I Went Overseas and I Wish I Never Came Back

Where to even begin? My semester abroad in Granada, Spain with IES was by far one of the best experiences of my life! Not only was Granada the perfect city to study abroad in, but IES helped make it feel like home. My host family was phenomenal; they were warm, funny, energetic, generous, and welcomed me into their home with open arms. The classes were interesting, and while not the most academically rigorous, they allowed me to both vastly improve my Spanish skills and have the free time to explore the city and travel. Speaking of travel, the IES led trips were some of the best I took all semester. The five days in Morocco were not only incredibly fun, but insightfully organized and educational. The other day and weekend trips throughout Spain were also great, as they brought me to beautiful Spanish cities I otherwise wouldn’t have explored. But the most incredible part of the travel was how happy I was to come home to Granada every time. Granada is beautiful, the people are friendly, it’s exciting but never feels overly touristy, and most importantly to me, it was small enough (but not too small) that I really felt like I got to know it by the end of my time there. Studying abroad in Granada was the best decision I ever made, and while it definitely had its difficulties (as all adventures do) I still wake up every morning wishing I was in Spain again.