Submitted by Brianna Ramirez on the 2016 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
When preparing to study abroad, there are a million and one thoughts that run through your mind. You imagine what life will be like in your host country and take bits and pieces of things you’ve heard from people who have already studied abroad. I came to Granada with the belief that every day would be new and exciting, and that I would have all these adventures in this city. Little did I know that a huge part of studying abroad is just living a normal life in another country.
Currently, the normalcy is very comforting. We are currently in the middle of midterms and I feel the stress I normally would back home. I wake up knowing what to expect. I go to class, I study and do homework just as I would if I were at UD. I spend time with my host mother and we have tea and a snack after siesta every day. On Saturday or Sunday ,my roommate and I go to el Albaicín to watch the sunset. I have a favorite café and tapas place. I know this city, which at one point in time felt like a labyrinth, like the back of my hand. However, whenever I imagined what life would be like here, the word “normal” was something I never thought I would use to describe it.
