Happy December! Time is continuing to fly by, classes are wrapping up, and I have returned from my final weekend trip. After so many fun viajes with friends, I decided to stretch myself and take a solo trip. I chose Scotland because they speak English, I’ve never been to the UK, the landscape is beautiful, and some of my friends have traveled there before and gave me recommendations. It was an amazing weekend and I feel so proud of myself for doing it alone!

After watching the sunset over Calton Hill, I walked to the café called The Elephant House where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter. It was a new experience in two ways: 1) my first time sitting at a “table for one,” which was much less awkward than I expected, and 2) my first time trying “haggis, neeps, and tatties.” All I knew about the dish was that the menu said it is a traditional Scottish meal, so I decided to try it. Later I realized that haggis is minced sheep’s lungs, liver, heart, and stomach cooked with onions, oatmeal, and spices. It tasted good, especially with the turnips and mashed potatoes (neeps and tatties), but I’m glad I didn’t know what it was when I was eating it!

I spent most of Saturday on a guided bus tour of the Scottish Highlands, including the Glencoe valley and various lakes such as Loch Ness (no, we didn’t see the monster). It was fun to meet other people from different countries, learn facts and stories from our talkative tour guide, and explore some of the countryside outside of Edinburgh.

After returning to Edinburgh that evening, I explored the giant Christmas market with a new friend from the tour. The shops, lights, rides, decorations, and food were all so festive! I also tried gluhwein (a German spiced warm wine drink) and a currywurst (hot dog with sauerkraut, onions, and a curry ketchup sauce) which were both delicious.

I woke up early Sunday morning to go hike Arthur’s Seat, a hill near the city. It was very cold, but I listened to a podcast on the way up and arrived at the summit just as the sun was rising, around 8:15am. I wandered through Holyrood Park on my way down, passing countless runners, lakes, and hills. My path also took me past Holyroodhouse Palace, the official residence of the Queen of England in Scotland.

After over 2 hours I eventually arrived at my destination for brunch, a cute (and warm!) restaurant for eggs Benedict and a large mocha. I thawed my frozen fingers and read my book while enjoying the meal. Then I walked to Hillsong Edinburgh, a church recommended by one of my friends who has visited the city before. It was good to worship with other Christians in my own language and hear an encouraging message.

Next on my itinerary was Edinburgh Castle, the huge fortress on top of the (dormant) volcano literally in the middle of the city. I spent several hours wandering the place with my audio guide, taking a cake break in the middle at the castle cafeteria, and was fascinated by all of the history. I saw old cannons, prison cells, a banquet hall, a chapel, an infirmary, and various museums dedicated to preserving the history of Scottish involvement in wars (independence battles throughout the centuries and World Wars I and II).

I stumbled upon a beautiful cathedral on my walk back to my hostel one night, and found out they were holding a free music service to welcome the Advent season on December 1. Since that happened to be the Sunday I was there, I attended the performance and listened with absolute awe the entire time. A group of five musicians sang hymns and played cello and piano pieces, the beautiful notes echoing off the walls and ceiling. It was one of my favorite memories of the trip!

I also found it interesting that the cathedral was built by Catholics but was converted into a Presbyterian place of worship after the Scottish Reformation, led by John Knox. In the 16th century, Scotland broke off from the Papacy and developed a mostly Calvinist national kirk (church). Even today, the majority of Christians in Scotland are Protestant instead of Catholic, with strong ties to the Presbyterian church.

I also visited the National Library of Scotland for its exhibition on the Scottish Enlightenment, and the National Museum of Scotland for a quick walkthrough of its galleries on the history of the country. I learned that Adam Smith (author of The Wealth of Nations) was Scottish. Also, Scotland fought back and forth with England for independence for many centuries, officially becoming part of the United Kingdom in 1707. Public opinion has wavered on becoming independent again or not, but the Scottish people voted in 2014 to remain in the UK. Many are unsure about the recent Brexit decision, however, which might shift the opinion back towards independence.

Maybe one of my H’s for this post should have been History because I learned so much during this trip! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Scotland. Traveling solo was fun; I was able to do things at my own pace, choose whatever restaurant I wanted, spontaneously explore a random street or building, spend a long time in museums, go to bed early, read my book, and had more time than normal to reflect, think, & journal.

I know I will look back on this weekend as an example of when I was able to do something difficult and out of my comfort zone. All of the planning, transportation, communication, and decisions had to be figured out on my own, and sometimes it was a challenge. It was also a new experience for me to stay in a hostel room with 9 other strangers. I shared a community bathroom and was occasionally woken up during the night, but also met people from around the world and had a cheap & safe place to sleep each night. (I also enjoyed the free hot chocolate and tea in the lounges.)

The weekend reminded me how grateful I am for this opportunity of living in Europe for a semester. It showed me more examples of God’s beautiful creation and convinced me that He really is the master Artist and incredible Creator of the earth. It taught me more about world history and the different lives many have led in times past. It gave me confidence that I can travel to an entirely new country by myself, order food at a restaurant by myself, and enjoy exploring by myself. I am so thankful!

Hello! November is flying by. I’ve reached the countdown of one month until the end of my time here in Granada, which is bittersweet. I am sad to leave this place and people I have grown to love, but also very excited to go home! Classes are going well and I continue to stay busy, especially with traveling somewhere new almost every weekend. My most recent trip was Ireland, and it was hands down one of my favorites so far!

Two of my good friends I booked a hostel in the heart of Dublin for three nights. We spent the afternoon when we first arrived exploring the nearby streets, finding cute bookstores and coffee shops and stores. That night we joined a pub crawl with around 100 other participants. I have never done something like that before, but it was a lot of fun! My favorite part was the live music at each different pub.

We spent several hours on Saturday on a walking tour of the city, learning about the history and culture of Ireland from an excellent guide. We were informed that the Irish tend to start grand projects and not follow through (like a huge underwater clock counting down to the year 2000 that never actually functioned), that the republic only became fully independent from Great Britain in 1949, and that the people have always been travelers with a long tradition of emigration.

We also visited the Guinness Storehouse, where we learned the process of making their specialty beer (roasted barley + water + highly guarded yeast + hops plant) and tried a pint on the rooftop overlooking the cityscape. It was very interesting and I actually liked the bitter drink!

On Sunday we booked a day tour to see the other parts of Ireland, besides just Dublin. We traveled three hours across the country from east to west and hiked along the top of the Cliffs of Moher, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was one of the most beautiful views I have seen, and we were fortunate to have clear skies. I’ll never forget it!

Our bus then drove a few more hours along the coast up north to the town of Galway. We listened to Irish music and our guide’s facts about Ireland along the way, past pastures of sheep, sleepy villages, castle ruins, thatched cottages, and coastal views. One of my favorite memories of the weekend was listening to Enya while gazing at the Irish countryside.

In Galway we explored the festively decorated streets, walked along the River Corrib, and tried sweets at the outdoor Christmas market. Our guide explained that it is slightly early for Christmas, but the Irish need something joyful to celebrate during the cold/dark/rainy weather between Halloween and New Year’s!

There were definitely more things in Dublin that I wanted to do and we just didn’t have time: see the Book of Kells in the old library at Trinity College, explore the many free museums, stay overnight in a small countryside village, try Irish coffee, and eat traditional Irish stew. The one food I did cross off my list was a “full Irish breakfast” (pictured below), which I ordered on our last morning. It was hearty and delicious, and even came with breakfast tea!

Low of the trip: the bitter cold! Although it wasn’t much below freezing, walking and standing outside for long periods of time was not fun. We made the best of it but I would love to return in a warmer season!

High of the trip: hearing and speaking English everywhere! I didn’t realize how much I missed a culture that speaks my native language, but it was so refreshing and felt like home. I do love learning Spanish and being immersed here in Spain, but it was a wonderful break to say “Good morning” to the bus driver and “thank you” to our waiter.

Until next time, Ireland!

Last weekend I spent five days in Morocco on a trip with my study abroad program, and it was one of the most unique travel experiences I have ever had. It was my first time in Africa and in an Arab country, and therefore a wonderful opportunity to observe a different culture.

The first day of our trip consisted of long ferry and bus rides and an evening exploring the marketplace in Meknes. The city is known for its historical architecture, especially a huge gate with arches and mosaics that leads to the old imperial city.

Day 2 was more bus rides, which were relaxing and fun. As we drove along, the landscape changed dramatically, from dry rocky ground (reminded me of Utah) to forest trees to farmland with crops (reminded me of the Midwest) to river valleys to sandy desert.

Finally, as dark approached, we made it to the edge of the Sahara Desert, near the village Merzouga. We watched the most gorgeous sunset I have ever seen (the whole sky was full of purples, pinks, oranges, yellows, and eventually a deep red) and then boarded into SUVs to drive through the sand to our campground.

The next morning, we woke up to trek through the sand dunes to watch the sunrise (I know, so many sun pictures from this trip). It was quite a hike – walking through sand is hard – but definitely worth it. One of the Moroccan men from the nearby area was our guide and led us to the top of a sand dune to sit and watch in silence.

The big event of the day was a camel ride through the desert! I was expecting a few minutes of sitting on a camel, taking a picture, and maybe walking in a circle…but no, this was a full two hour adventure through the desert, with endless sand in all directions and the unrelenting sun shining overhead. It was hot and dusty and bright, but absolutely amazing.

At one point we got off the camels and climbed up a giant, steep sand dune (definitely a good workout), rested a bit, and ran back down. We saw some local kids playing there too – it was amazing how the Moroccan people traverse all over the desert with ease, while us Americans were huffing and puffing to walk even a little distance.

Other highlight of Merzouga: the food! It was amazing and served in a giant tent for all of us each meal. My favorite was a giant pot of couscous with roasted vegetables, chicken, raisins, and spices.

Our final destination was the big city Fes, often known as the county’s cultural capital. The medina (the old walled part of the town) was an endless maze of streets and shops. We visited a carpet place, a “pharmacy” with natural oils/herbs/creams, a tannery & leather shop, and other smaller vendors.

Some other observations from Morocco:

– We saw many more men than women out and about on the streets. Workers were almost only men, and if we saw women they would usually be fully covered and walking together in groups. There were exceptions, and it was more traditional the closer we were to the small desert towns, but in general I could definitely feel more of a cultural divide between men and women than I am used to.

– The food was so fresh and healthy! Dessert after every meal was an orange or a banana, which I loved.

– The people were extremely friendly to tourists. Many locals would say “welcome to Morocco” or “please enjoy Morocco.” I remember our tour guide in Fes telling us that as a Muslim he welcomes us kindly, because he believes in “all of the prophets” and loves all people. I never felt hostility or arrogance, only kindness and warmth.

Overall, it was a weekend I will never forget. I am thankful for the opportunity to see part of the world that is so different than my normal life. Until next time, Morocco!

¡Hola! I don’t want this blog to focus only on the weekend trips I take to other cities and countries, so I decided to write one on my everyday life here in Granada. Hopefully this will help you imagine what my schedule looks like, more or less – although it does vary a lot depending on the day!

If you know me, you know I love a good breakfast. One of my least favorite things about Spain is the custom of eating bread and jam for breakfast, every single day, and not much else. I bought some crema de cacahuete (peanut butter) to add and make little PB&J toasts, which I normally enjoy with a cup of tea (also not traditional here, everyone normally drinks coffee!). Since my first class doesn’t begin until 10:30am, I have some time in the morning to read, journal, and get ready for the day.

Around 10:00am, I leave and walk to the language school. It is an enjoyable 20 minute walk along the river and city streets. I usually listen to music or a podcast.

We aren’t allowed to take any photos during class, so I will just give an overview of the four I am taking this semester:

Monday & Wednesday

• 10:30-12:30 – Islamic Culture in Spain (interesting but a 2-hour lecture in Spanish is very long)
• 12:30-2:30 – Business Spanish (hilarious professor and fun class, learning lots of business-related vocabulary)

Tuesday & Thursday

• 10:30-12:30 – Culture & Civilization of Latin America (cool to learn about all the other countries that speak Spanish)
• 12:30-2:30 – Oral Production & Interaction (practice speaking Spanish with other students in my same level)

After four hours of classes, I walk back home for lunch at 3:00pm. I’m usually pretty hungry by this point and ready for the biggest meal of the day! After we eat, I often do homework in my room, at a coffee shop with friends, or at one of the many bibliotecas (libraries) throughout the city.

My friend Gabi plays lacrosse at her university back in the US, so she has workouts from her trainer each week to complete. I volunteered to be her gym buddy when we first got to Granada, and it has been great! We go to a nearby gym around 5 days a week and do a variety of everything, sometimes also running outside in the nearby park. Exercise is such a great stress reliever and fun to do together! We normally go from 7-9pm, and come back home in time to shower and eat dinner.

Dinner is normally around 9:30pm. My evenings afterwards really vary and could include getting helado (ice cream) with friends, having a movie night, doing more homework, or calling my family.

Sometimes, I go out for tapas with friends, and it’s one of my favorite things about Granada! Various bars and restaurants offer tapas, meaning if you order a drink (a 2-3 euro beer/wine/etc.), they bring out an accompanying appetizer-size food dish for no extra charge. These can vary greatly depending on the place, and it’s fun to do two or three rounds, trying different foods and drinks and talking for hours. The whole dinner ends up being 7-8 euros, which is not bad at all!

Walking home at night is beautiful, and Granada streets are very safe. I’m usually exhausted by the end of the day and easily fall asleep!

Sometimes I look at the date on the calendar and can’t believe how long I have been living here! I enjoy the slower pace of Spanish life, my new friends and city, and learning more of the language every day. However, I do miss home sometimes and love hearing from you all. ¡Tenga un buen día!

Last weekend was my first trip this semester outside of Spain, and it was definitely my favorite one so far! I honestly didn’t have a lot of huge expectations for Paris, thinking it was probably overrated and too touristy, but everything we did there was so fun.

My friend Gabi & I spent all day Friday at Disney Land Paris. We laughed our way through the four theme parks (Discoveryland, Frontierland, Adventureland, and Fantasyland), riding the various rides, trying themed food, stumbling upon a giant parade, shopping through all of the souvenirs, and watching the beautiful fireworks/lights show at closing time with the other thousands of Disney fans. The weather was chilly and the decorations featured pumpkins & leaves & autumn colors, so it was the first day this semester that really felt like fall. I loved it!

On Saturday, we visited the more typical tourist destinations of the city. The Eiffel Tower was an amazing first stop! We climbed up the 650+ steps to the second floor to look over the cityscape. I learned that Parisians originally hated the new chunk of iron, thinking it ruined the ambiance of their beautiful metropolis, but have grown to appreciate it as a hallmark feature.

Our next stop was the Louvre, which I could have spent days exploring. It is the biggest art museum in the world and houses countless ancient artifacts and fascinating descriptions. We walked through as much as we could in 2.5 hours: Greek sculptures, Renaissance paintings, the Mona Lisa, Napoleon’s palace rooms, Hammurabi’s Code, ancient Persian walls and artifacts, and fragments of sculptures from the first empire in the world (Mesopotamia, 2000+ BC). I definitely geeked out about all of the history. It was such a rich place full of information!

Saturday night we stopped by the Luxembourg Gardens to relax and watch the sunset. It was a lovely break since our feet were so tired!

Later, we went to a fancy “fine dining” dinner and tried escargot (it was delicious), found the lock bridge (which is now illegal but not really enforced), and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle over the river. It was magical!

Sunday morning consisted of crepes (so delicious) and visiting the Arc de Triumph. We learned that the Arc was commissioned by Napoleon, features the names of major battles, and lists hundreds of names of generals (the underlined ones died in battle). There is also a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to pay tribute to those who died in WWI.

Overall, Paris was marvelous and I enjoyed all of the variety of things we did! The metro system made transportation easy, our Airbnb was comfortable, and we were able to get around without speaking more French than “bonjour” and “merci.” Definitely a weekend I won’t forget!

I tried hard with the alliteration for this title, if you can’t tell, but it really sums up the highlights of the past weekend I spent in the famous Spanish city, Barcelona! Another important “g” is the name of the friend I went with: Gabi. So thankful for my travel buddy!

Antoni Gaudí was born in Catalonia, the eastern coastal region of Spain, and is famous for his unique architecture. Inspired by nature, Catholicism, and patriotism, his work is like none other. The most famous example is the giant basilica Sagrada Familia, which is still being constructed according to his designs and is due to be completed in 2026. I was completely awed when we first glimpsed the building from the street, due to its sheer size and intricacy.

The inside was breathtaking as well, featuring a vast chamber, sunlight streaming through stained glass windows, and curved pillars soaring towards the vaulted ceilings. We slowly walked through, listening to the audio guide and taking everything in. It was truly the highlight of the weekend!

Gabi and I spent Saturday exploring the Gothic Quarter (the old city) with a wonderful walking tour, stopping in La Boqueria (a very crowded and claustrophobic market, not our favorite), walking through a beautiful nature path and the old Olympic grounds (from 1992), and finding yummy coffee shops and restaurants to eat.

We ended the day on Saturday with a free lights & water show at the Fuente Mágica de Montjuic. It was beautiful and a nice rest after two longs days of walking!

Sunday was our last day. We spent it visiting the Picasso Museum (fascinating to see the variety of work that he created, including ceramic pottery, crayon sketches, and nature paintings – not just triangle-faced people like I formerly thought!) and the Chocolate Museum (I appreciated the bar of chocolate negro they gave as the entrance ticket).

Overall, I loved Barcelona but would not want to live there. For one thing, the city is huge; we had to use subways/buses/taxis to get to each new location. I prefer Granada, where I can walk everywhere easily. Another difference is the language; Barcelona residents speak Catalan, a mix of Spanish and French, so it was more difficult to converse with them. Barcelona has also been more politically unstable in recent years, with the issue of Catalonian independence. Finally, due to so much tourism there are crowds everywhere and prevalent pickpocketing (thankfully we made it though with all of our belongings intact). So, although the city has more grass and amazing architecture, I am grateful for my “home” in Granada.

After three weeks in Granada, one of my friends and I decided it was time to explore a new part of Spain. We decided on Segovia, a small city one hour north of Madrid, famous for a Disney-esque castle and an ancient aqueduct. After some transportation troubles, we arrived late Friday night to our Airbnb and had all of Saturday to explore.

Our first stop was the giant Roman aqueduct, which was built in the FIRST CENTURY, meaning it has stood there for almost 2000 years. How crazy is that! There are 166 arches, extending 15,000 meters from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the city. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We then walked to the Catedral de Segovia, an incredible building featuring Gothic architecture and intricate religious illustrations. We spent a few hours walking through each of the capillas (chapels) and identifying Bible stories in the artwork.

Lunch was a three-course event at a local restaurant: ensalada mixta (consisting of lettuce, tomato, olives, and tuna), famous Segovian cochinillo (pork) with patatas fritas (French fries), and a delicious layered chocolate cake.

Finally, we made it to the Alcázar – the former home of Spanish kings, queens, and knights. The fairy tale loving part of me definitely came out during this visit! I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the passageways and rooms, listening to the audio guide and imagining the halls filled with medieval castle folk.

My friend and I walked over 12 miles through the city. We wandered through cobblestone streets in the Jewish Quarter, “appreciated” paintings in the contemporary art museum, and hopped in and out of countless stores. Throughout the afternoon, we ran into a fancy wedding party, cheered on several ultra-marathon runners as they made it to the finish line, climbed the city wall to watch the sunset, and found a peaceful nature path along a river.

Overall, it was a lovely weekend and so fun to explore a new part of Spain. This week I am back to my classes in Granada, getting ready to take my final exam for the intensive language month next Monday! I am doing well and feel like I am thriving here.

Gracias for all your thoughts & prayers!

It’s been over a week since I arrived in Granada and moved in! I love this city already; it is full of energy, beautiful nature, centuries of history, delicious food, and vibrant people.

I am living in a homestay with another girl from my program and our host madre, Maite. I am so thankful for my roommate (we are already great friends) and for Maite’s delicious cooking! I have my own room here, which is nice for studying and relaxing and just having my own space. It has already started to feel like home!

One of the things that has taken some time getting use to here is mealtimes: breakfast is flexible, but people eat lunch between 2-3pm and dinner between 9-10pm. The hours after lunch are reserved for siesta, when most stores close and people can rest and stay out of the heat. I like the schedule, but it is definitely an adjustment from what I am used to as more of a morning person!

We took a placement exam the first Monday morning, and afterwards everyone was placed into levels from 1 (beginner) to 9 (bilingual). I tested into level 6, and we started our month of intensive language classes the next day! Each morning we attend class from 9:00am to 1:00pm (yes, four hours in a row), walk home for lunch, and have the rest of the day free. It’s a long time to sit in the same classroom, but a small café con leche from the vending machine downstairs helps (if you know me well, you know it’s a big deal that I tried and LIKED coffee!).

One of my favorite things about Granada is the walking culture – while there are taxis, buses, cars, and a metro system, people usually walk wherever they need to go. I have a 25 minute walk to school, a 12 minute walk to the gym, and countless stores, restaurants, coffee shops, plazas, heladerías (ice cream shops), and parks within a 30 minute walking radius. I have hit over 10,000 steps every day so far, some days closer to 20,000! It’s wonderful to get exercise, breathe the fresh air, and explore the city.

I can tell how much my Spanish has been improving, and it has only been one week! I’m excited to see the difference after four months here. It really is so different living in a place where Spanish is the native language, compared to taking classes in America. I am so grateful for this opportunity!

Hasta luego,

Cora

I am finally here in Spain! This post will focus on my first weekend touring Madrid and Toledo with my program, and I will post later about my home city, Granada.

After meeting my group, we spent a few days exploring the capital city Madrid, adjusting from jet lag, getting to know each other, and receiving orientation information. Some highlights included the royal palace (where the royal family doesn’t live, but visits sometimes), cute shops and restaurants, and the art museum El Prado (no photos allowed).

One of my favorite things about Spain is the “menú del día” (menu of the day) that many restaurants offer during lunchtime, which is the biggest meal here. For a reasonable price, they offer several choices for a first course, second course, drink, and dessert/coffee. I love that there aren’t an overwhelming amount of options, and that you get to try several different things!

Our next stop was Toledo, an old town with beautiful architecture, winding cobblestone streets, open plazas, plentiful helado (ice cream), and a bustling night life.

We toured an old monastery, synagogue, and enormous cathedral. They were beautiful and represented the mix of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian cultures that have (mostly) peacefully lived together in the city for centuries.

I love Spain so far: walking everywhere, eating on outdoor terraces, and dressing up (most women wear vestidos, or dresses, all the time, even for grocery shopping). The downsides so far have been the heat (90+ degrees every day is a lot for my Wisconsin blood, and there is no air conditioning here!) and the jet lag (which is starting to wear off), but overall I am thoroughly enjoying this country.

Hasta luego!