Bring cash!

Having physical euros on hand was so useful for me for paying for the taxi to get from the Granada airport to my homestay for the first time, and cash and coins are very often used in Spain, especially if you didn’t know that your credit card doesn't always get accepted in every store or restaurant like mine didn’t…it’ll also come in handy in smaller stores that sell little trinkets that may only be worth a couple little Euro coins, and personally, using coins made me feel like I barely spent any money at all (a dangerous feeling, but still worth it).

It's getting chilly now!

Hello, hola, こにちは～！Nearing the end of November yeah if course it is starting to get really cold, which means its time for some of the best fashion: Winter clothes. Cool coats, hats and what not—I'm always a big fan! With the changing seasons I have also decided to change my hair to its most natural state of sporting an afro, which has been a little tricky to maintain on my own but it is worth it to see everyone's reactions to the new style.

I’m a really big fan of lists, if you haven’t already noticed this pattern in some of my other blogs, so I wanted to end my time as a Correspondent with a final reflection in list form! Here are five things that I’m excited to take back with me from Granada to the United States:

You hear the sound of your palpable heartbeat start to accelerate as it intensely pounds in your ears. The stressful staccatos in the variation before you contribute to the stirring adrenaline in your stomach that begins to flood every crevice of your body. You know that you have avoided numerous weekend opportunities of sheer tomfoolery in the name of your commitment to the one hobby you love most. The anticipation is killing you. And now it is your turn to step out on stage and show 'em what you've got.

Our program’s trip to Morocco was probably the most memorable trip I have ever taken to a different country. It was my first time in Africa, and also my first time being able to take a boat across to a different continent, which was incredible. After just a couple hours of watching the sea, we made it to the port of Tangier and set our bags down in our hotel and lied down on the fresh hotel sheets for 15 minutes before the city exploring began.

I want to preface this list by making it clear that I LOVE the tapas lifestyle and it will be something I truly miss when I go back to the United States. I will never, ever say “no” to a little snack provided free with my beverage; however, it is true that I do find myself a little bit on the underfed side several nights here in Granada. To fix that, me and some friends tried a bunch of other restaurants in our area that would be filling yet also worth our Euro. Here is the final list that I came up after a semester full of food:

During my trip to Brussels, I and my friend decided that we would stay for one night and do all of the touristy things that Brussels is known for. We tried chocolate and fries, we saw the Grand Place, we went out for a night, and we took long walks around the city. Throughout the entire duration of the trip, I was constantly on the go and I never had that “Aha moment” when I realized that I was on a trip in Brussels eating chocolate and fries for dinner with no worries at all.

For my very first trip to Marseille, I had no idea what I was doing. By my last trip to Spain, I felt I knew exactly how to travel. Something that I learned about myself is that I prefer flying over taking trains. Depending on how late you book your travel, I have found that trains are usually more expensive than flights (if you are booking your travel later rather than sooner).

Something that happened to me, that usually happens to everyone studying abroad, is that at the 3-week mark, before you leave, you’ve completely run out of battery. This is due to the fact that you’re constantly meeting new people, planning new trips, and staying up much later than you would back home. This has happened to me. And it is also because in the month before you leave, you realize that you are slowly beginning to run out of time abroad.

Every person’s day-to-day will look incredibly different. My normal/chill days abroad are probably much more relaxed than my peers who make even more time than I do to go to museums or see new things every single day. But, something that I wish I had read up on more before going abroad is what a typical day in Paris looks like. Therefore, I will tell you.