An Unforgettable Experience

Its so hard to believe that in just a day I'll be leaving Granada.  After spending six weeks here I feel so attached to this place.  Simple things like getting tapas in front of the Catedral, a cafe next to Rio Genil, or exploring the Albazycin have all really ingrained this city into my memories.  Not to mention all the crazy fun nights out with all my classmates to the discotecas or for tapas.  Its been really fun.  I think I'll take away a better appreciation for Spanish culture and a greater understanding of its history and significance as well as a way better ability to speak and understand Spanish. In addition to some great relationships with all the people in my class.  I'll also have a much better understanding of different lifestyles and how a community functions.  It was really pleasant to see the greater sense of community I feel Spain has, to actually see how that functions, and to exist within it.  I loved all the communal public spaces where literally everyone was.  People of all ages together outside and interacting.  It was nice.

Now as for some crucial (or maybe just helpful) advice about Granada and your study abroad experience
Do's:

• Do try everything that you possibly can.
•   This is amazing opportunity and its no time to be picky.  Plus the food here is great!

• Take sometime to do some solitary exploring.  
• While being with people is always fun, theres something to be said about alone time in a foreign country.  You're able to give your full attention to your surroundings and do exactly what you want to do.  

• Take time to document your experience
• While photos are always an excellent idea, writing can really reveal what you were thinking at a certain time and how that evolved.  

• Try so spend as much time as you can outside
• Too often I felt I was inside studying to much or deciding to stay in and relax, but I'd recommend spending as much time as you can out in the city
• Excercise!  
• Whether its running next to the river or working out at the gym, exercising will really help with any time of stress you maybe experiencing 
• Be involved as much as you can with your classmates
• You'll make great relationships and form some unforgettable memories

Don'ts:

• Don't always go to the same restaurant or  tapas bar 
• This city is literally FILLED with tapas bar and with some research you can really find the gems.  Relying on convenience to choose a place or falling too easily into a routine is a really bad reason to not explore everything Granada has to offer.
• Don't Bring a giant suitcase if you're planning to travel after the program
• This is something I'm currently experiencing and hefty fees it includes for not traveling light and small
• Don't stress about class too much
• Yes,  I know its an 8 credit course in 6 weeks but remember where you are and don't spend all you're time doing or being preoccupied with homework when there's a beautiful city around you
• Don't forget to be appreciative for each moment
• There maybe times when its sweltering and all you want to do is sit inside, but push past it and realize what an amazing experience this is.  It truly is something you'll never forget.   

Buena Suerte!  I know you'll have the best time of your life 

Hasta Luego!

-Mat

La Mejor Expriencia De Mi Vida

When I say my time here in Granada has been the best time of my life, I truly mean it. I was extremely nervous coming to Spain because I didn't know anyone and I've never been away from home for this long. Although I'm excited to see my family, dogs, and friends, I am not ready to leave!

My experience has been amazing and here is a list if things future students should and shouldn't do:

DO's:
- Spend as much time with your host family as possible! You should build a relationship with them that you'll keep forever. My family is awesome and I hope to maintain contact with them for the rest of my life!
- Talk in Spanish as much as you can. When you first arrive, you won't know that much Spanish but that is why you are going to Granada. Your family are going to work with you and don't be afraid to mess up and say something stupid. You are only going to get better if you continue to practice and try talking. Additionally, your families can teach you so much that you cannot learn inside of a class room.
- Walk around the city as much as you can without a plan. Some of my best experience were when I decided to just walk around with my friends and take random turns. You'll find so many cool places, including the park we found with this AMAZING teeter totter :) The teeter totter is located near a park by the river and there is one in Park Garcia Lorca (there is also a two story tube slide and zip line in the park)!
- Get a gym membership at YO10 and take Zumba classes with your classmates. This was something we did and it was a blast! I never did Zumba before this trip and I absolutely fell in love with it.
- Go to the beach one weekend with the whole class. I personally liked Nerja better, but Malaga is great too. 11 of us spent the night in Nerja and it was one of my favorite memories staying up all night with my best friends!
- Try to get to know some local Spaniards. Not only can you practice your Spanish, but they can give you the ins and outs of what you should do. I would recommend going to a botellón and getting that cultural experience as well.

DON'Ts:
- Don't say inside of your comfort zone. Spain is the perfect time to adventure out and try new things. I tried so many new foods and fell in love with them! I was a very picky eater before I came and now I'll almost try anything!
- Don't spend all of your free time studying. Yes school is important, but you will get more out of your experience if you go out and have adventures. You will actually be surprised how much more you learn when you are out on an adventure. Make sure when you do study, study with your friends. As crazy as it might sound, after only 3 days all of us became best friends and you will be really upset if you don't take the time to get your classmates.
- Don't go to the same tapa place everyday. Granada is filled with tons of tapa restaurants and I would recommend to go to as many as possible.
- Don't spend your weekends traveling. Before coming to Granada, I thought I would want to travel around Europe during my trip. I am so happy I did not because if I did, I would have missed out on so much in Granada.

Until Next Time, España

¡Hola!

Our six weeks here is coming to a close, and in the past few days there has been a lot self reflection on my part. I've been thinking about how different this summer would have been if I didn't have this opportunity. I would have been working and taking classes, same old, same old. And my summer probably would have been far from memorable. Then I think about my family here, and my friends, and the city I've gotten to call my home for the past month. I honestly could write a novel-length post about my time here, but I'll try to keep it relatively short.

I was absolutely terrified to come here. I knew it would be well worth it, and probably the one of the best experiences of my life, but I was so scared to travel alone to a foreign country where I haven't studied the national language in over 2 years. I was quite relieved when I met up with the other students in the group at the airport, and actually felt safer. None of us really knew each other, nor have talked to each other, with the exception of one pre-trip dinner and some awkward facebook chat small talk. In all honesty, I was worried that the group wouldn't like me. 

I was also worried that my family wouldn't like me. We received an email telling us a wee bit about our family a few weeks before departure. I was assigned to a family with two teenage girls, and a 9-year old boy. What if they were all super close and exclusive? Upon arriving to Granada however, my family was more than welcoming! My host parents, sister, brother and I sat down in the family room and talked for a while, or more so I listened to them talk. We talked about my family, how the flights were, if I were jet-lagged, the whole shabang. I gave them a picture of my family, and individual gifts. My host family showed a ton of interest in what I had to say. I immediately felt welcome in their household and my fear of not fitting in was diminished in that short half hour.

Everyone in the class got along quite well too. We did just about everything together, with the exception of eating and sleeping. We explored the city, tried new tapa places, met each other's families, went shopping, spent the majority of each day together, and have stayed drama free, which I think is quite rare in large groups. These 14 other students have come to be some of my best friends in the past few weeks, and I know I can trust them with anything.

I can't really pinpoint a specific moment that shines over the others, because this entire trip has been spectacular. There are so many little things that have left a significant imprint on my memory. A lot of these will have absolutely meaning or importance to those reading this, but they resurface bits and pieces of my experience here.

-Crying the very first night with two girls I barely knew (my sisters and I watched a sad movie)

-Getting lost the very first time I tried walking home by myself (it was after a CEA event, and I was standing on the same road as my apartment, but didn't know it at the time and ended up taking a 45 minute stroll in a giant circle).

-Walking 30 minutes past the bar for office hours with Luna

-Going on the absurd teeter-totter for the first time with Ian, Arianna, Monica, and Dani

-Being overwhelmed by the crazy botellon

-Learning how to make Gazpacho with my host dad

-Singing karaoke in an empty Irish bar in Sevilla

-Justin teaching us self defense tips after we saw a man get mugged while we were studying outside (it ended up scaring us more)

-Watching futbol games at Krisis and the Sports Bar

-Pretending I understand futbol

-Making it to the front row of a free concert that ended up being provocative and inappropriate.

-Playing basketball with the kids at Ciudad de Niños

-Watching Justin teach Luna how to jerk

-NaeNae-ing with Lawqriqelle in a Spanish discoteca

-Winning over Lawqriqelle's heart (with some strategies from the Notebook)

-Climbing a giant rock in Nerja (it's more impressive than it sounds)

-Eating snails

-Chit chatting with Jorge during our tours

-Daniel telling me that rules are meant to be broken

-Watching the sun set with a fantastic view of the Alhambra

-Swimming about a mile out to a buoy in the Mediterranean Sea 

-Walking an absurdly long distance to go to "the club in the mountain"

-Watching Malificent in Spanish

-Being remembered as the cranky girl if I don't get my coffee

-Crazy pants exam days (that almost happened once)

-So. Much. Gelato. 

-Staying up all night with Lia and Patrick after experiencing Mae West

-La Feria and the rest of Corpus Christi

-Getting yelled at for lying in flowers

-My friends picking up and the stupid phrases and habits I use on the daily

-Zumba classes with the Zumba Team (the first class was ROUGH)

-Lunch every Friday with my host grandparents (who are the sweetest souls out there)

-My host grandpa and I playing piano together

-Going to Mariia's college and touring the art school

-Taking black and white manual photos and developing them in a dark room

-Meeting Lorena and all of her bubbly friends

-My host family trying to talk in a southern accent- Howdy y'all!

-Accidentally saying I like ...a certain body part when my host mom was showing me a type of Portuguese music called "Fado"

-Mateo and I making it our mission to take a picture of Grant in the Cathedral, who came up with the most absurd excuses to get out of the picture

-The 50-year old virgin saint revealing herself in a parade in Sevilla

-Drinking icky fountain water because we were absolutely parched

-Eating funky oranges off the trees, which ended up having some type of fungus infection that gave Luna tonsillitis. 

-Cherry pit spitting contests/ spitting cherry pits at people

-Walking along the mountain side of Las Sierras

-Mud fights in the waterfall that left me looking like Snooki

-Playing in every playground in sight

This obviously isn't the full list, but it was a few things that popped into mind. I could go on and on and on about my time here.

Some advice for future Spanish 230 students:

-check your technological devices before leaving the states! My computer was acting funny during exam week, but once it was working again, I didn't worry about it. It stopped working about the third week into this spanish program.

-Order your textbooks with plenty of time to spare before the program starts! I gave myself over two weeks and they still came in the mail after I left. THIS CLASS IS HARD WITHOUT A BOOK.

-Go to Los Italianos if you want some good gelato. And order the Tarta if you have a sweet tooth.

-Try as many different tapas places, cafes, dishes, ice cream flavors as you possibly can.

-If you're buying gifts for people, do it during the first few weeks. Otherwise there is a strong possibility that you'll forget until you only have a few days left in the country.

-Talk to the natives here. Everyone I've encountered has been incredibly friendly!

-TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME YOU HAVE WITH YOUR WONDERFUL FAMILY, BECAUSE THOSE BONDS WILL LAST A LIFETIME.

-Academics obviously come first, especially when you're paying a ton of money to take this class, but don't let that prevent you from enjoying yourself and forming memories.

-FOMO will get the best of your time and money. If you have a diario to write, but everyone is playing capture the flag and having life chats between the hours of 12-3am, you probably should've written your diario first. Entonces, don't put off your school work until the last minute.

-Don't give your apartment keys to your host sister at Feria unless you want to stay up until 4:45am waiting for her to return the night before an 8am trip to the beach.

-Don't forget to set alarms each night. You don't want to wake up two hours after your bus to Málaga leaves. Thankfully there was a later bus.

Okay, so maybe this wasn't 'relatively short', but it will be fun for me to look back on when I'm in the States, stressed out over life and really need a pick-me-up. I've loved my time here and honestly do not want to leave. My life has been enriched by the culture here, and I have been graced by the presence of the most wonderful people, and I couldn't be more thankful.

Until next time, España

Halie

How Time Flies!

Wow, how the time flies by.  I'm sitting here at home watching the birds fly pass my window, looking down at the rio (river), and thinking as the cars ride past - taking in the last moments of the last full day here in Granada.  I was talking to a friend yesterday.  I was telling him.... "I don't know what's the big deal.  It's not that bad.  We will see each other in Ann Arbor.  It's not like we wont have a relationship anymore."  Then it just hit me today.... It's not simply about the relationships, but the experience.  I'm not sure when there will ever be another time where I could look out my window and be able to behold the beauty of the Granada mountains...... or listen to the beautiful music of street performers as they beg for money..... or watch the spontaneity of flamenco shows on the street.... these are the some of the little, yet great, things that make our Granada experience.  To help insure that you share some of the same culture experiences that I had, I will provide you with a small list of "do's" and "dont's."

Do's:

1. Make sure you try many different foods in Granada.  I actually didn't have the opportunity to do so.  I always had tappas.  I tried regular Spanish foods from restaurants, and didn't have a great experience.  Therefore, I always ate at home, or ate tappas.  I wish I would have forced myself to eat more foods at the restaurants - but honestly, I loved my Madre's food more.  I was hardly ever disappointed. 

2. Make sure you walk around the city.  The events are fun (and take up LOTS of time) but there is nothing like discovering things on your own :).  There were many times my friends and just walked around the city to explore - these are the times that we shared our greatest moments!

3. Make sure you map the places that you enjoy going to when exploring the city.  My friends and I hardly ever did that.  As a result, we were not able to return to some of the places that we enjoyed the most. 

4. Don't be a aguafiesta (party pooper).  I was very guilty of this.  I hardly went out and enjoyed the company of my peers because I felt behind in class.  Since being a returning student - I am older than some of the students here, and it had been a few years since I had taken Spanish.  I wish I had allowed myself to relax more. 

Don'ts:

1. Please make sure you don't sacrifice your peace of mind, money, and emotions for something that does not seem to be working.  This is something that I learned later on (a week before the program ended).  When I arrived here, I had a horrible time with my Madre.  I was the only one living with her.  She complained about washing my clothes, she turned the hot water off on me during showers, she didn't let me stay out late, and she always made me feel bad about my level of Spanish.  She had no patients with me.  Many times I would go to class exhausted or sad because of the things I was experiencing at home.  No one really knew what I was going through because I learned from my childhood how to "fly with the punches, and keep it moving."  My goal was to "kill her with kindness."  I was hopping that if I tried hard enough, she would have no choice but to except me/love me.  However, it never worked - I kept feeling rejected.  I didn't realize how much of a burden this living situation was until I left.  During the last week of the program, my old mother made me so sad that I decided I couldn't be there any longer. 

I AM SO SATISIFIED AND GRATEFUL for the team that we have here in Granada!  When I told Sarah Pauling about my final experience, she ACTED QUICK!  She contacted Bagonia (the Director of the CEF Program).  When Bagonia heard about everything I was experiencing, she was said that I didn't not come to her sooner (I didn't because I don't like drama - I thought I could work it out on my own).  She reinforced me that I am PAYING for the program - therefore I should be treated with the respect that I deserve.  Following that meeting, she immediately found me a different place to live within three calls!!!  AND NOW...... I am staying with the BEST MADRE EVER!!!!!  Both she and I are extremely sadden about the little time left that we have with each other - I plan to keep contact with her for a LONG time.  I have drawn closer to her over the last 5 days, then I had with my first mother whom I stayed with for 5weeks.  I will miss her so MUCH!  I am happy that I had a chance to experience a different home because my perception of Spanish families were not very positive until I met her!!!!  SHE IS MUY GUAY! 

 

Please understand that if you are experiencing a home that is causing you stress - it is CEF's job to find you a place that is more fitting.  Don't be like me and wait until the last week to find a knew home because you think that you can solve your own problem.  There are people, just like my Madre who are WANTING for you to come stay with them :) AND CEF (Bagonia, Dani, and Jorge) are here for you!  They want you have a good cultural experience and will work to help you achieve that goal.  DON'T be afraid to tell them if you are experiencing hardships in your home.  Let me be clear, hardships aren't: "I don't like the food," "I can't take baths every night," or "they aren't baking me cakes" lolol. 

 

2. Don't overestimate the amount of money you need.  I came here thinking that $700 U.S. dollars would be enough money to last me through the 6 weeks here - as projected by CGIS.  I don't really think that this is an accurate projection for spending money - especially if you desire to buy things for other people!  $700 dollars converted into euros is more like $500. 

 

3. Don't take this experience for granted.  There is so many people who never experienced any country outside of the United States.  This is a great  time to take advantage of the opportunity to live in  and experience a different country.  I guess one thing I would have wanted to do more is TALK IN SPANISH with EVERYONE!  I don't think that I used my time wisely with the other students - we talked in English more than I wanted to :(.  Don't talk in English with the other students lol :).

It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later

I can’t believe my time in Spain is actually over. Before I left for Spain, six weeks seemed like more than enough time. But as much as I miss the comfort and familiarity of my hometown, family, and friends in Michigan, I don’t want to return because I have created all those things here in Spain.

Although I never want to leave, I have to face the fact that my flight home is quickly approaching. My teacher has asked to reflect upon my time here and create a “do’s” and “don’ts”. This list definitely has a lot more DOs then DON’Ts because I believe when traveling abroad, you should only being DOing and making memories, not worrying about the DON’T mistakes.

Do:

• enjoy every. single. moment.
• after enjoying the moment, capture a picture - sadly, without pictures I have already forgotten some of my first memories here in Granada
• eat Tapas! They are free with a drink, only in Granada (other cities in Spain they are very cheap)
• enjoy the legal drinking age of 18! and the cheap alcohol! You won’t be able to get good quality and cheap wine with dinner back in the states (well, unless you’re 21!)
• appreciate the quality time and meals with your host family - this is the unique part of the program that I love! My host mom is fantastic (and I’m going to miss ALL her food - even the blood sausage!)
• join a gym, specifically Yo10, and attend Zumba class daily (this is essential :P)
• give in to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) - because if you don’t go out and make memories with your friends, you will definitely miss a special memory

Don’t:

• spend more money than you have - it’s difficult handling finances overseas
• forget sunscreen! Too many of my friends have burned like lobsters :(
• wait until the last day to do EVERYTHING (souvenir shopping, goodbyes, etc.)

As I’m posting this, I have approximately 48 hours left in Granada. These hours will be filled with goodbyes, my last Zumba class in Spain, my final exam (ewwww), crying, and reminiscing. Can’t wait to share photos, memories, (and souvenirs!!!) with all of you back in the States!

XOXO,

Lia

Added SHOUTOUT to all my new BEST FRIENDS (yes, you're all my best friends now)

The best part of this program is that I was with 14 other UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN students! That means I can easily see all my friends when I return to my home (in Michigan.) I laugh at the fact we have already made plans to have dinner at one another's homes, go to an apple orchard, and hang out on football Saturdays. These people mean the world to me and without them this program would have been such a different experience.

So guys, the one thing I don't have to say "goodbye" to are all you lovelies. I will definitely be seeing you later <3

NO lo siento!

Sitting on the plane from Boston to Madrid unable to doze off and surrounded by Spanish accents, already foreign food, and subtitles I didn't understand - all while on a plane bigger than my country bumpkin self had ever seen besides in the movies was the most terrifying part of this trip. I was going to invade the life of a family and attempt to fit into a group of students that seemed too amazing to be true. 

Yet even my highest expectations wouldn't have reached as far as this experience has taken me. Not only can I communicate in Spanish better than I ever could have imagined (and almost understand/imitate the Andalucian accent!) - but inserting myself into a culture very similar yet immensely different than that that I am used to was an unforgettable experience. Leaving this Monday brings me so many emotions and strongest of all a yearning to return not only to this country that I now feel a strong bond with but to explore other corners of the world and uncover their secrets.

DO's & DON'T's

BLOG. (and don't get lazy) Take pictures of everything and archive them well enough to be of use to you. You will appreciate this later and your friends and family will now! It's also much easier to send them in the direction of your blog and catch up with them personally once you're back to offer them your full attention. This is something I failed at. I really wish I had had time to write more in English about my experience. Towards the end of the trip my regular picture posts have been dwindling and I have a back-up of photos that need to be edited.

LOVE YOUR NEW FRIENDS. (and don't take them for granted - they're your only friends here) If your group is anything like this year's, you are surrounded by the best and brightest superstars of Michigan. I have been humbled at the amazing talents and influences that all of my classmates possess at UofM. I could go on and on but I'll leave it at that, because you will love them all by the end(:

BE A REGULAR AND A TOURIST. (don't get too comfortable) It's really fun to become a regular at your favorite cafe, restaurant, or bar in a foreign country. After a while finally the owner doesn't just see you as an annoying American guiri and it feels pretty cool to have an island in the chaos that you feel like you belong (being the host daughter of a family that owns a pizzeria I am probably a prime example of that because I even got to know a few of the regular customers). However - it is also to not become comfortable. I tried to remind myself everyday that while everything felt routine that I was in this foreign city with much more to offer than what I had formulated as my daily route. Journey up into the bars of the Albaycin, trek across the river to new playgrounds (and possibly even get yelled at for playing captura la bandera a little bit too late at night), pick a different discoteca, take a wrong turn when you're looking for a cafe to study at, and turn a different way on your walk back from class.

I could go on and on but I think that part of the experience is being able to come up with your own list of successes and things you wish you had done at the end. Perfection definitely isn't the name of the game.

Hola y Adios, Granada

Hola,

What I will take home from this experience:

Granada has lead me to think about what kind of life I want to lead because their way of life is so much different than in the United States. Do I want to constantly be working hard and never take time off to just relax in order to become "successful" at a young age? Or do I want to enjoy my life each and every day and also do what I can to make progress toward achieving my many goals? In America, it is customary to feel the need to be working hard all the time. In Spain, it is customary to take siestas every day. I don't know about you but I see a major cultural difference there. If I could change American culture to include siesta, obviously I would but that is not a possibility. So, I think what I will do is tell my employer that I need a 2 hour lunch every day to eat my most important meal and see what they think about it (I'm assuming they won't be too excited...) But in all seriousness, I will try to mend my life to include the parts of American culture and of Spanish culture that I love in a phenomenal mezcla. Coming to Granada has shown me that there are different ways of life out there and it's possible for me to choose the one that is true to me. I think that is priceless.

Do's and Don'ts:

Do: Make sure to eat as many tapas as you can because contrary to popular belief among American study abroad students, they will not be available forever. You will have to leave Granada at some point and the tapas will be left behind as well. Try not to cry too hard when you leave them (I will have to use this advice on Monday). 

Do: Speak in Spanish as much as possible. It is not smart to use English when your professor isn't around because you know it won't hurt your grade. It is less about the grade as it is about your comprehension of the Spanish language. The more you talk to native speakers, the more they will point out the flaws in your speech which will in turn continually refine your Spanish skills. 

Do: Spend time with your Spanish family. They have a lot of information about Spanish culture and language that you won't hear otherwise by talking to bartenders, waitresses, or girls you meet at the discoteca. You have the ability and benefit of being able to get as close to them as you so choose, and the more close the better I have heard. They will teach you about everyday Spanish culture which is invaluable information especially if you ever plan to come back (or even better move here!).

Don't: Take vacations away from Granada every weekend. I know it is tempting to plan a trip to somewhere in Europe on every free weekend that you have, but I don't think it is too smart. You are only in Granada for 6 weeks and the most time you get to spend on your own exploring Granada happens on the weekends. Take advantage of that because you don't want to leave Granada after 6 weeks and regret not fully experiencing your Spanish "hometown" (I know I definitely regret not seeing more). 

Don't: Stay inside every day. You are in the beautiful Spain. You can stay inside every day in the winter in Ann Arbor, there is no point to do it here. But you have homework? Do it at a cafe (where outside seating is usually available), most have WiFi. You want to rest after class? Take a nap in the gorgeous Garcia Lorca Park. Name the thing you want to do at home and I am sure I can direct you to somewhere in Granada where you can do it outside or at least outside of your house. But also don't take this too literally and not spend any time with your host families. Take some time out of your day to have a couple conversations with them. 

Don't: Go home right after the program. You already spent upwards of $1600 on a plane ticket to get your butt to Europe, why not make full use of that fixed cost and visit some other cool places after Granada? This will also help with that urge to leave Granada every weekend because you will have some time to explore other countries afterwards. The people who are going right home should be doing so for work or for other obligations. But, if somehow you can avoid going home for a couple weeks I would highly advise doing so. 

Granada has been one of the most amazing experiences in my life so far and I hope this blog post will reach future students so that they can maximize the amazing-ness of their time here as well. 

Adios Granada!

-Hoo-steen Rivera