Submitted by Caitlin Baker on the 2012 spring semester program in Granada, Spain…
This past week I was lucky enough to have my family come visit me. My Mom, Dad, older sister, and younger brother arrived in Granada last week. Showing them the around the city and being their tour guide really made me see that Granada has come to be a very familiar place to me. They were able to meet my host Mom and see where I live and go to school. It was great to share such a big piece of my life with them. It made me remember the first time they visited me at the University of Delaware. It is funny how even though I am in a different country, speaking a different language, and learning different things, some things are not that different at all — like the way you share a new home with the people you love.
After spending some time in Granada, we left to explore Cordoba and Sevilla, two cities that are also in southern Spain. Cordoba is famous for its diverse cultural history. Centuries ago, when peaceful religious coexistence was a rare occurrence, it was a city where Jews, Christians, and Muslims all lived harmoniously together. Sevilla is bigger and a bit more urban. It has lots of historic sites. The Plaza de España (shown below) is one of its most beautiful and awe-inspiring plazas, built for the 1929 Spanish expo which was held in Sevilla. The plaza became even more famous when it was used as a backdrop for the last Star Wars movie!
On Tuesday night, I headed back to Granada while my family stayed behind in Sevilla to take off to New York the next day. Studying abroad is certainly a momentous time in my life and I know that being able to share my experience here with my family will make it even more memorable.
