One of my biggest stressors before studying abroad was wondering if I would be able to make friends. I felt as if I was back in my freshman year of college, and I had to start all over again because of the new journey I would soon be embarking on in a foreign country to which I had never traveled before. Now, after living in Amsterdam for not even two weeks, I can confidently say that I have found some of my best friends, and that all of my stress was for no reason.

There are six IES Abroad students living in my residence hall, which is located right in the heart of Granada between shops, bakeries and fruterías. All six of us originally wanted to live with host families. But... now that we’ve had some time here, none of us could imagine living anywhere else. While I expected some differences between living in a residence hall and a homestay here in Granada, what I didn’t know was just how different Spanish residence halls are from the American dorms I’ve lived in. So, without further ado, here’s the scoop:

I’ve spent the last week in Rome, Italy getting acquainted with the locals and new friends within my program. While the week has been difficult and draining, it taught me a lot by offering opportunities to go beyond myself and step outside of my anxieties.