Aventuras en Andalucía

Hi everyone! Keeping a consistent blog is more difficult than I thought. The longer I wait to write it, the more things I have to write about, and the more difficult it is to put everything into words! But I will do my best.

Many things have been happening since my last post. The rest of the students in our program arrived a while ago, which means our Early Start session ended and real classes started. Granada is growing on me like a weed. The weather is great (before it drops 30 degrees at night), the city has so many hidden surprises, and there is natural beauty to be found everywhere. I like that the streets and people here are familiar to me, and that there is a comfort in coming home to Granada after a weekend trip.

I never imagined I would learn a language this quickly. Granted, my grammar is not the best, and I use infinitive verb forms far more than necessary, but I am definitely improving. Our program director, Curra, told me today that she was impressed with how much I've learned so far, and that she wants to make sure I keep improving. "I've got my eye on you, keep going!" she said. That made me smile :)

If there was ever a doubt that Granada was a good place for me, it has most certainly been erased. I definitely felt normal abroad nerves and anxieties, and still feel them from time to time. But so many people, places, and events have confirmed my belief that this is a special and unrepeatable experience. Since there is so much to write about, I will choose those events that have really stuck out to me as milestones.


Our residencia. There are so many things I appreciate about where I'm living. The first being Paqui, who I've written about before. She's our "host mom" who we all love so much. The first few weeks here, I could not communicate with Paqui at all on my own. She told Erin and Emily that I needed to talk more because I was so silent. But once classes started and I began learning Spanish, I started talking. And talking. And talking. Now Paqui must be biting her tongue. She hits my arm and says I am the one who knows the least and talks the most. (a compliment... maybe?). Some of my favorite moments here are daily conversations with Paqui. Although there is still sometimes a communication barrier, we've had some really great talks. She really is the best "mom" away from home I could ask for. The girls in the residencia are also wonderful. I live with 4 other American girls and 2 Spanish girls, and we all get along really well. We've had some great roomie bonding nights, and I'm sure they will keep coming.

Gibraltar. This was our first trip off of Spanish territory and on to British territory, even though it is only 3 hours away by bus. We took a day trip to Gibraltar, went all the way to the top of the famous rock (so we could see Africa!) and then hiked down and hung out with monkeys all day. Everywhere you look on the rock of Gibraltar, there are monkeys roaming around, jumping on people, posing for pictures (or so it seemed). My 4th grade monkey obsession was revisited in full force. It was a great day. Long, tiring, but very exciting and a lot of fun.

Grease. Walking home from school one day, Emily Erin and I saw I sign for "Grease, El Musical," and were intrigued. After seeing a promotional video with our favorite Grease songs sung in Spanish, we immediately bought our tickets. Right from the start of the show, we were singing along in our heads to "Noches de Amor," y "Soy Así, Soy Sandra Dee." The show was very professional, high-energy, and so much fun! It was such a special occasion to see and hear one of our favorite musicals in Spain. Emily bought the soundtrack (in Español, of course) and we've been listening to it on repeat.

Hiking in Granada.On one of my favorite evenings here, some of us took a hike up to a high point in Granada. From there, we sat overlooking the city and watched the sun slowly set. Someone brought their guitar and let me play some songs. Singing and playing guitar, overlooking my beautiful home here, feeling the still warm October air, and watching the sunset. It was a moment I wanted to seal up in a box and take with me so that I can have it forever.

Spanish Movie Nights. Sometimes we'll decide to stay in, with some tinto, and watch one of our favorite movies in Spanish. Titanic and Mean Girls have so far been the most successful. I have also recently discovered Spanish Disney songs on youtube, definitely a highlight of my trip.

These are some of the days and moments here that have stuck out to me as something special. Some days are very simple, but I still enjoy walking around and exploring the city. Even still, there are parts I have not seen and things I have not done. Although the time is flying by quickly (and I am about half-way through.. ah!) I am still looking forward to many things coming up. I have a lot of trips planned over the next many weeks, so I will do my best to write about them.

A word of insight before I go: People often say that every day abroad is amazing, and that you must make the most of every minute that you are abroad. I think, however, that one of the most helpful pieces of advice I received before I left for Spain was this: that it's amazing, but that you'll have good days and bad days while studying abroad. This may be something people forget to think about, because being abroad is such an adventure. But it is unrealistic to think that every minute you are abroad, you will be having the greatest time of your life. You will, however be learning all the time. Even (and especially) on the days that are hard. I've already learned a lot in so many ways. I've learned about Spain, about pushing my limits and trying new things, but also how to get through hard days in a foreign country. Away from the comfort of my family and friends. Although not every single day will be filled with adventures and excitement, every day will teach some kind of a lesson, which is the lesson I recently learned myself. I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite books, The Secret Life of Bees.

"There is nothing perfect, only life."

Simple, but meaningful and true. I am truly appreciating my life here; it's not perfect, but it is a wonderful one. I hope you are appreciating yours too, wherever you are!

With love,
Eleanor

Life in "Grana"

¡Hola! 

 It is day number 19 in Spain, so I figured it's time for an update on my life here. Let me start off by saying Granada has been everything and nothing like I expected, all together. Unfortunately, I was pretty sick when we traveled from Madrid to Granada, so my initial reaction when we arrived was: "I can't wait until I get to my residencia so that I can pass out." And I did, in fact, fall right asleep when I got to my residencia. A nap to start my life in Granada, pretty true to form. My residencia could be compared to an American dorm, but it looks much more like an apartment. We have a "house mom" who is here during the weekdays; she cooks us meals, cleans and runs the residencia. Right now, it's just Emily (my roommate), Erin, and I living here, but this week there are 2 more American girls and a Spanish girl moving in.

We all feel that we are extremely fortunate with our housing assignment. First of all, Paqui (our house mom) is the best. She cooks delicious meals, has hilarious lunch conversations with us, and is so nice and helpful. Emily and Erin both speak Spanish very well, so a lot of our lunches consist of them translating between me and Paqui. Sometimes Paqui will say something and I'll be nodding along, thinking I understand it. Then she'll ask me, "entiendes?" "do you understand?" and I will just stare at her and start laughing. Because I have no idea what she is trying to say. Every single lunch ends with all of us cracking up about something: either my lack of understanding, Erin's attempts at hand gesturing, or Paqui telling Emily "I hate you" (out of love, of course). One of our first meals, Paqui made a delicious stew for us. We ate it, felt full and content, and were somewhat surprised that we all finished a whole meal. Then she came out with the second course of chicken and veggies, and we all said in unison, "MAS!?" We have now come to accept that we will be over-fed, but with her cooking, I'm not complaining.

 View of the Alhambra at night

So... Granada, or "Grana" as locals say. If Madrid Spanish was hard to follow, Granadian Spanish is nearly impossible at times. They randomly drop syllables and whole parts of their words off and talk veeeery fast. I am, however, pleasantly surprised at how fast my language skills have been growing. I've been taking 4 hours of Spanish a day with beginners like me. Having taken 6 years of French both helps and hurts me at times. It helps me retain certain words, phrases, and grammar rules, but I also slip into French a lot without realizing. After only 2 weeks of classes, I am already much better at communicating and can relate basic thoughts and ideas. I still can't understand locals on the street, but I understand my teachers, program directors, and Paqui pretty well. Of course I've used the phrase, "puedes repetir?" more times than I can count. I really love learning a new language. It's exciting to be able to talk to people and express myself in Spanish after only a few weeks. I have a feelings it's going to be hard to transition back into English when I get home.

The city of Granada is beautiful. I live off of a main road that stays well lit and busy until very late at night. Off of the main, more modern roads are the cobblestone streets, old bars, antique churches, and parks. We have done a lot of exploring, but there is still so much of the city to see. The days go much later here than they do at home, which is definitely an adjustment. Lunch is eaten around 2-3pm, dinner around 9-10pm, and nightlife begins around 11. People stay out socializing at bars, in the streets, or in plazas for hours. People don't go to discotecas to dance until 1, or later. Do they ever sleep? No wonder they hold tight to the tradition of siesta!

Yesterday, an important and exciting festival began here: the Festividad de Nuestra Señora la Virgen de las Angustias (Feast of Our Lady the Virgin of Sorrows). We didn't know exactly what would occur in the city, but we walked around the city center in the afternoon to explore. We were greeted by dancers in traditional Spanish clothes, several bands playing music, flower vendors, and tons and tons of people. As we walked closer to the Virgen de las Angustias Church, we saw a long line of people waiting to give flowers to the church. We watched the flowers go up on huge grates in front of the church, a long and fascinating process. All the while, there was music playing, choirs singing, dancing, clapping, and helicopters dropping flowers on us (SO cool). Later, we walked to a plaza where there was Spnaish music playing and dancing that went on until all hours of the night. This was my favorite part of the day, and I even danced through the plaza with Erin at the end of the day. Everyone was having so much fun, appreciating the beautiful day, and sharing the joy of the festividad. 

One thing that I've talked about with other people on this trip about is the mental struggle with expectations vs. reality. It can be easy to sometimes get caught up in thinking about your expectations for the trip and other peoples expectations for you. It is easy to worry, "Am I living up to expectations?" "Am I doing this right?" By doing this, however, we miss out on what is right in front of us: our own life and our own experiences. So in letting go of those worries, we allow ourselves to take in every new sight, sound, and smell, and make the most of each day here. My quote today is somewhat related to this thought: 

"Sometimes God doesn't give you what you think you want. Not because you don't deserve it, but because you deserve more."

Thanks for reading amigos, I hope all is well with you :)

Eleanor

Welcome to Spain!

Hola Amigos,

Welcome to my blog, coming to you live from Spain, written by yours truly.

There's a silver lining to everything, right? So being sick on my 3rd day in Spain isn't totally a bad thing; it gives me this down time to write my blog entry. Now before you panic, I'm not very sick. I think I'm just worn down from all the excitement and need some rest. I will be back on my feet in no time!

So where do I begin? I guess I'll start when my parents and Julia left me at the airport. They watched me go all the way through security, and then I was alone. I was nervous, excited, and very very American. I realized all of this while sitting at my gate. I was surrounded by Spanish speakers headed to Spain with me, and I had absolutely NO idea what they were saying. If any of you don't know this already, I have never taken a Spanish class in my life. Hola, adios, me llamo Eleanor, uno dos tres... you get the picture. My Spanish is compiled of basic vocabulary I've picked up over the years and some grammar I taught myself this summer. Why did I choose to study abroad in Spain, you may ask? I've been wanting to learn Spanish for years, so I thought this would be a great way to get started. Overwhelming? Yes. But will it be worth it in the end, after 3 Spanish classes and 4 months in Spain? Absolutely.

I will be studying in Granada for the semester,  but we have orientation in Madrid, which is a lot of fun. Our hotel is right by the Puerta del Sol, the central plaza area in Madrid. It's very busy and tourist-y; it reminds me of Times Square (without the skyscrapers and blinding lights). So far, we've been on a few tours, had some meetings about Madrid and Granada, and had a lot of free time. The food is great here- so far it has been pretty similar to food at home. I've had some sandwiches, chicken, fish, salads, and TAPAS. As you can see, I am pretty excited about the tapas. They are delicious.

My roommate, Emily, and I went on a walk around Madrid on our first day and explored the city. We came upon a bookstore and were both intrigued, so we looked around. In the back we found the children's section (which, surprise surprise, I loved). I found the book "Guess How Much I Love You" in Spanish: "Adivina cuánto te quiero." It reminded me so much of home and my family, as this was one of my favorite books as a child. And here it was, in front of me on my first day of Spain. I was feeling both nostalgic and inspired. Kids all of the world, of every nationality, can relate to this book. Love is love, not matter what language speak.

Today I went to another restaurant with some friends. We ordered tapas, had a good time, and talked to several street vendors (who knew we spoke English by just looking at us). I've accepted that I'm a tourist and a foreigner here. It can be overwhelming at times, but I am here to learn and to experience a new culture. I actually like feeling a little out of place, but I know I will start to feel more and more comfortable as the semester progresses. 

Tomorrow we travel to Toledo and then to Granada. I simply cannot wait. I hope that you've enjoyed reading, and I will be sure to post more about Granada once I am settled. If you know me well, you know that I love quotes. So I will leave you with one of my favorites.

"Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good in everything."

Yours truly, 

Elle