NWU Student Embraces the Spanish Lifestyle in Grenada

I recall over a month and a half ago when I was “completely ready” to go to a foreign country to study abroad. Laughably, I was sorely mistaken.

When I first arrived in Granada Spain, I could not have been more of a guiri (foreigner). I stuck out like a 6’5 red-haired man in Japan. At first, my terrible American accent caused taxi drivers to glance twice and charge me extra fare.

Can you imagine, please, that horrible sensation of disorientation that immediately follows an abrupt awakening? You know what I’m talking about.

Well, a long flight followed by more flights and a long bus ride produced that very sensation to an unparalleled degree.

Luckily, I got over this feeling quickly and started to soak in everything.

The history of Granada is intriguing–I am a history major, after all. Of course there’s more here than the history…what college student would pass on being 40 minutes away from skiing the Sierra Nevadas? Would this same student also elect to not go to a beach on the Mediterranean that is only an hour away?

Daily, Granada shows me that the world is more diverse than I could have imagined had I not elected to study abroad.

Spaniards live a lifestyle that is essentially the stuff of a college student’s dreams. My day usually starts at 10 a.m. with classes until 2 p.m. Then we have a large lunch followed by the near-mandatory siesta (nap). Another class or two and by then it is time to go out and see people. Southern Spain, particularly Granada, is known for its hospitable tapas bars.

My point is that these bars gladly give you any number of foods (good foods, mind you, not pub mix), for free with your order of any number of beverages.

Spain is good. How good? Well, they are .001 points behind the U.S. in the “human development index.” They overcame a right-wing Catholic dictatorship and emerged as one of the leading European Union countries in terms of quality of life.

To say that Spain merits a visit should the opportunity arise is a gross understatement.