I studied during the Spring 2024 semester in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. I was interested in studying in the Andalusia region of Spain because of its rich history and cultural diversity. I was also intrigued by the Andalusian accent, which would be a challenge that I was ready to undertake.

Bib-Rambla Plaza with the Cathedral of Granada in the background

I arrived in Granada, Spain in early January, and was warmly welcomed by my host mother, Begoña. For the following five months, her apartment in the center of Granada was where I called home. The first thing that stood out to me about my new neighborhood, was how tight knit the community was. Neighbors would socialize in the plaza just outside our apartment, and everyone was very welcoming to me. Meeting my new neighbors in the plaza was my first experience with practicing my Spanish with locals. I quickly realized that I had a lot to learn.

When I planned my semester, I chose to arrive early so I could take an intensive Spanish language course. Just a day after my arrival, I started attending this class for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week for the entirety of January at the Center for Modern Languages at the University of Granada. During this month, my Spanish speaking, writing, and comprehension levels increased.

Also, during my first month in Granada, my host mother invited me to start a\ending a dance class with her. This class gave me the opportunity to get to know many locals, and to gain a deeper understanding of an important aspect of Andalusian culture: flamenco. I also started taking a flamenco dance class on Thursday evenings in January and continued to take it once a week until April.

My semester courses began in February. I took four classes: Spanish Grammar, Spanish Oral Production and Writing, History of Spain, and Spanish Literature at the Center for Modern Languages. I had classes four days per week, so I had 3-day weekends every week designated for traveling and immersing myself in the culture of Granada. In a typical day, I attended my classes until 2:30pm, then I headed back to my apartment for lunch with my host mother and roommate. I spent my afternoons and evenings hanging out with friends and exploring the city. I enjoyed going to bakeries, cafés, and local markets. My host mother made me dinner at 9pm every night, but when I didn’t eat at home I enjoyed going out for tapas (appetizers that come free with a drink) with friends.

View of the Alhambra from the Sacromonte quarter in Granada

View of the Albaicín neighborhood from inside the Alhambra

I traveled to 8 other countries during my semester, but some of my favorite weekends were the ones spent in Granada. It was unforgettable to be within walking distance of so many beautiful and historic places in the city. The most famous monument in Granada is the Alhambra palace, which is one of the best-preserved monuments of Islamic architecture and is the heart of the city. The palace was a thirty-minute walk from my apartment, and I got tickets to go inside twice. The architecture and designs carved into the stone are breathtaking. Some other excursions I went on within the city were to the caves of Sacromonte, the Albaicín neighborhood, the Cathedral of Granada, and hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I enjoyed these weekends in Granada because they presented me with many opportunities to practice my Spanish, and I was able to immerse myself in the culture of Granada.

After spending a semester in Spain, my Spanish has significantly improved, and I feel confident when speaking to native speakers. I would encourage anyone who has the chance to study abroad to do it. These past five months abroad have been more than I could have ever asked for, and I will carry these experiences with me through the rest of time at the University of Arkansas and into my future career.