I remember the first day of my art history class, my opera loving professor had us sing those words over and over again. For my English friends, it translates to "Granada, land I've been dreaming of," and is the opening to the song "Granada." Ever since that day, I had that song in my head as I did everything in Granada. There is something so special about Granada. I am not a city girl at all, but I loved my time living there so much. It's crazy and bittersweet that I'm sitting in my own bed in America right now.



It's amazing to reflect on myself and how I've changed during my time there. Looking back on the scared girl getting off of the plane in Madrid to the woman I am now, not afraid of wandering around just to get a little lost in new places, I see so much more independence and fire in myself. And although there were times when I did get a little lost, literally and figuratively, I truly feel like I did what God brought me there to do. I immersed myself in the culture, broadened my view of the world, and although I have become more independent, I see that I am nothing when I am alone.  

Thank you so much to my family and friends in Spain who made this experience all that it was for me. Thank you for pushing me to do things outside of my comfort zone and for being completely crazy with me. I could go on forever about how much I love all of you and all of the insane things we did together, but words just can't do our bond and amazing semester together justice. You all mean so much to me, and I wouldn't want to have shared this experience with anyone else. 







It's so sappy, but I can't thank you all enough for making this experience one that I will never forget. And to my family and friends at home, especially my loving and supportive fiancé, I could not have made it through without you! And of course, the big man upstairs. He has blessed me beyond belief with something that makes saying goodbye so hard both in Spain and at home. My semester abroad was truly the experience of a lifetime, and I will forever treasure the friendships and memories I've made in Granada.

No es adios, es hasta luego.

-Breezy

As my study abroad experience comes to a close, I can definitely say that one of the best parts of it has been living with a host family. There is something so special about a family who wants to share their home and way of life with students from around the world. No matter what your host family is like, a bond is formed when you live with some one for a semester.

I was extremely lucky with the family I was assigned to, as were many of my friends studying here. I love to hear them talk about little things they do with their families or reasons why they love them so much. The dynamic of each family is different, but all are so happy with their families.

Some of my friends are staying in apartments, and they love it! They're independent people, and it works for them. If you're an absolutely independent person, this is probably a better option. It is a bit of an adjustment going from the complete freedom of apartment or dorm life to following a family's schedule, but if you can sacrifice a bit of freedom to have the courtesy to tell your family where you're going and to come home for their meal times, living with a host family is an amazing experience.

Here are just a few of the reasons why I love living with a host family:

• Complete cultural immersion. For me, this is the best perk of them all. Living with a family, I've seen firsthand how a normal family lives day to day. How they interact, how the daily schedule works, when and what they eat, how they decorate their home, and so many more little things that I never even thought about before I realized they were different, like how they answer the phone. But the best of them all is the language. Being completely surrounded by it at school and in the house has made me improve so quickly! Except for one of my sisters who is learning English, none of my family really speaks English… I love this! When I wouldn't understand a word, they'd explain it to me in Spanish to teach me rather than just giving me the English translation - a practice that helps so much more! After my experience, I totally believe that if you're going to a country to learn the language, staying with a family is the way to go.

• FOOD. We're talkin' homemade empanadas, Spanish tortillas, croquetas, arroz con leche, tomato creations galore, and the best soups you will ever have. I've learned so much about the Spanish diet living with a family, eaten healthier than I would have living in an apartment, and even gotten some great recipes to bring home for the future hubs!

• A guide. What better way to learn about a new place than with people who have been living there forever? Having two host sisters has been awesome for this. Not only is it good getting to talk in Spanish with someone so easy to relate to, but it's wonderful having someone who is always more than happy to tell me the best places to go (ones that Spaniards go to!), to show me around the city, and occasionally to tapear and fiesta with :) 

Ever since I studied classic literature from Spain's Golden Age (my favorite period of Spanish literature and art) and learned of the authors' love for the city of Sevilla, I have dreamed of going there. And what girl hasn't had Barcelona on her bucket list since The Cheetah Girls 2? This past month I was lucky enough to get to go to both of these gorgeous cities.

I can't explain why I love Sevilla so much, but it's become one of my favorite cities in the entire world. Perhaps because it reminds me a bit of a spread out Granada. But also, I believe that your experiences affect how you perceive a place, as I learned from my rough start in Madrid, so I can definitely see how my weekend spent there with some of my favorite people who I've met here in Granada made Sevilla such a special place for me. 


We were only there for a short amount of time - Saturday and part of Sunday - so we were limited as to what we could do. We went and saw the Sevilla cathedral, a definite must see for anyone who goes to Sevilla. It was actually originally a mosque, but was converted into a cathedral when Spain regained control of Sevilla (I've learned all about this in my art history class, let me have my nerd moment). It's also the third biggest church in the world! Unfortunately, we didn't go inside, but the vastness of the outside alone make it worth at least stopping by. We also spent some time walking along the river that runs through the city, the Guadalquivir River, which is just gorgeous! Sevilla is a spread out city, so not many people walk place to place here, but a walk down the river is definitely something everyone should do.






Since our time was limited, here's what I want to do next time I'm in Sevilla:

• Metropol Parasol - One of the largest wooden buildings in the world with a funky design and a gorgeous view of the city from the top. 
• Go inside the cathedral - The outside is amazing, but I can only imagine what the inside must be like.
• See a flamenco show - Although I've already seen a good one in Granada, Sevilla has some of the best flamenco that Spain has to offer.

• Las ramblas - A worker at our hostel told us that this has some of the best nightlife in Barcelona, and cool shops for the day time. This area is right in the city center, where I'd also like to be able to spend more time next time I'm in Barcelona.
• Parque Güell - I did get to see the park and some of the cool architecture there, but I didn't get to actually go into the park. You have to buy tickets in advance to enter, so next time I will definitely do this to see the iconic mosaic bench and to get to go into the museums!
• See the coast - Not a lot of people kow that Barcelona's actually on the coast of Spain! We biked close to the Mediterranean Sea, but never made it there. There's a huge park near the coast where the old Olympic Stadium is located that I would love to explore more one day - but I better get in shape first, because the hill up to the park is a doozy!

These were two wonderful trips with some wonderful people. The more of Spain that I see, the more I fall in love with it and appreciate its culture like never before. Next up is my trip to Madrid! Let's see if I can get caught up on here before my next trip :) Hasta luego!