was our last day in Bilbao. I am so sad to be leaving, because I had such a great time. We started off our day with our last tours and presentations in the engineering building. We toured a lab where they make electric guitars. That was super interesting because I never thought about all of the steps that go into making an electric guitar. We also got to see Meli and Dr. Abramowitch demonstrate their guitar skills, which was super fun.

We also got to visit a club that is making a prosthetic arm. The exchange student headed to Pitt, Leiree, was on the team. They showed us the development process and current prototypes for the prosthetic arm. It was super cool to meet other female bioengineers and learn about their experiences and projects.

Afterwards we had our final wrap up meeting of the program. It was sad, but it was good to reflect on the trip and experiences we had. I got to share all of my good memories and feedback I have. It was also interesting to hear what everyone’s favorite, or most impactful experiences were.

In the afternoon we headed to the Hanging Bridge. I had never seen any bridge like that, it was a really fascinating design. The bridge was built like that so that tall ships could pass underneath it, while still being used as a functional bridge to cross the river. It is one of the few remaining functional hanging bridges left in the world. We got to take a elevator to the top and walk all the way across the bridge.

Our final activity was our goodbye dinner. It was bittersweet, but so much fun to have everyone together one last time. The food was delicious and the views were nice. Although it was pouring rain and storming during the dinner, the beach was still beautiful. Overall it was a great last activity and a great end to the program. I genuinely had a blast during this program and learned so much. I can’t wait to travel again or study abroad somewhere else.