Submitted by Sibel Tekmen on the 2016 spring semester program in Granada, Spain…
I arrived in Granada, Spain about 12 days ago, but it feels like I have been here for months! After traveling for nearly 30 hours, I finally arrived at a little airport in Granada. Luckily, some of the other students on the program were also waiting for the flight to Granada from Madrid and we had the opportunity to meet each other early on. Everything went smoothly, and we arrived in Granada on a warm and sunny morning. However, there was one problem that had me worried for a bit. My second suitcase did not arrive with the rest of the luggage from the flight. We notified the airlines and, almost 24 hours later, my suitcase arrived just as they had promised. I was relieved and amazed at the swiftness of the service, and what could have been a huge disappointment turned into appreciation and gratitude for the airport.
My first day in Granada was a little rough only because I did not expect Granada to be so urban. I was a little anxious about learning how to navigate my way through the city. In addition, my host mother spoke Spanish very fast with a thick Granada accent. But finally, after asking her to repeat herself slowly several times, my roommate and I were able to understand most of what Pilar was saying. Another aspect of Spanish life that was completely foreign to me was the Spanish tradition of the siesta and their daily schedule. The Spanish take a break during the day between the hours of 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm to eat lunch and rest. Lunch is the largest and most important meal of the day in Spain and they take their meals very seriously. Therefore, eating a large lunch at 3:00 pm was something I definitely needed to adapt to. Moreover, after eating lunch so late, it is customary to eat dinner later as well, at around 9:30 pm.
The program here is so intense and full of activities. We have visited the Alhambra, the most visited site in Spain, and have essentially explored the whole city already. Granada is situated in an area with many hills, but it is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. A few days ago, we visited the Parque de las Ciencias, which is a museum in Granada. There was an observation tower that we took an elevator to the top of. The view from the tower was amazing because we had a 360-degree view of all of Granada. It was definitely a day full of fun.
I cannot believe how much I have learned and adapted to already. I know the names of most of the streets that surround me and I definitely have been able to take advantage of the siesta time with a brisk nap. My main goal in Spain is to improve my Spanish as much as possible and visit as many historic and natural places as possible. I cannot wait for the months ahead!