Una ciudad espectacular

My time abroad gave me a great opportunity to really think about culture, the impact the US really has on so much of the world, how much privilege we have living here, and of course language. Through the experience, my Spanish improved a great deal, especially my confidence when speaking. I always knew I wanted to study abroad in Spain, and I decided to study in Granada because it's a smaller city. It was nice to be in this size of a city because I could truly get a feel for it and all of its different neighborhoods in the short time there, there was less influence of the English language so I was forced to speak in Spanish all the time, but it was still sizable enough to have a lot of life and excitement at any time of day (and I mean any time--the discotecas don't usually get busy until 2:30 AM).
The IES program and staff were great and very helpful as I tried to navigate my way through my time abroad. Most of the staff members in this program were enthusiastic, helpful, and really seemed to love what they do and interact with their students.
Granada is a beautiful, exciting city and I loved being there for four months. The city itself is one of my favorites that I visited in Spain, as it has a unique vibrancy, incredibly interesting architecture, upbeat and beautiful city streets and plazas, and of course an amazing tapas culture. One of my favorite parts of the city was that it's in a very mountainous area, making it incredibly picturesque in every part of the city. Every day as I walked home to my homestay I would look up at the end of the street and see snow covered mountains in the distance. This kind of terrain also provides for some of the most incredible views I have ever seen. I really felt like the city was my home for my visit and I felt comfortable traversing and exploring it independently.
All in all, my stay in Granada was incredibly positive. I grew a lot as a global citizen, a Spanish speaker, a traveler, and a person. I would highly recommend this program to other students looking for a Spanish study abroad experience!