Taking on Europe: Round 2

When applying to schools one of my deal breakers was a study abroad program. I didn't walk into college knowing exactly where I wanted to go but after going to France and Spain on a 10 day trip my senior year of high school, I knew if I got the chance to go abroad again I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. Popping around Google, Study Abroad Catalogs and of course Pinterest I did some research and decided I wanted to go back to Spain. On my senior year trip I spent a quick 3 days in Barcelona and thought it would be awesome to go back and get to see more! I decided to apply to study abroad in Granada, Spain because of its programs, southern location and area. I am not a city person and as much as I loved Barcelona, I knew a setting like Granada was more for me. I chose to go spring semester not only because of rugby’s fall season but also because of the seasons there. Hey if I can sneak in one European ski day, I will be happier than a clam at high tide! With my program I get to even travel around Spain and get to visit some pretty cool places:

 ·     Alhambra — One of Granada’s main sites with the world-famous Patio de los Leones and the Salon de Embajadores and visit the colorful Generalife garden

      ·     The Moorish neighborhood of the Albaicin - from 10^th century Muslim Spain where there are winding, narrow streets lead to quaint plazas with apparently gorgeous views of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

       ·    The Cathedral and Royal Chapel of Granada, burial place of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand

       ·     Hike in the Sierra Nevada mountains

       ·     Weekend visit to Morocco, yea Morocco. Enough said.

       ·     A visit to Toledo, Spain with its historic synagogues and cathedrals 

       ·     Gibraltar, Seville, Córdoba: Weekend trip to Gibraltar, Seville, Córdoba to see some pretty awesome places such as the Rock of Gibraltar, Europa Point and Lighthouse and St.Michael’s Caves. That’s only Gibralter too, its gonna be a jam packed 3 days!

       ·     Anywhere and everywhere else I can hopefully visit! France and Ireland if I can!

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So you are probably wondering how planning for studying abroad is going. Saint Mike’s is actually pretty on top of the study abroad program and through applying with AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study) I was able to get a lot of the tedious paperwork in early. From my senior year trip my passport was already set to go, and I plan to go to Boston soon to pick up my VISA. All the technical stuff is coming together, now it’s just getting mentally prepared to live in a foreign country for almost 5 months. How on earth do you pack 5 months’ worth of stuff into one or two suitcases? Granted I am not a savvy shopper and have a ton of clothes but it’s going to be interesting! I think I will just cross that bridge when I get there. Either way I can’t begin to describe how excited I am for the opportunity and to get to go back to Europe. January 4^th: Let the adventure begin!

For more information on Study Abroad, click the Study Abroad tab on the SMC website!

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