Welcome to Granada

           I am excited to say that the past few days have been an indication that the coming months are going to be some of the most memorable of my life.  Oddly enough, this is the first time I have written or spoken in English, with the exception of some minor slip-ups, and the full immersion aspect of the program has already paid huge dividends.  In the short time that I have been here, I have enjoyed hours of conversation with my “madre” and made great friends while exploring the streets, all while improving my Spanish language skills.

After over twenty-six hours of restless travel, I finally arrived in Granada on Friday night.  I spent that night and the next day introducing myself to Carmen, my “madre” (home-stay mother) and to Evan, my housemate from the United States.  Although Carmen speaks very quickly and with a distinctive accent, I have familiarized myself enough to carry on conversations regarding politics, religion and my initial experiences in Granada.  She acts as my connection to Spanish culture, and I love the opportunity to improve my language skills while still enjoying incredible Spanish cuisine.  It is apparent that she is very proud of her meals as she puts so much time into feeding us and ensuring that we are well satisfied.  So satisfied, in fact, that there are times when I kindly share with her that a loaf of bread, a huge plate of paella, six whole fruits, and a salad might actually be more than my body can humanly consume.  So far, the typical response has been, “You’re full?  Well here’s another orange…it’s fresh and delicious, enjoy.”  If the food wasn’t so tasty and I wasn’t walking ten miles a day, her response may be concerning, but so far my home-stay experience has been wonderful.

Despite only having been here for four days, I have already learned a great deal about the Spanish social scene.  As opposed to American culture where our homes tend to be the main hang out spot, Spaniards live their social lives in the streets, plazas, and countless bars throughout the city.  It has not been difficult to adapt to this culture as my friends and I have realized how much fun it is to go out and kick a soccer ball or practice our Spanish in a local bar in our Plaza.  Our adaptation has been one that I have thoroughly enjoyed because the Spaniards, young and old, bask in any chance to show us around their city.  While walking out of a sports store last night, the store owner, an older gentleman, was so excited to meet us that he made sure to have us stop by later so we could go out with him.  Regardless of age, it is evident that the people here are friendly and open to any opportunity to have a good time.

While I have enjoyed every aspect of Granada thus far, the real fun began yesterday with the beginning of classes.  Today marked my first class of “Intensivo”, a three week course designed to prepare us for the rest of our time here, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I will continue to update you with school and all other happenings here in Spain, and I hope that all is well in the United States!