Study Abroad

In the Summer of 2022, I traveled to Granada, Spain through Clemson’s Language Immersion Program (CLIP). CLIP is a one month immersion program offered through Clemson University where students can take classes, live with a host family, and travel through their city and country. Granada is located in southern Spain’s Andalusian region, at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. I traveled from May-June, so the spring weather was absolutely gorgeous. I stayed with my host mom Ana María and 2 other Clemson students in her apartment in the city which was located close to our school. 

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My host mom, Ana María, did not speak English. Living with her proved to be a challenge while greatly improving my Spanish speaking and comprehension skills. We learned a lot from Ana María about the culture, day to day life, her experiences, etc. She would often give us recommendations of places to visit, explore, eat, and shop at. My roommates and I were also able to cook with Ana María, following her authentic Spanish recipes for food such as tortilla española and patatas pobrecitas. Along with that, we lived with her cat Rosalía and were able to take care of her and grow close to her. Ana María loved to answer our questions about her life in Spain, educate us about Spanish history, and was very interested in our lives in America. She loves living in Granada and when I return to Spain in the spring, I look forward to visiting her to catch up. 

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Our school schedule included classes Monday through Thursday, taught by a Clemson professor and a local professor. Our afternoons were free unless we had an excursion planned through the program, which allowed us to explore the city and embrace the culture. The program would plan educational experiences for us such as tours, paella making, and language exchanges, which encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones and get the most out of our time there. Our weekends allowed us to travel as a program on excursions to neighboring cities. We spent a few days in Madrid when we arrived and traveled to Cadíz, Ronda, Seville, and Córdoba as a group. We completed walking tours of the city and explored the rich histories each had to offer. I absolutely loved taking tours of the cities and understanding how each is different with their own different histories. My favorite activity was visiting the Prado Museum in Madrid because I absolutely love museums and the artwork was beautiful, unique, and featured many old pieces throughout Spain’s long history. We were able to experience more of southern Spain and the different cultures and histories it has to offer. 

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On the weekends we did not have excursions planned, my roommates and I traveled to the beautiful beach towns of Salobreña and Nerja. We met more locals and explored here. We also met a lot of other travelers from different countries who were spending time at the beach! Here we were surprised by the amount of individuals who spoke English, but we soon learned that many families from England travel to southern Spain for “holiday” so it is quite common in the summer. We navigated the advanced public transportation systems in Spain by taking buses to and from the beach towns. 

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One of the ways I challenged myself while abroad in Granada, Spain was by getting to know the locals. This was challenging because I was constantly speaking Spanish with them, and Andalusian Spanish is different from other dialects of Spanish I had been taught in school. Instead of shying away from speaking and getting to know the locals, I embraced this challenge by becoming a regular at different pubs and restaurants in the city, and also participating in the language exchange events that our program provided. Close to my host mom's apartment was a pub that she encouraged my roommates and I to try one night. Nito's Pub quickly became our favorite spot. Only a 2 minute walk away from our apartment, we frequented the pub and shared many laughs and memories amongst ourselves, our friends, and even our professor. The pub served great drinks and tapas, and was a take on a 1920's American bar. We quickly became close with the two bartenders, a father and his son. Through our many nights at Nito’s, we learned about their life and experiences, and they were eager to share with us and learn about us as well. They knew we were working on our Spanish, so they would encourage us to speak Spanish with each other and them so we could learn about them and improve our Spanish simultaneously. Their welcoming nature and excitement for interacting with us encouraged us to return and, in a short period of time, become regulars at the pub. I believe putting in the effort to meet locals in the city is always worth it, because now I have a place to return to with open arms in Granada. 

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One of my favorite parts about Spain is the rich culture and traditions. America is a young country, so traveling somewhere with thousands of years of history and such a great preservation of that history felt otherworldly. Even in Granada, the Alhambra boasts a lifetime of experiences, spanning from thriving communities within its walls to near destruction from Napoleon and his army. Through our many different tours and class discussions, we were able to learn more about the city we were living in and its different communities. A fun anecdote our professor shared was that the trees in Granada grow fruit in the spring. The fruit is quite bitter and not enjoyable to eat unless for very rare occasions. She explained that you can always spot a tourist when they pick up a fruit off of the ground or from the tree and try to eat it. Though aesthetically pleasing, they are not very good!

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The residents in Granada and even Spain as a whole were the friendliest and happiest people. They loved to get to know us and help us practice our spanish. Many locals also encouraged us to help them practice their english! One thing that is very appealing to me about Spanish culture is the work-life balance. Citizens are encouraged to put themselves first and have a flourishing life outside of work with a flexible schedule and lots of personal time. This is completely different from the culture we have in America, and I believe that it is the correct way to live. In connection with this, siesta was something completely different I got to experience for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised by how normal a long break after lunch is, and that almost everyone naps during this time. I would often take this time to explore and walk through the city, along the water and through parks. However I quickly came to find that almost everything is closed until dinnertime, which as I stated is completely different from the United States. I really enjoyed this aspect of the culture because it encourages rest and time for yourself, away from work and stress. 

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It also works in connection with the eating habits including meal times and meal sizes. I absolutely loved getting to experience different cultures through food whether it was made by our host mom or at a restaurant. The meal times are different than in the United States. Breakfast, if any, is small and quick. I usually ate toast and eggs, which was not the norm but I would get very hungry in class if I didn’t have a good source of protein. Lunch is at around two or three pm, and lunch is the biggest meal of the day. This is immediately followed by siesta. Dinner is not usually until 9pm, and it is a very light meal paired with wine. I enjoyed not only the food, but the quality of food and the encouragement for a healthier lifestyle. Because the ingredients in Spain are so fresh and clean, I felt great after almost every meal despite the fact it wasn’t what I usually eat. Although it was an adjustment at first, I grew to like the schedule, mealtimes, and quality of the food. I even took back some cooking habits that I never had before. I now toast my bread or bagels in a pan with olive oil, and prefer it to a toaster! I also now try Spanish cuisine when I can and found a great Spanish restaurant in Charleston, SC that serves amazing, authentic paella!

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​I enjoyed my experience in Granada, Spain so much that I am returning to study in Spain in the spring semester of 2024. I will be studying in Seville, Spain and living with a new host family. I cannot wait to return and experience more of the Spanish culture and become fluent in the language. I look forward to not only exploring new parts of Spain and the world, but returning to some of my favorite sites and cities. I cannot wait to show my friends abroad all that Granada, Spain has to offer.