Photo courtesy of Lucie Englehardt.
Major(s), minors, centers, pathways: English, Anthropology
What program are you enrolled in? IES Granada, Spain
What made you choose this program? Ironically, I didn’t. I was going to study in Rabat, Morocco for the spring before the prolonged border closure foiled those plans. But studying or living abroad, if possible, was a priority of mine since before entering college. I (frantically) applied to other institutions and searched for opportunities abroad and got into a program in Granada about two weeks before its start date. It’s been a whirlwind, and it’s a huge privilege of mine to be here now.
How have you adjusted to life in Spain? Other than jet lag that has since passed, I’m adjusting well! I have been looking forward to studying away for a while, and it feels beyond satisfying that it has now come into fruition. I have really welcomed living in Spain and having the freedom to be independent and explore. It’s kind of been a matter of trying something new every day; tonight, I tried a Moroccan tapas bar that brought me to a new corner of the city!
Were there any clichés that were proven true or false? What holds true about Spain: long lunches and late dinners, midday siesta, nights that easily bleed into mornings. People drink early and often, but the culture around it is entirely different. Nothing is as egregiously expensive as in the states, healthcare and housing included. About studying abroad: people joke about the personality you create while abroad and return home with, but you’re essentially finding a new way of being, so you’re bound to adapt and grow.
What is your housing situation? What is that like? I live in a home with a few other Americans and several Spanish students at the University of Granada. We have a “madre Española” who manages the house and is incredibly kind and gracious.
What is a typical day like? Is it similar to Conn at all? I have 3-4 classes each day except Friday, all of which are Spanish taught. I walk to either the IES center (about 15 min) or the University of Granada for class (about 30 min). My classes interact pretty deeply with the city. For instance, we travel around quite a bit for my art class to sketch different cityscapes. After or between classes, more often than not, I will sit on the terrace at our center – this is a favorite spot of mine as it overlooks Plaza Nueva and sits in front of the Alhambra – or I’ll sit at a café outside. Plaza Nueva finds its daily rhythm around lunchtime, around when the flamenco dancers beckoned in by street musicians and the goings-on at the adjacent courthouse all compete for our attention. Our lunch is around 2pm and our dinner around 9pm, with a siesta in between. Granada has winding cobbled roads lined with street art, making it a wonderful city for getting lost and stumbling upon interesting little alcoves. Taking long routes home every day and going on walks has been a means of grounding myself here. Another notable routine: I eat a sh!t ton of bread every day. It’s truly never-ending.
How has the pandemic affected your program? Did it affect your choices when applying? Besides the very program itself being a product of pandemic complications, we have handled COVID rather smoothly. Fortunately, COVID tests here are pretty accessible at about 3 euros.
Are you involved in anything outside of classes? We have weekly soccer games, which is great! I am also trying to spend my time intentionally here and pay attention to what might give me energy rather than drain it. When I’m at Conn, I think I start to glorify painstakingly busy schedules and a far too meticulous balance between jobs, leadership positions, and schoolwork. I think Catja [Christensen ‘23] also spoke about this in her own segment last semester. Some things here that I would love to try out: dance classes, cooking classes, and finding more community events and spaces – some of which I hopefully will have dipped my toe into by the time this issue comes out!
What is the best part of abroad for you? 1. Taking my education beyond the four walls of a classroom. I wanted to challenge the stagnancy of my learning and create in a new place, in a more global context. 2. I feel very fortunate to be in Granada. It is a fascinating city with stories of culture and history at every turn. It’s such a privilege to constantly be learning.
What is the biggest challenge? My anxiety didn’t go away when I moved abroad. Though I have had the fantastic pleasure of meeting so many new people here, those who know me so well over in Connecticut feel far away. Studying abroad has shown me in stark form how deeply important my friends at Conn are to me and my heart feels somewhat divided across the world. It’s not homesickness, but a kind of yearning to be understood in a foreign place. In another sense though, a small school can kind of suck you in and make you forget that the world is much wider. My anxiety (social and otherwise) heightens in tight spaces like that, and living in Spain has reminded me what I kind of always knew in the back of my mind: the world simply keeps turning.
What advice would you give to people preparing to go away?
- Your phone plan will work out eventually.
- Be curious and get outside your comfort zone. If you are studying a new language, take advantage of every opportunity you can to learn it. Switch your phone, read the news, watch films, and listen to music in your new language. Also, find activities and practice habits that will ground you in an unfamiliar community, whether that be playing on a sports team or establishing a morning routine.
- Be careful about falling into the trap of comparison when looking at other students studying abroad. Social media is often a highlight reel, and this experience comes with a lot of emotional ups and downs that aren’t being talked about enough.
What do you think you would have liked to know that you know now? Something that sounds trivial but has been an unforeseen challenge: finding how to balance my own personal style within the larger sphere of European streetwear. Seeing my identity through style is different here, which has been fun, but forced me to reckon with my embodiment a little differently. I wish I took more time while packing to think intentionally about European fashion culture, weather, and what I could realistically wear (in other words, pack less!).
