This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Conn chapter.
I chose to study abroad to accomplish two personal goals. The first was to improve my fluency in Spanish, and the second was to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone and adapt to a new way of life. After thinking about my goals, I decided to explore study abroad programs through the Experiential Global Learning Program at the University of Connecticut to discover which program would best align with what I hoped to achieve. I also needed to ensure the classes I would take abroad would help me accomplish my first goal and meet my academic requirements for UConn. That is where my EGL adviser, Laura Hills, played an essential role. She first consulted with me on various programs that would allow me to put my Spanish skills into practice. After researching each option, I decided on the University of Granada in Granada, Spain. However, that was only the first step.
Aug. 31, 2024, was the beginning of my program. I arrived in Granada that very day. From the beginning, I was already accomplishing my first task — improving my fluency in Spanish — when I made small talk with my taxi driver. When I was dropped off at the entrance of my dormitory, I was speechless.
There was a giant, stunning church adjoining the side of the building and two large black gate doors that were preventing people from getting in. I was overwhelmed. I rang the buzzer on the side of the gates and stated my name. From there I heard a buzz, and the woman on the speaker told me in Spanish to push open the door. Walking inside, the dormitory looked like a medieval castle. All the rooms were on the second floor and higher, and in the center of the dormitory, there was an open patio. A small, but cute fountain was in the middle of that patio surrounded by trees that grew wild oranges. There was a massive, yet elegant staircase on the side, leading to the library on the right and an assembly hall on the left side of the second floor. Two more flights of stairs and there was my room. For nearly four months, I lived in a single room with a sink, and a window view looking out toward the city, seeing mountains in the background.
After settling in, I headed down to lunch. The dining hall was on the ground floor, where the open patio was. I was greeted by the head cook, with a smile, asking me what I wanted. I just took some cooked broccoli and potatoes. After, I made small talk with her and thanked her for the delicious meal. Little did I know then, that woman, named María José, would become like a second mother to me, who I would think about every day and talk to when I needed to vent.
Orientation two days later was when I met my two wonderful advisers in Spain, Kat and (a different) María José, and one of my best friends, a girl from Indonesia named Aprillia. I was excited yet nervous.
During the first month, I only had an intensive Spanish language course, where I was graded on grammar, writing, listening, and speaking. The workload was noticeably light, but the studying and practice that I had to commit to were not. September seemed to drag on. I was not really socializing with anyone since I was busy studying and the students living with me at my dorm did not seem to share my idea of what “having fun” meant. But during this time is when I really got close to the head cook. I would stay after lunch and talk with her about my experiences in the U.S., how I felt about my intensive class, and how I was liking Spain. Since I was always present for all the meals, greeting her, and having long but invaluable conversations, whenever the other cook and assistant cook would come in to take the next shift, she would introduce me to them all. By the time October came around, I knew almost every staff member. It was during this time as well, that I met two of my now best friends, Amor and Alaura, from New Mexico and New York, respectively. They both had just started their program and were moving into the same dorm as I. I met Alaura during lunch, and Amor, by coincidence.
Our program planned a trip for us to go to Málaga and we had to be at the bus stop by 8 a.m. The bus stop was around a 20-minute walk from our dorm and during these trips, I would just follow my dormmates. However, this time around I was not seeing anyone leaving the dorm and I was getting nervous. I checked the time, only 30 minutes before the bus departed. Then suddenly, I saw a girl walk out. I stopped her and asked her if she was going to Málaga too. She said “yes.” “Can I follow you?” I asked, to which she happily agreed. We talked the entire way and from there I knew Amor and I were going to be great friends.
October was looking up. I also officially began my classes. All five of them were taught in Spanish but were used to fulfill my general education requirements for UConn and my Spanish minor.
During my free time, I went on self-planned exploration trips of the city with Amor, visited the enormous Sierra Nevada mall with Aprillia, attended church, and every night after reviewing my notes, I took my solo nightly walks around the city, seeing new roads, learning about the shops and smelling ice-cream and coffee everywhere I went.
Things were going really well. But my experience was only going to get better.
Toward the end of October, I was in my music history class. It was around 11:00 a.m. and our 10-minute break session, and I was heading to use the restroom. That was when my classmate Yair stopped me and said, “Oh Anna, we are all thinking about going out for Karaoke, if you want to come.” I hesitated for a moment — since I know how bad I am at karaoke — but agreed. We exchanged phone numbers and later that evening, I met up with my classmates. We all met around 9 p.m. at a local bar but went home at around 4 a.m., something completely spontaneous. We sang and danced the whole night, which made me bond with Yair and my other two classmates, Patricia and Bahjat. We became so close that night, that after karaoke, we roamed the empty city for a bit and headed to get Shawarma. That was it, my three classmates, who I had not socialized with prior, became my closest friends in just a single night. After some meetups at the “discoteca,” mall visits, and just planned walks, I introduced Amor and Alaura to Yair, Patricia, and Bahjat, and we all instantly became one giant group of friends.
Fast forward, Yair asked me if I wanted to join him on this extremely long trail and discover where it led to. Of course, I agreed, and we invited our friends to join us. On Saturday, Dec. 7, we all met at around 9 a.m. and headed on this trail. After two hours of walking, we met a family on the trail and asked them if there was a town nearby. They said in just 15 more minutes, we would reach a charming town. That town turned out to be the village, Pinos-Genil, and charming was an understatement. It was very peaceful and pristine.
Now, it was lunch time. I asked Bahjat to find a restaurant that served bocadillos — like a sub sandwich — and he did. I was surprised to discover my six-inch bocadillo filled with two fried eggs, chicken, tomato, lettuce, and a side of fries cost less than $6. After a delicious meal, paired with laughter and conversations, we were ready to head back. By the time we returned to Granada, the sun had set. But, the fun was not over. I invited everyone to my dorm so Yair could play some guitar and Paticia, Bahjat, and I could sing. That was one of the best days/nights of life.
It is important to admit that my time studying abroad had its challenges as well. I was in a foreign country for the first time in my life, far away from my support system at home, completely independent. I had to create my own schedule, be open to making new friends, and force myself to be courageous enough to explore. I was not about to let fear stop me. I talked to my adviser in Spain, Kat, telling her how I felt, and that I wanted to do all sorts of things. She was there to listen to me every time I was worried, anxious, or excited. Every time I had an idea to travel or do something I never had done, she would always tell me, “Do it.” She in fact was the one to help me plan my solo trips to Gibraltar, Portugal, and Morocco.
Back to another challenge: becoming friends with the Spanish students at my dorm seemed like an impossible mission. They spoke unbelievably fast and spoke mostly in slang. That intimidated me, but luckily, the staff at my dorm helped me learn these slang words and made me practice them. To challenge myself to assimilate in the culture, I decided to go to a Halloween party with the Spanish students, inviting my friends Yair and Patricia. We left at around 11 p.m. and came back at 7 a.m., dancing the entire night in an abandoned factory, with two guys acting as DJs and another in charge of the disco lights. I danced with everyone that night, in fact, everyone danced with everyone, it was like a real-life enactment of the quote, “In da clurb, we all fam.” I felt so proud to pull an all-nighter and participate in this cultural social event.
Overall, my study abroad consisted of improving my conversational and academic Spanish, engaging in Spanish traditions, exploring nearby countries that each had different official languages and cultures, meeting incredible people, and finally discovering who I really am as a person and what I truly enjoy. Thanks to my study abroad experience, I can say with confidence, I finally know what I want my future to look like.
I have so many “thank yous” to say. To my EGL adviser, Laura; to my advisers in Spain, Kat and María José; to the staff at my dorm (the head cooks María José and Pedro, and the cleaning staff Arabela and Marga); to my best friends forever — Aprillia, Amor, Yair, Alaura, Patricia, Bahjat; and to myself, for taking the chance to study abroad — thank you a million times!