CGISGRANADA2015: What I have learned from Spain...

My 6 weeks in Granada, Spain have flown by faster than I could have ever imagined. And in that 6 weeks I think I have discovered things that I could have only learned in Spain. My experience here was one I will never forget for the memories, first time adventures, and family that Spain gave me. My study abroad experience has enriched my education to an extent that I will never be able to grasp, but I know that it was completely worth it and I encourage all students to take the opportunity to visit, travel, or live abroad!

Here are a few of my recommendations of DO's and DONT's to traveling abroad, especially here in Granada:

DO #1: Take advantage of living in a Spanish speaking country to speak Spanish with EVERYONE
From the moment I landed in Spain and my host mom picked me up until now, I have learned a great deal of Spanish purely from talking to my host family and the people of Granada that I come across everyday. Admittedly, it is difficult at times to understand what my host mom tells me, but they understand that I am learning, and I have found it to always be better just to ask when I am unsure! I appreciate their patience so much, especially when I talk super slowly or when I ask a million questions about what certain words mean. But this is just part of the whole immersion experience and messing up at first just helps the learning process. It is important to never get frustrated during your journey to understanding - just practice, practice, practice!

DO #2: Spend time with your host family
My 6 weeks in Granada would not have been the same without my host family, whom I can only describe with kind words. My host family consists of my host mom, Lola and her youngest daughter, María, who lives with her. Often, Lola's granddaughter (her eldest daughter's daughter), also named Lola, comes to visit, and all of us together truly feels like a family - my Spanish family away from home. With everything I do, my family here is so supportive of me. To my mom, I am her "niña Americana," and honestly, to me, she is my "mamá española" - I couldn't have asked for a better mom to take the role of my own mother while I am in a different country. Her love for me is always felt and her support for me is noticeable. However, I think the reason that I am so close to my host family is because I took the time to truly become a member of the family. At every meal (except breakfast) I am constantly conversing with my family about their days or about their lives in general. And in return, I tell my family about my life in America. Although we live very different lives, my host family and I have become part of the same family - a family that is rooted in the exchange of values, culture, and affection. At home, my family is a huge part of my life, and here in Spain, family is a huge value of Spanish culture. I am so grateful for my family experience in Spain because if it were not for my host family, I don't think I would have been able to be so comfortable in a foreign city for 6 weeks.

My host mom Lola, her granddaughter Lolita, and me at Lolita's end of the school year "fiesta."
It is important to get involved in the family life of your host family so you can make your own stay more comfortable, but also build lasting relationships!

Do #3: Travel everywhere you can
Being in a European country, I have access to many other countries because they are so close by. However, while in Granada, I think I enjoyed just exploring different parts of Spain itself. My second weekend in Spain, I travelled to Nerja beach, and it was honestly one of the most relaxing days I have had here in Spain. The beach was beautiful, the views were amazing, and the weather was perfect. Not to mention that it was a Spanish beach and very different from the beaches in the United States! During the Corpus Cristi holiday in Granada, Izabella and I went to Barcelona for four days, and it was one of the best weekends of my life. Although I admit I was a bit nervous traveling through Europe just the two of us alone and also trying to make our way around the big city, I enjoyed our spontaneous adventures and the opportunity to try different foods. Barcelona has a culture that is distinct from that of Southern Spain and Granada, and it was a more meaningful experience to learn about it through my own discovery. Additionally, CEA has weekend excursions to cities in Southern Spain as well that I HIGHLY recommend. Visiting Sevilla, Córdoba, and the Alpujarras were experiences that I appreciated for the amount of culture I was exposed to through the local architecture, local people, and the tour guides that CEA had arranged for us. I feel like I know so much more about Spain just by traveling around during my free time; to me, travel can be one of the greatest forms of education and discovery.

Me in Nerja

Nerja with amigas

Barcelona and Parc Güell with Iza

Alpujarras hike with Sam

Alpujarras selfie with Nat

DONT #1: Don't be a "guiri"

"Guiri" is a term that Granadinos use to describe the "foreigner" who clearly looks like a tourist because of how they dress, how they act (aka do you own a selfie stick), or how they talk (loud and American?). So my big advice is to NOT ACT LIKE A GUIRI/TOURIST. Try to fit in with the locals! Try new things, be respectful, be aware! One major aspect that differentiates guiris from locals is the way they dress. In Spain, people always look put together - their hair is perfect, outfit is perfectly assembled, perfume/cologne smells fantastic, and they look confident. My first couple of weeks in Granada, I raided Zara not only for cute new clothes but also to see what the Spanish "style" really was like. I think it is important to be aware of your surroundings and let go of your native culture a bit just to completely absorb the new culture! No one in Spain wears athletic clothing, tennis shoes, leggings, etc. in public - that is a clear sign of a guiri. Instead, pull out your nicer clothes - not necessarily "formal" clothing, but wear dresses, cute heels or sandals, slacks and loafers, etc. Try out the local fashion for a bit!

#tbt in our finest at a flamenco show

DONT #2: Don't forget your academic obligations

This program is technically a 6 week INTENSIVE Spanish class. Intensive is used for a reason - this class has a high work load and is very demanding academic and learning wise. Often, it can be difficult to balance the work load while making friends/hanging out with friends and experiencing Spain at the same time. I highly recommend getting your homework done right away - don't delay anything! Procrastination especially here is a BAD idea. Everyone wants to hang out later at night, but if you haven't finished your homework - you wont be able to go and thus miss out on time with your friends. Trust me, this has happened to me many times. I have often procrastinated to the extent that I miss out on plans with friends and sleep at a late hour also. NOT FUN.

Find fun places to do homework! Like at a cute coffee shop

DONT #3: Don't forget to enjoy every single moment because it'll be over before you know it

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

6 weeks of living in Spain has gone by in the blink of an eye. I can't say that I regret anything, however, looking back, I wished that I had enjoyed every little thing that I experienced here in Spain. My first week here, I was aware of EVERYTHING because it was all so new to me. But when I established my routine, I wasn't as conscious of my surroundings. For this reason, I recommend that anyone who travels abroad remembers to enjoy everything about their trip. Whether it is the food your host mom cooks for lunch, or the taste of Cola Cao in cereal, the trip to Barcelona, or a walk in the Albaicín with friends, REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE. Being in Spain, I have definitely appreciated many aspects of my life that I did not notice or took for granted earlier. I love Spain. I love everything about it, and I think this is because I chose to truly live EVERYTHING Spain. I was always cognizant of my opportunities to be in a foreign country, living, studying, and experiencing - and this fact allowed me to be grateful for the experience of this 6 week program.