What to Know if You’re Studying Abroad in Granada: My Goodbye Blog

 

Today I packed up my room. Today I walked down Calle San Anton and Recogidas and Puentezuelas for the last time.  Today I said goodbye to the city that’s become my home.

I’ve been reflecting back on how much of a whirlwind this semester really was.  I’ve seen so much, I’ve done so much, and most importantly, I’ve learned so much.  I’ve learned so much about myself and who I want to be and how I can handle situations on my own and in foreign countries and without being able to speak the native language, and those are skills you can only acquire by traveling for an extended period of time.

That being said, I want to share these things I’ve learned with people who are not only going to study in Granada, but visit Granada in general.  I think these are all some pretty good tips for someone planning on visiting the city that was voted the most beautiful in Spain (according to an ambiguous Facebook source, of course).

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CINQUE TERRE

4 hikes. 5 towns. 8 people. 1 weekend.

This is the story of when we hiked Cinque Terre.

What am I Thankful For?

Back in the U.S., families everywhere are preparing for Thanksgiving and family gatherings and stuffing themselves full… And I’m across the world (not a bad deal).  Tomorrow, instead of sitting around the dinner table with my family, I’ll be heading to the airport, off on my next great adventure.  I’ve got so much to be thankful for, as it seems like the last 3 months have been a dream.

Playing With the Monkeys in Gibraltar!

Want to hear about the most amazing 5 hours of my life?  It starts with a rickety caravan, makes its way to a giant cavernous amphitheater, and ends with a pack of monkeys jumping from tree to tree, over our vans, trying to open the car doors because they could smell our food.

And it.

Was.

Awesome.

Mi Amor Sevilla

You can’t spend a semester in Andalucía without visiting the capital of Sevilla, which luckily we got to do with our program!  So a few weeks back, I got to spend a weekend in Sevilla and get a brief look at all the highlights of this Andalusian capital.

I’m so lucky to live in Spain, I think of that every single day. Every single city I go to is amazing, from Barcelona to Granada and everywhere in between, I can’t believe I’m over halfway done with my semester.

3 Hours in Córdoba

Córdoba is one of those cities that is absolutely bathed in history, from the walkways to the buildings to the bridges to the view of the city, you can feel just how old Córdoba is. Any Game of Thrones enthusiasts will like the fact that there are some scenes of the show filmed here, and any history enthusiast will appreciate the fact that the whole city of Córdoba is actually a UNESCO world heritage site, preserving it’s historical value.

Spanish National Cycling Day

When I was told we were going on a bike tour through Madrid’s city center, my thought was “lol… no…” Riding a bike through the capital of Spain in the middle of the day seemed like a death wish for someone who hasn’t ridden a bike in 6 years.

Until I found out it was National Cycling Day in Spain.

Which meant that there were no cars allowed to drive through city center.

Major. Game. Changer.

The Homesick Blues

This week was hard, I’m not even going to lie.  Granada is as beautiful as ever, I’m learning more and more every day, but that doesn’t mean every day is going to be the best day ever.

Up until this week, I hadn’t really spent a lot of time pining over home or missing anything in particular. But, while we all have bad days and bad weeks, the best way to get over it is to create a positive mindset.

In all honesty, I am still in my funk and I hope writing this gets me out of it, but I’ll let you know!

Study Abroad Pros & Cons: What I’ve Learned in my First week

Studying abroad is an amazing privilege, one that less than 10 percent of U.S. college students actually take advantage of.  The opportunity to get college credit in a foreign country, learn a new language, and immerse myself in a new and different culture was an opportunity I knew I couldn’t pass up.

That being said, there are pros and cons to anything you do, at any point in your life.  So here’s a list of the Pros and Cons I’ve experienced in the week I’ve spent in Granada, España.

The College Application Timeline

As incoming college freshmen are packing up their childhood rooms and heading off to the great adventure that is their first year of college, high school seniors are embarking on an adventure of their own: college applications.

My own little sister is starting this process herself, and since I didn’t have anyone around to tell me how  to go about the application process, I thought I’d make a general timeline of what you should do to apply for college throughout the fall.

Applying for college can be overwhelming, that’s why it’s better to spread everything out and DO NOT PROCRASTINATE.  You don’t want to be writing an essay at 11:51 p.m. when your application is due at midnight. If you manage your time well, you can get all your applications done while still having an unforgettable senior year.