I have now surpassed the halfway point (“la mitad”) of my study abroad experience here in Granada, and honestly it sometimes still doesn’t feel real. I still have those moments where I wake up in the morning disoriented, I still have days where I really just want to see my family or vent to my mom, and I definitely (and always will) still feel like a foreigner. But, there are lots of street corners and customs and expressions and frustrations that feel far more familiar now. Even new people — I have gotten to spend several days and meals with my host mom’s granddaughters and I always find myself in the best mood afterwards because of how warm and patient and genuinely interested they act around me. I still have not been to any country other than Spain, and I’m so grateful for all the cities here that I’ve had to opportunity to visit. All of this has made me even more elated that I chose Granada to study in, as it still remains my favorite city that I’ve been in. Looking forward to the next two months, where I am working hard on doing lots of reflecting, incorporating even more Spanish where I can, exploring a little bit every day, and hopefully meeting some Spanish friends AND finishing a whole Spanish chapter book that until now has just been sitting on my bedroom shelf hoping to be picked up.
