Submitted by Gabriela Morrell-Zucker on the 2016 summer session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
“Bienvenidos a Espana!” (Welcome to Spain!) These were the first welcoming words my host mother spoke to my roommate and I as our travel group finally arrived at our final destination to meet our host families.
I was then immediately greeted with a hug and an anticipated kiss on each cheek, my first culture shock.
As we made our way home with our hefty luggage beside us and our eyes wide open, I began to take in
my surroundings. The small and vast “tiendas” (shops), the narrow and uneven “calles” (roads), and of
course the very potent smell of cigarettes. All of this had just become my new reality, and I could not be
more thrilled to be here. I hadn’t mentally prepared for this program since I have travelled to Europe before and I have spent a good amount of time away from my parents my freshman year of college. Even with my
past experiences of traveling alone, I knew this would be like no other time abroad. Our first full day
began with a surprisingly small breakfast of tostada (bread), jam, café and sandia (watermelon). Not my
usual three course breakfast at Pencader dining hall, but it’s something I must get used to.
We then began to explore our new city with our tour guide Marcel, a local born and raised. What I first noticed were the unique Arab influences displayed in the city streets and restaurants. We passed countless Moroccan tiendas and many mouthwatering shawarma and hookah cafes, something I hadn’t expected to see.
Every other block there seemed to be a tasteful ancient building and a new street to explore.
This day just so happened to be the hottest Granada had been in the past few weeks, and boy could we feel it. We eventually had the chance to return to our new homes for a delicious lunch of tortilla, which here is not
the typical flat and flimsy bread we are used to in the United States, but it is a potato and egg cake served like a quiche. It was quite delicious. By this mid-day I was surprised at how tired I was and I later learned that it was the intense heat in the summer that caused the stores to close and for the siesta to begin. A siesta, aka the best thing ever, is a nap taken right after lunch around 3 o’clock. It is by far my favorite part of the day. I cannot wait to see what Granada has in store for me these next 4 weeks, the
adventure has only begun.