“Dale limosna, mujer, que no hay en la vida nada como la pena de ser ciego en Granada.”

“Give him alms,woman, for there is nothing sadder in life than being blind in Granada.”

~Francisco de Icaza

S-salamu alaykum!

It has been exactly 10 days since I have gotten to South Africa, and it really has been CRAZY! To start off, “Molo” which is featured in the title of my blog means “hello” in Xhosa, one of the 11 official languages here.

This weekend a group of us visited Baños, a town I had heard was the “adventure capital” of Ecuador even before arriving in the country. Between everyone, we covered a range of activites – biking, hiking, ATV-ing, ziplining, white water rafting…

Over the past few days, I keep thinking about the idea of “home”…about not only making Siena my home for the next few months, but also bringing small parts of my own home in Arkansas (and partially South Carolina) with me to Italy. I think I’m a little surprised by the fact that Siena is already beginning to feel comfortable. Aside from the fact that I can (somewhat) navigate around the city, I’m beginning to have a set routine. A few things in my routine…

Kasha in London- January’s 2nd video Kasha in London- January’s 2nd video

My first week in Spain has been a whirlwind of sun, siestas, and sore feet. I arrived in Málaga this past Monday, and have been in Granada since Wednesday. Orientation is in full swing, and I have class from 9-2 each day to brush up on common phrases, safety in the city, and Spanish culture. I’ve found Granada to be a very open city, with friendly people and a common phrase of “no pasa nada,” or “no worries.”  Life here is much slower and more calm than life in the United States, and I think this is the biggest culture shock I’ve had thus far.