Submitted by Taylor Lopa on the 2016 summer session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
The first day that I was in Spain, my friend and I stayed in Madrid for a night, and stopped to eat at a restaurant that we saw while we were walking down the street. The owner of the store was a really welcoming man named Pepe who decided to give us some tips about what it would be like when we arrived in Granada. He spoke to us for some time, and having only taken one year of Spanish before I arrived in Spain, the only word that he said that I understood was “tapas”. For about two hours, I proceeded to smile and speak with my limited vocabulary, pretending to have a clue about what he was saying. It was at this moment that I had wondered what I had gotten myself into. At the time, I did not believe that I would be able to to truly adjust to life in Spain, because the study abroad that I am taking part in only lasts for one month. I very quickly realized ,however, that getting the chance to learn more about a different culture is a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience.
As far as the first few days went, it definitely was a challenge to adapt to living in a different place. Between getting lost, having eating schedules that were foreign to me, and being surrounded by people who speak a language that I am not fluent in, I was definitely at first, a little unsure of how quickly I would be able to become familiar with the Spanish lifestyle. The thought that it would be difficult to become accustomed to living somewhere new was not surprising. After all, I had lived in the United States for all of my life. What was shocking however, is how quickly I have gotten accustomed to the Spanish culture and customs. After just one week, I have vastly improved my Spanish vocabulary and listening skills, met many new Spaniards who have taught me about their culture, and I am taking siestas better than most Spaniards that I have met. Spain is truly a beautiful place that has a lot to offer, and being here for just one week has already taught me more about culture, myself and the world than I could have ever imagined.
