9 Days and Counting

I have 9 days left in Granada but don’t let the title fool you. Although I can’t wait to get home, I am going to miss Granada so much! This city has captured a piece of my heart that will forever stay here. I have learned SO much in the time I’ve been here.

1) I have of course, learned so much Spanish. Some days it’s almost harder to speak because I have to remember the new (more correct) tense to use but I am finally realizing I may have a real shot at being a Spanish teacher. (Also for anyone who knows a little something about Spanish, I now know to use Vosotros!)

2) I have learned to problem solve and that getting lost isn’t always a bad thing. However, luckily for this directionally challenged girl, I was able to use my data for my GPS if the need was necessary. Sometimes we would just go for walk in areas that we had never been and just knew we would eventually end up somewhere we recognized.

3) I can live away from home and be ok. This wasn’t my favorite thing but I did it. That was a big personal accomplishment for me because I had never been away from home for more than 2 weeks before I came here. Of course my parents were always a FaceTime call away but I am learning a little bit more about independence.

4) School is important but seeing the world is important also. School offers everything you need on paper to succeed in life but the world provides you with what you need to be a down to earth, well rounded person. Everyone needs to experience different cultures and meet new people. We have so much to offer each other but we are so afraid to step out of our comfort zone and maybe meet someone with different views. Which leads me to my next point…

5) Stepping out of your comfort zone and facing your fears are so important. It can also be the scariest thing you’ll ever do. The scariest thing I have ever done was say goodbye to my family and get on that first plane alone. I had never traveled by myself, I didn’t know anyone else that was going to be here, and I was going to be living with a strange family I had never met and spoke a language I was not fluent in. Within this fear I faced other fears. I hiked on cliffs that had ledges 8in wide (afraid of heights), got lost numerous times, spoke to natives and made many mistakes but this is all part of the journey.

As I’m writing this, I am trying to hold back a few tears because I have only 9 days left in this incredible place with some amazing people that I know will be lifelong friends. If I hadn’t come, I would have never had the most incredible adventure of my life. I know Granada will always be waiting for me and I know that I will be back one day.

Where in the World is Calli?

First of all I am so sorry for my absence but I have had A LOT going on! Ill try to summarize, otherwise this would take hours for someone to read. I have been on some great trips. After Sevilla and Ronda our program went on a day trip to Malaga, Spain. We were got to see the city and honestly everyone’s favorite part, the beach! We were so excited to be laying on the beach with sunny 60+ weather. More than half of us I would say are from the midwest, so 60 degrees and sunny to us was incredible! In between these trips my friends and I enjoyed hours in cafes doing homework, planning trips, laughing and drinking cafe con leche. In Granada everyone is either drinking/eating or shopping, and since coffee is cheaper thats our go to past time.

Then finally Eric arrived! he spent a week in Granada while I took my midterms. I showed him all around my city highlighting tapas and discotecas. He also was able to meet my family and enjoy about a meal a day at my house. He got the full Spanish treatment with Paella, Tortilla, and my host mom’s specialty- crepes. Then for my spring break we took a bus to Malaga and Eric got to put a finger in the Mediterranean Sea! Our flight flew out the next morning to Italy. We were in Rome for 3 days and saw everything! The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, everything! The Colosseum was literally at the end of our street and it was incredible to walk into the center seeing that every day. The history in Rome is almost impossible to wrap your head around. We enjoyed gelato every day and had so much pizza! We then took a day walk to the bus station where we waited 10 hours for our 1am bus to Venice. That was a long day to say the least. This might upset some but Venice was not our favorite. We saw everything we thought there was to see but I definitely didn’t think it was the prettiest city in the world. We actually found ourselves trying to find things to do and ways to take up most of the day. I of course wanted to go on a Gondola ride but they were 80 Euro which is about $92 and we just couldn’t justify that for a 30 minute ride. We ended our trip in Madrid where we saw the stadium where Real Madrid plays. That was actually really interesting to see. Eric was here for a total of 18 days and it was so much fun! He flew back on Easter and I made my way back on a  5 hour bus ride.

Thats the other things, I have spent countless hours on buses. They are a main form of transportation and pretty affordable to most places. The weekend after Italy our program took us to Morocco, Africa! I had a wonderful time in Morocco! The culture is so different and interesting, and the food…The food is incredible! We got to have lunch with a Moroccan family and that was one of my favorite parts. Oh and the tea! We got to visit The Blue City which was beautiful! Our guides were great and we even got to enjoy some Moroccan music and our entire group ended dancing and clapping.

This weekend I went to Portugal! My 3 friends and I booked the weekend through a company that we are now very happy we chose. We took a bus from Granada to Seville where we then added another bus full of students, a van and a car. There was about 125+ students taking over Lagos, Portugal. We enjoyed a Sangria cruise and jumping into the freezing cold Atlantic. We also got to take a small boat around some caves that were very pretty. That night we went to a restaurant called Nahnahbah that has an award winning burger, 1/50 best burgers in the world and it was delicious! A little taste of home actually. Then we went on a bar crawl and got to know our guides, all of which were really cool and fun. The following day we went to the beach and while getting whipped with sand, managed to get sunburn but its actually nice to have some color. Whoever says Spain is always warm has never been to Granada. That night we went to The End of the World. It’s where in the old days, they thought the world ended because you can’t see anything in the distance. Then had dinner and went out again for some more dancing! However, Sunday was very possibly the most interesting day. We went on a hike that was supposed to be 45 minutes one way, ended up being a 2 hour hike there, facing my fear of heights (possibly increasing that fear) and army crawling off of private property that included 3 donkeys and a horse coming closer and closer. We ended our day with a delicious burrito and a little souvenir shopping before we got back on our 7 hour bus ride back. We got back to Granada at 1am and went right to sleep so we could get up for school this morning. Definitely a weekend for the books!

This upcoming weekend I am topping off a 4 weekend travel streak to Bilbao to visit my “Basque family”,  for those of you who know our exchange student Mikel, its his family! I know I am going to have a wonderful time there also.

I am down to 38 days before I make my return to Minnesota. I know that will be a very bitter sweet day because I have a wonderful host family and met life long friends but I also can’t wait to see my family and friends back home. Sorry for the “Summary” of everything but Ive been busy becoming a world traveler 😉

Hasta Pronto!

I’ve Made it 3 Weeks!

I have been here for over 3 weeks now and that is exciting and scary at the same time. I am sure for many people its not that big of a deal but for me it really is. I have never been away from my family or Eric for more than 2 weeks at a time so this is a new record for everyone. Certain aspects have been easier than I thought and certain ones harder. For example, during the day it isn’t so bad. The key is to keep busy. The hard thing about not seeing my family day to day is the time difference. Spain is 7 hours ahead of Minnesota, so for most of my day no one is awake from home. Around 4pm my time people start to become available to text and then around 10-11pm my time is when I can usually FaceTime my family. One of the hardest things I was not expecting, was getting sick for almost 3 weeks in a row and not having my mommy. The comforts of home of course. The best thing that has kept me from not becoming completely homesick is that in a little over 3 weeks Eric is coming to visit me! He will be here for 17 days (lucky me!). We will be in Granada for one week while I take my midterms and then the following week we are taking a trip to Italy! Talk about a spring break. Then after he leaves I will be half way through my time here. It isn’t so scary to think about when I break it down. Don’t get me wrong, I love it here and learn something new everyday to make me love it even more, but as I said before this is really new territory to be gone so long. I have no doubt that when the time comes, I will be just as sad to go as I was to leaving the states.

Anyway, this past weekend I went on my first program excursion. We went on an overnight trip to Sevilla (Seville) and Rhonda. It was very interesting and fun. My personal favorite was Sevilla because we got to see places with so much history and beauty. The architecture is incredible and the details are insane. It’s so hard to take it all in sometimes.  Rhonda was beautiful as well but in more of a natural way. It was so green with mountains surrounding every side. My roommate Christy had mentioned the other day how she misses grass. The more I thought about it the more I really agreed with her. There is basically no grass in the Center of Granada. Even the parks are mainly dirt paths. I also miss carpet. EVERYWHERE I go there is some sort of tile, ceramic, concrete, etc. Theses are things I never would have thought I would miss. Also certain foods. We have a pretty steady list of meals we eat every week to week and a half. Just like the states, which doesn’t bother me so much as make me miss the weekly spaghetti or tator-tot hot dish. I do enjoy eating crepes and Nutella about 4x a week after dinner though 🙂 well thats about it for now. Nothing to crazy so far.

Hasta luego

 

Differences in Spain

So I have officially been here for a week now. It’s weird because part of me feels as if the week went so fast but the other part of me feels like I have been here for so long already. Our first week was so busy I guess I didn’t have time to think about it. It was for sure a great first week. I tried so much food, learned new things about Spain and myself, and also met some pretty cool people. So I know everyone is dying to know about the food. I would not want to disappoint so I’ll start with that. I am so lucky because my host mom is  a great cook! (At least I think so, I like all the food but no one else have ever made me Spanish food before) I have had Tortilla de Potatas, which is similar to an omelet with potatoes and onions (me gusta mucho), Croquetas, which are like a fried dumplings more or less, empanadas, breaded fried ham and cheese (literally), very delicious meatballs and of course others. Food is so accessible. I know it is in the states but I probably walk by 8-10 pastelerías (pastry shops) on my way anywhere and its all so cheap… I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THE TAPAS! Tapas are so popular, one of the things Granada is known for. When you go out at night and buy a drink (pop, wine, beer) they bring you a free tapa (appetizer). They are usually just a little snack but you get one with every drink you order. Talk about cheap food. I have no had Sangria because apparently thats what all tourists get and I’m trying my darnedest to blend in. Tinto de verano is very popular here, its red wine with sprite and I don’t drink pop so, you win some, you lose some.

Things I have learned thus far:

1. Granada is known for having a bad attitude- La mala follá. This means that if you get on a bus and ask if they stop at the main bus station (this may have happened), that they will either give you a smug look and say “Sí” or not say anything at all and give you an even smugger “You stupid American, why are you here?” look. It’s not just Americans though. It happens to everyone. The key is to learn the attitude and dish it back. However, that takes practice and I’m afraid to try. Spaniards are very friendly when you directly try to know them or talk to them though.
2. The service here is terrible and no one cares. At smaller cafés it might not be as bad but basically don’t be surprised if it takes forever to get your drink and forever to get the bill, that is if they even bring it. Most the time we walk up to the counter or bar to pay because we have been waiting. Tipping is also not a thing so I don’t know if that directly coincides or not.
3. Granda is basically a perfect location for anyone who loves the outdoors. We are surrounded by gorgeous mountains that have great hiking paths (haven’t done it yet but looking forward to it). 30 minutes to the east is the Sierra Nevada mountains where skiing is popular and 45 minutes south is the Mediterranean Sea where the weather is tropical year round (at least for us Minnesotans). Yesterday we took a  bus 2 hours southwest to Nerja where it was mid 60’s and beautiful. We ate Paella, tanned and got ice cream.
4. School is very different here. For starters the University of Granada had many smaller buildings located all around the city. My building is small square with 2 1/2 levels, with 7 classes on each level with a library on the top. Teachers here believe there should be less homework and more responsibility on the student to master the material. Participation is also huge. That and tests are basically where your grade comes from. Today was my first day and it went well. Tomorrow is my first day for 2 other classes. At the latest I get done by 2:30, home by 3 for Comida (thats how they refer to lunch here), and then siesta.
5. Siesta- Spain’s national pastime. The siesta is a wonderful thing that should be incorporated into every country. Siesta is a time usually between 3-5:30 where everyone goes home to eat lunch and then either takes a short nap or rests. The whole city seems to get quiet. Shops close on all the main streets and most of the people out are tourists. It has a small town feel to see nothing open for a few hours of the day because major cities would not do this. My host mom stuffs us for lunch and then sends us to siesta every day.

“If you were to visit only a city in Spain, this should be Granada.” – Ernest Hemingway

I have learned so much already, this city grows on me every day and I can’t wait to see what else it has to offer me.

The Never Ending Day

As I had mentioned in my prior post, I have never traveled alone before so I was a bit nervous to see how that was going to all work out. It went just fine though. I was dropped off at the airport at 11:30 and my flight to Chicago didn’t leave until 2:30 so I got my last Caribou and killed some time. The flight to Chicago was quick but we were a bit behind schedule since they had to de-ice the plane. My flight to Chicago to Madrid started boarding at 4:10. My flight arrived to Chicago at 4:00 so I was starting to panic. No one seemed to be moving off the plane and by the time I got off it was 4:10. I was the stereotypical movie seen running through the airport with an oversized backpack on with a panicked look on my face. Finally I saw my Gate but then I saw someone close the door and I was so nervous! I ran to the desk out of breath (It seriously was a long way to run) and asked if I was too late or could still get on the plane. The women working looked confused and said “Yes…Everyone else is still waiting.” They hadn’t even started boarding yet. I felt silly but it was a huge relief. My flight to Madrid was 8 hours. The longest flight I’ve ever taken by far. The plane was huge but nice. I had an isle seat and there was no one in the 2 seats next to me and women on the end (4seats in a row) which was really nice. The flight went well. I watched 3 movies and 3 episodes of Modern Family. Madrid’s airport is huge and confusing. I had to take do a passport check and then got on a train to get to my gate. Walked for a long time, got checked in and then had to get on a small bus to take us to our plane. I had never been on a plane where I used the steps to get on but it had 14 rows total. Granada’s airport is extremely small but its surrounded by beautiful mountains. We were picked up by our site leader Jorge who is really nice. We got in to town and where we were picked up by our host families but My host mom Eva had to take her son in because he wasn’t feeling well so another host mom who is close friends with Eva brought me to her. She greeted me with besitos and we walked to our apartment. I have a roommate from Chicago who has been here for 3 weeks already but we actually both have our own rooms and share a bathroom which is great. Eva has a husband Arturo, son Jorge (14) and daughter Paula (4) and they are all very nice. The kids are a little shy but thats to be expected. She fed me right away by making me a ham and cheese sandwich since it was 11 and we wouldn’t eat lunch until 2pm. It was the spanish version of chicken noodle soup or something similar. We were strongly advised not to sleep upon arrival because the jet lag would be so much worse. However at around 3 I could physically not keep my eyes open and took 2 20 minute naps in a row before going out with my roommate and her friends for coffee and a game of Cluedo (Clue). I needed caffeine bad. Then we walked around the streets and looked at the stores. When we got home we still had about an hour and a half until dinner (9pm is normal dinner time) so we watched Bob Esponja (Spongebob). We ate tortillas de potatas which is like a spanish omelet but ate for dinner. It was great! I then went to bed thinking  I would sleep all night without any problem. I woke up at 12am but managed to fall back asleep. Then woke up at 3am wide awake. I watched netflix and took tylenol PM hoping that would help. By 4am I tried to sleep again and slept until 8:30 when my alarm went off and could have kept sleeping. However, Spaniards take siestas (naps) after lunch so that helps. I was up for 32 hours total which is a new first since I had never been up for 24 hours before (excluding the short nap) and it seemed like I had skipped nighttime. All in all it was a good first day in Spain and I can’t wait to tell more about my aventura!

Besitos

Oh the Places You’ll Go

As I am writing this, I am sitting in MSP waiting for my flight that isn’t for another 2 hours and 15 minutes. Punctuality is everything. For some who may not have heard, I am traveling to Granada, Spain to study Spanish for 4 months! Crazy I know. I can hardly believe it myself. I want to be a Spanish teacher and what better way to learn Spanish than go to the source. I won’t be totally helpless, I have taken years of Spanish but still feel like I have a long way to go. This by far is the adventure of my life. La aventura de mi vida. Going to Duluth this past fall was the furthest I’ve ever been away from home. A whopping 2 hours away vs. almost 4500 miles doesn’t seem so scary anymore. I’m flying (and traveling all together) solo. That is also a first. This experience will most definitely be full of “Firsts”. I have had so much support from friends and family which has made it so much easier. Of course the “goodbyes” were the worst. The longest amount of time I have been away from my family or Eric is 2 weeks. So this should be interesting. However, Eric will be visiting in 2 months for both of our spring breaks and we plan to do some traveling ourselves. I am beyond excited to see what awaits me in Granda and to find out more about the world and myself. I am hoping to share all my stories, long, short, exciting, boring. happy, and sad so read along as you please.

Hasta tarde, Calli