Granada

I just got back from my weekend trip with CIEE to Granada. It was great, but seeing as a bunch of people (including one of my roommates) were sick, it was to be expected that I'm staying home from school today. So, right now it is 11 am on Monday and I am sitting at the table in the family room waiting for my host dad to call me and check in and already missing all of my American friends and the beautiful city of Granada.

Here's how the weekend went:

On Friday, we met at a bus station in Sevilla at 5 o'clock and headed to Granada (a three hour bus ride from Sevilla). The Madrid kids had left earlier and missed school, so it was just (I know that sounds weird in conjunction with the number I'm about to say) the 27 of us who live in and around Sevilla. Once we got to the hotel and checked in, we went for a short walking tour and were then let loose to grab dinner on our own. We came back to the hotel around midnight and went to bed. The next day, we ate breakfast as a group and then headed to The Alhambra, probably the most famous site in Granada. If you haven't heard of it before, it is the palace and last site of the Moorish Empire in Spain. And it is gorgeous. One of the things that immediately stood out to me about Granada is the architecture. As a mixture of traditional Spanish and Moorish influence, it is very unique and stunning. By lunch, we had already walked 3 and a half miles! We then went back to the hotel, ate, and relaxed until around 5, when we left for another brief walking tour. After, we were once again set free and told only when to be back and where. Yesterday was a much more organized day, with only a walking tour in the morning and the ride back home. It was great, and far too short! I love all of the people I've met studying abroad, and seeing all of them again made me a little sad that I don't see them more often (but better for my Spanish!).  That's not to say, of course, that I don't like my Spanish friends, but rather that these people are the only ones who know exactly what it feels like to be studying in Spain, and sometimes you need a short break. 

3 hour bus rides aren't that bad when they look like this

Beautiful Granada!

La Alhambra from afar...

And from up close

We still look pretty American

About half of the group (plus Raquel, the local coordinator for Sevilla)

We got these amazing muffins made by cloistered nuns (yes, I did eat more than one).

This was the first time that I had gone further than 7 kilometers from my house, and I have to say, it was pretty incredible! I kind of forgot that there was more to Spain than life in Castilleja, so it was nice to be a tourist again for a little. I also loved catching up with my American friends and hearing about all that this past month has had in store for them. We are all in such incredibly different situations, so it is interesting to compare and contrast. It was also a real reality check for me to see how my situation compares, and to get and give advice. Just because studying abroad often feels like the most isolating thing I've ever done, it doesn't have to be. This weekend reminded me that there is nothing more important than a strong support system, and you shouldn't feel guilty about using it when necessary. 

If you want to see more of my pictures or are interested in studying abroad and want to talk to me, feel free to friend me on Facebook, email me (scotch.ht@gmail.com), or follow me on instagram (@ht.scotch)!