Un Nuevo Hogar

I came into my semester in Granada nervous. I would describe myself as someone who likes routine and familiarity and these 4 months were anything but that. But looking back, going abroad to Granada with IES Abroad was absolutely the best decision I could have made. Although it may sound cheesy and/or unrealistic to some, I can honestly say that since going abroad I can see so much self growth in myself. At the end of the semester, I was so surprised by how hard I found it to say goodbye to the new life I had created. Today Lately I have been finding myself missing so much about my "2nd home". I miss the relaxed "no pasa nada" lifestyle in Granada that was such a refreshing change from my always busy U.S. life. I miss being able to walk anywhere and everywhere. I immensely miss my incredible host mom who not only always made sure my housemate and I were well fed, but also always supported and comfortable. I miss the IES staff and professors who taught me so many new things I would never have been able to learn at my home school, organized amazing activities for us in Granada (ex. cooking classes, wine tastings, open mic nights), planned trips for us ranging in location from nearby Cordoba to Morocco, and most importantly, were always there if we needed anything at all. I miss being able to meet up with my friends for tapas and tinto de verano and maybe gelato from Los Italianos afterwards. I miss studying in the IES center and getting to look up and see the Alhambra above me. Most of all, I miss the person I was able to be in Granada: similar, but also different to the person I am back in the U.S. Both the city of Granada and the IES Abroad program gave me so much, both personally and academically, and I will be forever thankful that I chose to push myself to go far outside of my comfort zone and study in Granada. Although it may have only been 4 months, I know that I will hold this experience close and continue to learn and grow from it for a long time.