Author: Molly O’Neill | Major: Exercise Science | Semester: Summer 2025

Riding camels in Asilah, Morocco

This summer, I spent 2 months in the town of Granada, Spain, located in the region of Andalusia, with about 35 other students who had decided to go abroad with an external program through their university. The program I chose to do through the University of Arkansas was the AIFS Summer program. I intended to gain a global understanding of the Spanish language, Spanish culture and earn 6 credits toward my Spanish Language minor.

On May 29th, 2025, I boarded my first flight in 14 years. An 8-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The second my parents dropped me off at security, I was on my own. I only had dreams of studying abroad, immersing myself in another country’s lifestyle and culture, but as I got out of my taxi in Granada, Spain, it was all finally tangible. In my head, I was reciting the words and phrases I knew in Spanish, preparing myself to have to pull from the semesters of Spanish at the University of Arkansas, as well as my years of speaking in high school. I chose this program through AIFS because they appealed strongly to the cultural immersion in southern Spain and directly enrolled students at the University of Granada, which has a renowned global language center. When I first arrived at the student residency in central Granada, I was immediately thrown into the language. My staff at the residency spoke rapid Spanish, so I just nodded in understanding as she gave me a tour. I immediately felt under-prepared and intimidated. I struggled with these feelings for about a week. Luckily, my roommate at the residence was an international student at Texas A&M University and spoke almost fluent Spanish. I was able to have her coach me through slang and colloquial Spanish words and phrases to help my Spanish become more conversational. By the end of my summer, I was able to better communicate with the students, professors, and locals.

One of the biggest influences on my Spanish comprehension was the time I spent in school. The University of Granada enrolled me in an intense language and culture program, so I was able to earn the necessary credits. This meant I was in class for 5 hours each morning, Monday through Friday. Since I was attempting 6 credit hours, I split my classes between June and July. This lightened my load and allowed me to focus on 2 classes at a time. I owe it all to my professors at the University. They were as eager to teach as we were to learn, and for that, I will forever be appreciative. My intensive language professor Lucia changed my perspective on the Spanish language. Being in her class, I was understanding the language with a new intention. Lucia ran the classroom as one big 2-hour conversation; she had us talk to partners and would take intermittent breaks to correct grammar and provide explanations for our errors, as we were all international students. At first, I felt like I was constantly making errors and being corrected, which made me frustrated. I felt like I was behind even though I was placed at an Advanced level. Eventually, Lucia paired me up with another student at my same level, and I immediately felt a difference. She was a student at the University of Texas, Austin, and we were both able to challenge ourselves and have deeper conversations at a higher level. I started to feel confident in my conversational skills and understanding the nitty-gritty of Spanish grammar. Since the time we spent at the language center was so intensive, the students gained a newfound sense of belonging within the city of Granada. We were able to interact with locals at restaurants and in the plazas. By the end of the summer, it felt like a second home to many of us.

I specifically remember a fond moment I experienced at the sports complex during a local soccer game. I remember feeling shy speaking Spanish to our local friends, and I explained to them that I was still practicing. In the same regard, they responded that they would practice their English only if I practiced my Spanish. This small exchange made my day. I remembered that I was not the only one trying to fit in and practice my understanding of another language, that the other students were too. It made me feel like I was no longer alone.

Each weekend and throughout each week, the AIFS staff planned a cultural experience for the students in the program. My favorite experiences were the ones we had in Granada. Between hiking the Sierra Nevada mountain range to attending a flamenco show in a cave in Granada Old Town, I wouldn’t be able to choose a favorite. Each experience is held close to my heart. I learned something new almost every day. My eyes were opened to cultures very different than what I was accustomed to. I will miss everything about Spanish culture. The tapas, the dances, the laidback lifestyle, the vast variety of music, the natural beauty, the architecture, art, and specifically the deep-rooted history and global context of the Spanish language. One thing that surprised me the most about my summer in Granada was the amazing connections I made with the people I met. I now feel a sense of worldly belonging, now that I have friends in every corner of the country and across the ocean. I feel lucky to have made instantaneous connections with people from other American universities, but also with people from England, Brazil, Australia, the Netherlands, and Spain. These connections will last a lifetime, since we shared such an integrating experience over the course of two months. I will never forget standing on the balcony of my residency looking over the bustling streets of Granada, taking in everything and pondering the life-changing summer I was about to have, and did.