Student Journals: AIFS in Granada, Spain

Laura Schraeder
Drake University
University of Granada, Spain

October, Part I

Last weekend we went on our group trip to the beach. We took a bus to Almería, about two hours away, to a beach called Roquetas de Mar. I was so excited when I first saw the ocean from the bus. Being a Kansas girl, I don´t get to see the ocean much, and this wasn´t just any ocean, it was the Mediterranean! It didn´t even matter that it was a little chilly and a bit cloudy; we all jumped in the water and soaked up the rays all weekend. It was so nice! The only thing better than the ocean may have been the showers in the hotel. Don´t get me wrong, I have no problem asking my host family to turn on the hot water and turning off the water during my shower to save water. I am actually becoming quite an efficient showerer. However, an uniterrupted shower with constant hot water was a nice change. The only bad thing about the entire weekend was that I missed my host mom´s paella for lunch on Sunday. She gave us some of the leftovers that night for dinner, but it just wasn´t the same. When we got to class the next day, the students in other programs were jealous of our tans and our stories. I guess they should have gone AIFS!

October, Part 2

I love my host family! I absolutely love them! We call them madre and padre because that is what they are to us. Even with the sometimes difficult language barrier, they are always there for us. When my roommate was feeling sick, madre made her hot tea with lemon to soothe her throat. When I need to use the payphone late at night to call home, padre walks with me and stays to make sure I´m alright. Padre even gives us a weather report every morning so we know if we need a jacket or an umbrella. And we know that madre always has a bocadillo ready in case we need to miss a meal (I try to avoid this as much as possible - I love her cooking!) Like I said, they really are family! Some of my best memories of the trip so far are of me just sitting and talking with madre and padre. We talk at dinner about everything from the weather to the Morrocan immigrants. I especially like it when we talk about the traditions of our two very different cultures. It´s so interesting to hear about a culture first hand from someone who has lived it all their life. I also enjoy watching television with them, asking questions and commenting on the contestants on one of the many singing and dancing competitions. We also watch a lot of futbol (I don´t even try to talk to padre during those, they are his favorite!) One of the things I love most about my family and the Spanish culture in general is their easy going attitude and ability to make you smile no matter what. Our family is always teasing us, asking us which futbolista we think is cute and telling us that the easiest way to learn Spanish is to get a Spanish boyfriend (I might just have to take their advice...). Some days we just sit at the dinner table and laugh. None of us really know what we are laughing about, but we are enjoying ourselves and that is all that matters. I love spending time with my family, and will be sad when that time comes to an end. But until then, I´m going to laugh it up and enjoy the good life.