An Unforgettable Experience

Granada, Spain truly stole my heart the minute I stepped off the airplane. This city immediately welcomed us with open arms. Right when you get through baggage claim, you will see one of the fabulous CEA faculty members who will greet you and lead you to the bus. They were extremely friendly and put us at ease immediately. I remember taking the bus and being in complete awe with the scenery surrounding me. When we got to the center of the town, we unloaded the bus and met our host family. My host mother grabbed me right away and started hugging and kissing me. The Spanish love to show their affection and it honestly made me feel so welcome and wanted immediately. My host mom also always called me Guapa which means beautiful. If you ever need a moral boost, just start a conversation with a Spanish woman :)

The city is only about the size of St. Paul, Minnesota so it was extremely easy to navigate. Granada not only houses the University of Granada which is a prestigious University but it also is home to the largest second language university which is where we attended. With this being said, the city has an incredibly young atmosphere due to all the college students! This makes the social scene a blast because there is always deals for college students so it was incredibly cheap to go out at night or go on various excursions beyond what is provided with CEA.

With CEA we went on multiple in country excursions along with one out of country excursion. In country we were able to travel to Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, Ronda, and Nerja. Our out of country excursion was Morocco, Africa. This excursion was truly incredible because we were able to go to a different country and continent. Morocco resembles much of the Arabic culture that has been left behind in Granada. We were also able to ride camels which was such an incredible experience!

As I stated before, Granada has incredible architecture that was influenced by the Arabic culture. One of the most historic pieces is the Alhambra which is a palace that was built in the 13th century. It is such an incredible piece of architecture and strikes you with awe each time you look at it. Granada is in the south of Spain so it is extremely beautiful and mild, for a Chicagoan, all times of the year. When I landed in January it was around 40-50 degrees and when I left in May it was around 90 degrees every day. This city is perfectly situated where you can take an hour bus ride to go skiing in the Sierra Nevada Mountains or a two hour bus ride to go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.

One of the best things about Granada is there are free tapas. You heard me right... FREE!!! Every time you go out and order a drink, you get free food. The best place to go is La Bella y La Bestia! They have a ton of locations in the city and they give you so much delicious food! The night life in Granda is also incredible. There are so many clubs in the city that offers various environments. Mae West is the biggest and the most elaborate. They have multiple clubs in one and it is an absolute blast. Camborio is on the smaller end but has a lot of outdoor areas that overlook the Alhambra at night. There are many more and they always have great deals!

My experience in Granada has shaped me for the rest of my life. I was able to make friends that will last me a lifetime. We will forever share a bond over a love of Granada. I was also able to learn a lot about myself. While you are there, you need to embrace every moment and embark on as many opportunities as you can. If you go to Granada, you will have an incredible family, CEA, that will support you and help you along the way!