Reflecting on my Semester Abroad

This past fall I studied abroad in Granada, Spain. This language immersion program was an eye-opening experience that I am incredibly grateful for. In this article, I am going to explain some of the highlights and different aspects of the experience.  

Month Long Intensive in Santander, Spain

On August 3rd, 2024, I arrived at Logan Airport alongside a few of my friends from Holy Cross. We traveled to Madrid and then took our brief connecting flight to Santander, Spain. This first program at the Universidad de Menéndez Pelayo helped us level up our Spanish skills before traveling to Granada. We were living alongside each other in dorms while also being a 5 minute walk from the gorgeous beach. Additionally, on the weekends we would go on day-long excursions all over Cantabria where we saw different towns and interestingly a lot of caves. This part of the program was a great end to my summer, and the perfect introduction to a semester abroad. 

University of Granada & the Center for Modern Languages 

With the Holy Cross program, I was able to enroll in the University of Granada for one course and the Center for Modern Languages (CLM) for my other 4 courses. At the University of Granada, I took a Spanish Political Systems course alongside primarily students from Spain. With this course, the three other Holy Cross students in the class and I conducted a 30 page long paper discussing the differences we researched between the Spanish and American political systems. We also presented our research to the full lecture-style class of spanish-speaking students at the end of the semester. 

At the CLM, I took 4 courses, two of which were grammar related as well as a Spanish literature course and a Diversity of Language course. At the CLM we were studying alongside other Spanish learners, but all courses were conducted entirely in Spanish. The CLM also facilitated weekend day-trips for us on some weekends, which was the perfect opportunity to explore parts of Spain I may not have seen otherwise. 

Living with a Host Family 

I had such a positive experience with my host family! Holy Cross requires its students in the Granada program to live with a host family. I was able to get close with the host mother I directly lived with as well as her kids, grandkids, and extended family that would often visit! I especially enjoyed bonding with her grandkids. My host mother would provide 3 meals a day with a late lunch being the main meal. I always tried to make sure I was home around 3pm for our late lunch time! Her food was amazing, but some of the dishes I especially loved were paella, tortilla, and any dish involving jamon ibérico. 

Must Visit Places in Granada 

1. The Alhambra: There is truly no place as grand as this fortress complex. As one of the most famous pieces of Islamic architecture, it is a history sight to see. Throughout the city of Granada, you can spy the Alhambra up at the top of a hill. I was fortunate to go on two guided visits of the Alhambra, and now I have a picture of it hanging in my dorm room. 
2. Mirador San Nicolas: This “mirador” or look out point is the best view of the Alhambra in all of Granada. You can walk up about 15 minutes from the city center through the Albaicin neighborhood to see this incredible view. 
3. Catedral de Granada: The Cathedral is an elaborate cathedral in the city center that was built during the reconquest of Granada. This cathedral took 181 years to build, and remains with an incomplete tower attached to it. 
4. Albacín: The Albacín is a neighborhood in Granada known for its medieval street plan and different monuments throughout. There are cute shops throughout, and you can stroll though on your way to the Mirador San Nicolas. 
5. Parque Federico García Lorca: The Lorca park is one of my personal favorites because it is a less than 5 minute walk from my host-house. 

Travel 

As for travel, I was so lucky to be able to travel both in and out of Spain. Exploring the cities of Spain were some of my favorite travel experiences. Barcelona was my personal favorite because we visited for Halloween weekend! The famous cathedral, Basílica de la Sagrada Familía is truly a remarkable sight to see. My favorite trip to another country was to Budapest, Hungary. The architecture and food were unbelievable, and I had such a wonderful time. It was the perfect final trip with my friends abroad before doing more travel after our semester officially ended. 

Travel within Spain:

• Santander
• Granada
• Somo
• Puente Viesgo
• Liencres
• Bilbao
• Santillana Del Mar
• Costa Tropical
• Nerja
• Malaga
• Sevilla
• Barcelona
• Madrid
• Segovia

Travel to Other European Countries

• Germany (Munich)
• Italy (Rome, Florence)
• UK (London, Oxford) 
• Switzerland (Geneva) 
• France (Mont Blanc)
• Denmark (Copenhagen) 
• Sweden (Malmö)
• Hungary (Budapest) 
• Czech Republic (Prague)

I had the most incredible experience studying abroad! To see pictures of my travels, you can follow my study abroad account: @ann.o.mal & DM with any questions :)

• abroad
• language program
• semester abroad
• spain
• travel