Welcome to Granada!

When I was ten, my closest family friend and self-proclaimed older sister spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona. I waited with bated breath for her return, and the moment I saw her car turn into our cul-de-sac, I burst into excited jumps. For years to come, she’d tell me, “You have to study abroad. It will change your life.” Now, ten years later and just one week into my own study abroad journey, I can confidently say that she was absolutely right.

I arrived in Granada a day early with two other members of my cohort, and once we all settled into our residence, we set out to explore the city.

Granada is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. There are free parks, statuesque waterfalls, a winding river, cobblestone streets lined with trendy storefronts, and plazas alive with artistic dance performances. Families, young and old, fill the streets well into the night, giving the city a sense of constant community and leisure.

My Global Seminar in Granada, Spain focuses on the cultural crossroads between Africa and Europe, as well as the Spanish Civil War. We primarily explore these concepts through literature and film, which allows us to understand perspectives from both sides of each conflict. A definite highlight of my learning so far has been our excursion to the Alhambra, a palace originally built by a Moorish Islamic dynasty and later completed under Catholic rule. While the Alhambra’s architecture is stunning on its own, what struck me most was the coexistence of two distinct, and at times opposing, cultures and religious traditions within the same space. Much of the architecture is inspired by Islam, but structures like the Palace of Charles V reflect European and Catholic influences. Today, Spain is overwhelmingly Catholic and visibly so, but Granada feels like a living archive of contrast and coexistence. The Alhambra as a monument attests to the idea that dissimilarity can endure, and even thrive across time. This excursion, set against the backdrop of our classes on African immigration and literature, showcases how multiculturalism is preserved in this region, and how it might offer a blueprint for sustaining cultural diversity in other places, despite inherent differences.

“Surreal” doesn’t even begin to capture my experience in Granada. Though I’ve only been here six days, California already feels like a distant memory. My mornings are filled with warm walks through waking city streets and visits to cozy cafes after class. My afternoons are for wandering through the city’s many sights and sounds and, of course, the customary siesta once the shops close between two and five. Evenings bring laughter, new ice cream spots, tapas bars, musicians on side streets, and incredible new friends.

It’s only been a week, and yet Granada has already taught me so much about myself. Here, people work to live, not live to work. There’s a deep-rooted appreciation for hospitality, leisure, joy, art, and community. I’ve already begun to realize that there’s so much more to life, to coexistence, and to the world than I ever imagined. As crazy as it sounds, I can feel my life being changed I can’t wait to see what else Granada has to teach me.

- Kaylin