Granada - Tienes mi corazón

 4 months later... I'm going home. The beginning and end of this journey is filled with a mix of different goodbyes and hellos. Leaving Rhode Island in January was pretty filled with goodbyes, especially nervous ones because I didn't have the biggest idea of what living in Spain was going to be like. The hellos, new people and first encounters in Granada were both welcoming but also frightening. My beginning struggles with the language let me tell you, not smooth AT ALL. And meeting everyone almost reminded me of when I moved to Vermont for my freshman year, making new friends and being in a new environment. Yea I was a little spooked because I went out of my comfort zone. Looking at it now, when I think about the person I was coming into the Granada and being the person subtly venting her "leaving her abroad experience" feelings to you via blog, it’s absolutely bizarre.

I came to Granada with hardly any Spanish, a stupidly weak ankle and as much of an open mind as I tried. And in 4 months, like anyone who has spent a semester abroad would say, Granada became my home. Obviously I can say that from living here but it’s more than that. It’s the routine I had here, my classes where even one of my professors called us her "ninos" (children) and was where they goodbyes were harder than I thought. Any place whether it be Rhode Island or Vermont that I have called home I have always been surrounded by a beach or mountain, being able to explore. Granada is no different. I have been to some of the most beautiful beaches I have seen here and even this past Sunday my friends and I went on a longer hike through the mountains (my ankle was not a fan of that one but so worth it!). For Granada being a city, and having some beautiful parts within it, it’s amazing how much nature is around it. I've gotten to explore a decent amount of Europe while having the opportunity to be over here but getting to explore around Granada is by far the most breathtaking part. My friends and I joked around while having a lunch break on the hike about how it almost looks like we got green-screened into the scene because it was that pretty.

Home can be a lot of different definitions. In different places I have gotten to see, my definition of home mainly refers to one thing: the people. This was more than true in Granada. Not the older ladies who would call me out on the street if my hair was wet or tell me "que es ropa de verano?!" when I was wearing shorts. Not all the gypsies, who after 4 months of seeing me walk by them on the street still every morning persistently tried to give me rosemary and tell me my fortune. But rather the people I met here. My roommates who without a doubt had some of the biggest hearts and were some of the most down to earth people I have come to meet. Who didn't mind that we would forget our keys, would never turn down an opportunity to go on crazy hikes and wholly accepted our love to chocolate and supported each other’s relationship with it. 

Coming from Rhode Island, Washington, Mexico and Belgium, a tri-lingual household with wonderful friends I will never forget. Hopefully I will be able to see your cities someday. And also in my group of friends, who explored and got cultured together wandering through Barcelona and Belgium, who still hung out with me after my 21st birthday and on a long boat ride back from Morocco were able to make each other laugh so much we prevented any of us from getting sick during the bumpy ride. You ladies are amazing in your own way, and even though I keep catching myself saying "y'all" and I didn't feel my feet after our walking ventures sometimes, I am more than grateful to have met you and cannot wait to see you again.

I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t have a hard time leaving this city. I stayed a week later than my program but left Granada the same day as everyone. I knew I would be staying in Europe getting to visit Rome and the island of Mallorca for a week before returning to the states.  But staying up my last night in the city with my friends not one of us was being calm and collected, and realized how much we were going to miss it. My departure from Granada was actually pretty climactic, which didn’t help the bittersweet feeling. After many goodbyes and the last goodbye to my roommate Sofia, I headed to the Malaga airport as the sun rose.

If you have the opportunity and the chance to go abroad, I’m not going to be tough and say you’re a goon for not taking it. Things happen, but there is nothing and will never be anything quite like it. And for that, I’m grateful for the last 4 months. As bittersweet as it is leaving, there are some people and my pretty adorable puppies I can’t wait to see. Hasta luego Granada y muchas gracias por todo!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
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Studying Abroad

Since its the end of the semester the hot conversation topics consist of: "Bittersweet feelings", "How do you feel about being abroad now that its almost over?", "Would you have done it differently?"

What I have repeated probably over and over again subtly in each blog post I have written since the day I set foot in Europe, studying abroad is an experience far from anything else. If you have the chance or the possibility to do it, go. Don't hesitate and don't think twice about it. It will be one of the hardest things you do in ways you least expect, but it will be one of the best things you will ever experience. Being able to immerse yourself in another culture, whether there is a language barrier or not, is something that changes your complete outlook on life. From studying abroad you gain a new perspective on things: on people, the places you know and your world becomes a little bigger. "Broadening your horizons" is a phrase I use jokingly with people but in the most literal sense possible this is what studying abroad does. To pretty much sum it up this is why you need to go: You will become the best version of yourself from it. You will learn so much about yourself and how to jump out of the comfort zone you have had for the past 19 to 21 years. Even when you are filling out all the paper work, applications and all that jazz to get to where you want to go, you will have no idea what is going to happen until the day you leave.  Also when you are thinking of going abroad or are about to take off, its is 110% normal to be nervous. I would be lying to you if I said it didn't bite all my nails off or call home the second I got a hold of good wifi. Its absolutely normal to feel that way and for the beginning of studying abroad in itself. 

My friends and I have talked about how we felt at the beginning when we first got to Spain and we all agreed it was a mixed feeling because we hadn't gotten adjusted yet. Don't let that stop you and when that feeling hits, I promise you the first two weeks are the hardest and it gets easier! Classes help a lot because you get a schedule and they are also interesting too because they are sort of a hidden tour guide for you throughout the semester giving you information about the area and region you are studying in.

What I recommend, which makes it so more challenging, is to go somewhere where they don't speak English. Not that English speaking countries aren't beautiful and have a awesome culture of their own, its an entirely different experience going somewhere where English is not the dominant language. I can tell you plenty of cities in Europe where they will switch to English when they hear you make a mistake or don't complete the sentence correctly. But that's why being fully immersed in a place where English isn't the dominant language is so beneficial because it challenges you to learn the language and be able to get by in everyday life with the basics of that language.

No matter where you go, the best part of studying abroad is being able to explore. Whether the country you study abroad in is so large that you explore the whole thing or you go to Europe and are able to travel to many countries, its all brand new and this new place is literally your oyster. In 4 months (plus 1 week) when my semester is over, I was lucky enough to be able to visit seven different countries crossing two continents and see a whole lot of Spain. This is the other big piece of advice I suggest, save up as much as you can in every way. Cut back on things you don't need and save them for things you might want to do abroad. I saved up for a long time to come abroad and I am so happy I did because travelling is so cheap here. Even though I ate a lot of crackers and peanut butter sandwiches the past 4 months to save money while travelling, it was absolutely worth it.

Plan ahead, take any chance you get. I promise you its an opportunity you might not ever get again to go to a foreign country to live and experience their culture. It is the most bittersweet feeling leaving a beautiful place like this, but I have some awesome people to see when I get home! Take every chance and never stop adventuring.

Mi ciudad favorita

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31

Living in the Iberian Peninsula

In having learned a lot about the history and culture of the area, here are some pretty interesting facts of where I am studying abroad:

• Spain and Portugal make up the Iberian Peninsula, which was huge throughout history for its valuable land and trading opportunities
• There is a point in Sangres, Portugal called "the end of the world" where the Portuguese and Catholic Monarchs believed the world ended before the Age of Discovery
• Spain is the worlds largest producer of olive oil
• Spain has been conquered over and over again by empires from the Romans to the Visigoths, the Moorish Empire which gave it its Islamic culture and then by the Catholic Monarchs

A whole lot of history is here in the Iberian Peninsula, more than we are taught in US schools where they mainly focus on the Age of Discovery and the Catholic Monarchs. This past weekend I got to check off one of my top places to visit while abroad and got to explore the other side of the peninsula by visiting southern Portugal. I went to the towns of Albufiera, Sangres and Lagos. Needless to say at some point in my life whenever that may be I will find a way to get back there, and live somewhere in Portugal because it is a beautiful country!

We got to see the craziest cliffs at the end of the world, which hands down is one of the prettiest places I have ever seen. From there we went to Lagos which we were told was a decently underrated city for travelling to, and I can see why it was an adorable town with gorgeous beaches. I could have easily stayed don't think I wouldn't have. The trip was called "Paradise Weekend" for a good reason, it was a great time with great company!

Coming back to Granada I realized that was my last trip of the semester. I am travelling to Rome and Majorca for a week before heading back to the US but two weeks from today my program ends, and I don't even know how to comprehend that. There was so much built up to studying abroad and now that its almost over, bittersweet is really the only word to describe it. I'm excited to be home and see my family (and of course my pups!) but I am going to miss the people and this city. I am going to miss the awesome group of friends who I was lucky to get to travel Europe with and the professors who taught me more than I could have thought. One of my friends sent us an article about the friends you make travelling, and how those friends are so valuable. It hit the nail on the head for how much I am going to miss the people I have met here. The entire semester has memories and people I will never forget, and has been the best experience I could ask for. Here is to the next two weeks and the city I have called home.

My Spanish class and our adorable professor!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31