mi año

I had the opportunity to spend an entire academic year in Granada. The two semesters were different in their own ways, but the whole experience was nothing short of amazing.
IES Granada does an amazing job of choosing interesting courses that take advantage of all the city has to offer. They offer a great crash course to culture and life in Granada as well as to its incredibly rich history. It is difficult to put a year into a blurb, but I will try.
A day in the life. My amazing host mother (with whom I stayed all year) made sure breakfast was ready by the time I showered and dressed. Then it was off to class - we all had grammar in the morning. By the second semester, I took advantage of time between that and my next class for a coffee, hopefully with a friend but sometimes to get a head start on homework (much to the dismay of the locals - you are not to mix eating--pleasure--with work!).
After morning classes, lunch at home was definitely a priority because host mothers always make the best everything. Lentils out are never as good as lentils at home! Siesta became sacred. It took a while to get used to, but that time of rest is precious. It definitely got to the point when it was a struggle to get through my 4pm class twice a week because I needed that break!
I took most of my classes at the IES center with some at the local Universidad de Granada, too. That was a great way to challenge my language skills and meet non-Americans. Regardless, all my courses were in Spanish.
IES did an excellent job of offering suggestions for things to do. There were organized events as well as listings of other ways to get involved more. They offered a very supportive audience for our flamenco dance class, too! The trips to Morocco, Cádiz, Córdoba, Sevilla, Ronda, Cabo de Gata, Málaga, etc were informative and so much fun. I was able to get involved with the Universidad de Granada choir and meet friends through that. Each time I go back, I still hang out with them.
I took advantage of IES's internship offering, too, and had an internship in the cultural diffusion office at the Biblioteca de Andalucía where I did translations as well as work with cultural events. I was able to help with translations of other publications, as well.
I very much appreciated that my year there was a year of normal events and activities, just elsewhere. The night scene and the tapas and leisurely strolls and hikes were absolutely an essential part to that, too. Everything had its own Spanish and, more importantly, Andalusian flair.
My time there had its challenges, absolutely. It is tiring learning a new language and cultural differences. The closer I got to the locals, the more those differences came to light. People thought my life was like the movies and sometimes I just wanted to not have to charge through old ladies with umbrellas stopping to catch up in the middle of sidewalks. It can be a real challenge to join well-established social groups, so making local friends had its challenges. The university system was an adjustment, too, but, again, these all pale in comparison to my overall experience.
I never thought I would try my hand at directing--in Spanish--or dance in the middle of a plaza trying to learn Sevillanas. I never thought I would tour around Andalucía with a choir or be called 'half Spanish.' I never thought I would fall in love with a culture, a city and people the way I did. To this day I call my host mom and friends every so often and I do not think I will ever have to stay in a hotel there.
The Alhambra is an obvious draw to Granada. It is stunning and you can never go there too many times. Buying cookies from the nuns at a convent around Christmas is the whakiest, coolest business transaction you can find anywhere. You cannot go wrong with shoe shopping. Flamenco is everywhere. I went there looking for immersion, not really knowing what that would mean.
Long story short, my year there was amazing and I think I found out what an immersion experience is.