My first few days in Spain have been a whirlwind of chaos and excitement! I didn’t realize that my actual journey to arrive in Spain would be the hardest part so far! I had 2 layovers and each layover was only an hour. I should have realized that one hour layovers are probably not the best idea when traveling internationally for the first time in foreign airports! My first layover was in London, and when I landed, a lady who worked at the airport was waiting for me at the gate and literally rushed me to my next gate for the next flight because I only had 15 minutes to catch the flight! Due to the short layovers, my luggage was never transferred to my next flight, so I didn’t receive it until the following day. I had to borrow clothes from my friends in the program, and I was also extremely jet-lagged. We slept for hours the first night we arrived. We flew into a beach town called Malaga because Malaga has a larger airport than Granada. The minute we arrived we walked with our program to an open air restaurant located right on the beach, over-looking the sparkling aqua agua of the Mediterranean. Our first meal consisted of calamari, salad, and grilled chicken and french-fries. I was not exactly thrilled with the french fries, but I guess the people of Spain wanted to make us Americans feel at home!

            After resting the night and going through some brief orientations the next day, we finally set off to Granada, the city that will be my home for the next 3 months. The drive along the highway was not like the drive on 322 to Penn State; desert mountains sprinkled with olive trees hugged the winding highway. It was depressing to see that a river we drove by was dried up due to the droughts in the south of Spain. As we pulled into the valley of Granada, the Sierra Nevada mountains came into view and added to our amazement. The high rising buildings and the exotic city layout intrigued me as I peered out the bus window. Before I knew it, our bus pulled up to the side of the street to let us off to meet our host family. I was a little nervous to meet my host mom, but the moment I saw her I felt comforted. My host mom, Delia, is interesting, sweet, cool, and down to earth. She was dressed in a cute, flowy dress with wedges the first time I met her. The vibe she emanates is one of such confidence and passion for life and for her city. Her hippie-ish, carefree style is very stereotypical of Granada. We walked down the coble stone streets and ended up in Plaza Bibrambla, her home. Her house is the absolute most awesome house I have ever had the pleasure to visit. She lives on the third floor of an apartment that looks out onto the middle of the plaza, with the view of a fountain and various flower kiosks and restaurants. Her apartment is shaped in an “L” and although it is not very spacious, it is the perfect size for her. I am still getting used living away from home but I already feel as if this is a home away from home. Delia is very welcoming and  lets us be independent in her home. My roommate, Natalie, and I are allowed to prepare our own breakfast in the morning, and we have our own bathroom. I was having some problems with wifi and with money when I first arrived, and Delia helped me get figure out all my problems. I am so lucky to have her as a host mom, and I can’t wait to get to know her more! 

Location: Plaza Bib-Rambla, Granada, Spain