The last one :'(

Well, it finally happened. Granada is officially a thing of the past. I don’t think the shock has really hit me yet. The past 24ish hours of a packing/trip planning/studying frenzy have left me a little emotionally drained, and I’m having some trouble processing what’s really going on. That said, it’s probably better that I don’t get all sappy and gross while trying to write this blog post, so we’ll take my stunned inability to cope as a positive. Here are my top 3 do’s and don’ts:

Do…

-know that Malaga is farther away than you think and there are only so many busses that go back and forth from there to Granada a day. For example, you can’t book a 9:30 AM flight out of Malaga thinking you can leave that morning.

-be adventurous. Try all the food, pretend you’re Spanish and hang out in a plaza people watching, explore without a plan (even if the walk is uphill), etc.

-engage with your host family. You don’t have to apologize for your bad Spanish, just make an effort to improve. They will be one of your best resources for practicing and chances are they will be absolutely lovely.

-BONUS! Off that last tip, practice a little before you arrive. Seriously. It will certainly make the transition easier, but it will also make the class at least a bit easier, and technically that’s why you’re here in the first place.

Don’t…

-pack three full suitcases. Some crazy person told us to pack enough clothes for two or three weeks before we left, so obviously I went overboard. To be fair one was a carry on but it’s still a pain to deal with.

-try to figure out what it will be like before you get there. It’s so much more exciting to be surprised. Obviously there are differences, but it doesn’t take that much mental preparation. Just be flexible.

-get too wrapped up in just class. If you make good friends they’ll force you to do some exploring, but for heaven’s sake don’t be an aguafiesta (yes it’s a real word and once you’ve learned it you’ll never forget it)! You’re taking an accelerated Spanish course in Spain, not in Ann Arbor. Take advantage of that.