While I can't speak for everyone (especially people who take English classes in their host country), one of the perks to study abroad education is that classes and professors encourage utilizing the study abroad experience. You are here to learn the language and the culture firsthand inside and, more importantly, outside the classroom. Taking grammar, history, literature in Spanish is a lot of work, but it's a very long way from organic chemistry, if you can understand my perspective. While in Fort Collins I would've been in the library or TA hours studying after class and on the weekends, we are instead encouraged to go out and explore. This means lots of time to meet new people, travel, and practice my Spanish first hand. This semester I have decided to redouble my efforts and cram in as much within Spain travel as possible before I have to go home. I want to know my host country, the place I've come to call home, inside and out. After hearing about the nearby picturesque town of Ronda and the beautiful, historical Cordoba, my friends and I decided to take a part of our luxurious 5 day weekend to travel outside Granada and get a better feel for sunny southern Spain, Andalusia.
The fabulous terrace of our youth hostel (and of course Karina's ever-present neck pillow
in the foreground).
Looking out over the valley from the cliffs of Ronda.
Main bridge in Ronda (sorry, no bungee jumping here).
Mosaics and other elegant details around town.
In historic Córdoba.
Looking towards the famous Puente Romano on our way to the art museum.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, also known as La Mezquita-Catedral (Mosque-Cathedral),
a cathedral quite unlike any you've ever seen.
The former Great Mosque of Córdoba; first a Visigothic Christian church, converted into a mosque by the Moors before being reverted into a Roman Catholic church after the Spanish Reconquista.
In the process of making your decision to travel abroad, I recommend you consider the location of your host city/country and its accessibility. I ultimately chose Spain over Argentina because I knew it would be easier as a novice traveller to country hop in Europe, and because the public transportation and tourism possibilities within Spain are seemingly endless. So when you do go abroad, take every advantage of traveling. I try to find a balance, between loving my time at home living and studying in Granada, traveling in Spain, and traveling around Europe. Other travel goals this semester; Bilbao, Cadiz, Salamanca and Valencia within Spain; Morocco and Portugal outside of Spain. Next weekend I will be headed to Rome with my entire program, so at least I'll have that knocked out of the water!
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