Que Te Quiero, Granada

Four months ago, I remember bursting into tears in my new dorm room, wondering if I’d made a mistake studying abroad. It was my first Sunday night in Granada, and the moment I caught a break from all the orientation activities, I was hit with a dizzying burst of homesickness, anxiety, and fatigue, all at once.

Now, having successfully completed my semester abroad, it’s hard to reconcile the woman I am now with the one crying into her shawarma, four months younger. Everyone always says studying abroad will change your life, but I didn’t understand what that meant until I ended up on the other side. Uprooting your entire life to come to another country, an ocean away from everyone you love––it takes a huge emotional toll. Certainly more than I expected. But even if it feels overwhelming at times, pushing through the loneliness and fear will ultimately be one of the best decisions of your life.

Even now, the past four months still feel like a fever dream. Traveling to a new city each weekend, visiting ancient mosques and landmarks, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, hiking the Sierra Nevada, studying for exams in between––it’s magical and romantic and terrifying and exhausting all at once. But when I reflect on my time abroad, it isn’t the fancy dinners or tourist attractions I tend to linger on; it’s the quiet moments in between that I miss most.

Out of every city I’ve visited, Granada remains the most beautiful. Nothing compares to a mirador sunset, watching people amble home down the winding cobblestone streets as all the lights slowly come on. Or the sound of church bells mingling with the melody of a live guitar, always somewhere nearby. Or simply a quiet walk home late at night, alone with the sleepy city.

It’s truly impossible to list everything I’ll miss from my time abroad: Piononos, for one. Laughing uncontrollably with friends over our fourth or fifth round of tapas. Sitting in Parque Lorca with a good book, surrounded by roses and orange trees. Catching a public flamenco performance on the walk to class. 2-am bus rides to the Malaga airport. Reciting a poem in broken Spanish at a local open mic night, even with my heart in my throat. Inviting a stranger to dance at a danza del vientre workshop. Walking around the Albaicín in the early dusk. Grabbing late-night shawarma after attempting to watch the latest blockbuster dubbed in Spanish. Piononos, again.

And to think––I never would’ve experienced all this if I’d succumbed to my fears and decided not to study abroad.

Even though my time in Granada has come to an end, I know this experience will stick with me for life. Now I know how to navigate public transit in a foreign city. I’m no longer terrified of dancing in a crowded street, or striking up a conversation in Spanish. I have a thousand more cherished memories to occupy me. And, most of all, I have a new home across the Atlantic, tucked into the Spanish Sierra Nevada, that I know I'll someday return to.

So even if it seems scary, or complicated, or overwhelming, take the chance to study abroad! Turn in your application, start looking at flights. No matter what happens, your life will be infinitely enriched by this opportunity.