Submitted by Rebecca Jaeger on the 2013 fall semester program in Granada, Spain..
While I enjoyed spending many weekends getting to know Granada, I made my first international trip two weeks ago to the gorgeous coastline of Portugal. Prior to coming to Spain, I never would have thought that I would go to Portugal, but I am glad that I did! I traveled to the town of Lagos with about 130 other study abroad students from all over Spain. Lagos is a small city located on the coast and has everything you would want in a resort town. After a long first week of classes, it was very relaxing to get to spend the weekend soaking up the sun on some of Portugal’s beautiful beaches. There, I had the opportunity to explore the intricate grottoes that line the shore by both speedboat and kayak. After those excursions, I also went snorkeling in the crystal clear Atlantic Ocean. One of my favorite parts of the weekend, however, was traveling down to the Southwestern tip of Portugal to watch the sunset over the Atlantic. Needless to say, it was a very relaxing weekend!
But before you go about thinking that study abroad is all fun and no work, let me inform you that it is not! As a study abroad student, time management is incredibly important, especially if you are traveling to other countries. There is still schoolwork to get done, so it is necessary to find a balance between enjoying the study abroad experience and doing work. So yes, while I occasionally get to spend my weekends on the beach, I most certainly spend my weeks in the books!