My Study Abroad Experience

Every college student’s dream is to study abroad, at least that was the case for me. I spent five weeks living in southern Spain in the beautiful city of Granada. And the best part? My sister did it with me! We went to the same university and we both studied Spanish, so we decided to take our studies to a Spanish speaking country and get the full experience of immersing ourselves into another culture.

Preparing for this trip was pretty straightforward considering our study abroad program at school laid everything out for us. After finding the program that went best with the courses we needed, we booked our flight without any hesitations. This was my first time visiting a country for longer than a week’s vacation and I was beyond excited that my sister decided to come along with me so we got to experience it together.

When doing a study abroad program, most of the time you get to choose between living with a host family or staying in a communal living situation. We decided we wanted to get the full experience and live like a local, so we went with the host family option! Living with a host family was such a unique experience. You’re living with strangers, in another country, sharing their world with them. Our host family welcomed us with open arms and they were so excited to have us stay! The language barrier was a little rocky to get around at first because our host mom didn’t speak any English, but luckily her daughter did. It was just the two of them and the two of us in a three bedroom, one bath apartment. My sister and I worked hard to keep up with our Spanish speaking skills so by the time we were leaving Spain, we could have a full conversation with them in their language. They were the sweetest and really made sure our time in Granada was well spent.

During the weeks that we were away, we spent most mornings and afternoons in the classroom learning and practicing our skills and meeting other students who were studying abroad also. Aside from school, our weeks were spent getting to know our host family, exploring every inch of Granada, eating loads of tapas (Spanish appetizers that can be found at every local restaurant), and taking siestas-for those of you who don’t know, in Spain they have siesta which is a time in the afternoon for naps and rest. Most shops and restaurants close for siesta as well. They do this because the afternoon is when the weather is the hottest in Spain! On most days after class, a nap was well needed to prepare for the Spanish nightlife that occurred every night! We had off on the weekends and although there was a ton of things to do and see in Granada, we took it up a notch and visited other cities in southern Spain, as well as other countries surrounding Spain!

Below I have listed all of the cities/countries that we were able to visit while studying abroad for five weeks, and under each of them I have enclosed pictures and some information about each. Be sure to add these cities to your bucket lists if they aren’t already!

SPAIN

Only being in Spain for five weeks, we knew we wanted to explore the cities down south. It was a huge help that our program organized some day and weekend trips for us. Here are the four cities we visited in Spain!

Granada

This is where we spent majority of our time considering it’s where our university and host family were located. The beautiful city of Granada is so rich in history. Most people skip over Granada when they travel to Spain since it is in the southern region. I knew I wanted to be in a town that wasn’t full of tourists and Granada was the perfect spot. Most of the foreigners that were there either lived there or they were also students like us! Our study abroad program had many day trips and weekend trips planned out for us which was a perfect way to get to know the city. But we also spent a lot of time getting lost in these beautiful streets on our own. Here are a few locations around Granada that you must add to your list when visiting!

Almuñécar

On the coast, this small beach town was perfect for a weekend trip! There were a few of us who took a bus from Granada to spend the weekend here. Rocky beach, clear blue water, and all the paella you can eat!

Seville

This trip was coordinated through our program and just a short bus ride away from Granada! We spent a whole day sightseeing this beautiful city.

Córdoba

During the same weekend as our trip to Seville, we stopped at this city which is filled with breathtaking cathedrals! Another day spent exploring the ins and outs of a new city.

PORTUGAL

In Europe, there are a ton of tour companies that coordinate trips for students studying abroad. The tour companies create the itineraries for your weekends! Between group activities and free time, this was the perfect option for us. We decided to do this as a way to meet more people and not have to worry about getting lost in yet again another new country! We spent a weekend in Portugal and here’s where we went, what we seen, and what we have done!

Sagres

This seaside city was our first stop in Portugal. We only caught the sunset on the cliffs, also known as the end of the world, before heading to our next destination.

Lagos

Another seaside city, Lagos was an absolute dream. This is where we spent majority of our time in Portugal. All of the beach vibes made me feel as though I was right at home!

MOROCCO

For our last weekend, we decided to go through the same tour company but this time to Africa! Morocco is just a bus and ferry away from southern Spain. This trip was unlike anything I have ever experienced before and definitely a must see destination!

Chefchaouen

Also known as the blue city! When I tell you everything was blue, I mean it. The walls, the streets, the buildings all colored blue and you want to know why? To keep the bugs away! Insane. This place was absolutely breathtaking.

Tangier

During our second day we made a pit stop in this city to ride camels! I personally didn’t ride the camels, but I did enjoy learning about them, playing with them, and watching my sister and friend ride them!

Asilah

Our last stop was this coastal city. We spent the day here shopping and overlooking the sea. Morocco has a ton of handmade gifts for sale. Everything was so unique and unlike anything I have ever bought before!

I truly believe that everyone experiences a place differently and these were just my experiences from studying abroad back in 2017. If you are reading this and you’re still in college, take the opportunity to at least look into studying abroad. Most universities have a study abroad office where you can go and look at the different programs that are available to students. Programs are usually in multiple places all over the world and some programs last weeks, months, or even a year. Doing a study abroad program is a great way to step into the unknown and see what else is out there. It’s an incredible way to get a taste of what living in a different culture feels and looks like. Two continents, three countries, and nine cities later, this trip only heightened my urge to continue traveling and exploring this big, beautiful world that we live in.