As someone currently studying abroad in Granada, Spain, I will say the entire experience has been amazing, but one part really stands out: the pictures, duh. If you are looking into studying abroad or – let’s be honest – just have access to an Instagram account, then you have seen those picture-perfect posts. Someone relaxing by the Mediterranean while you celebrate surviving midterms at the campus McDonald’s.
For example, here is a picture I took of the rolling hills that border Granada's historic Sacromonte Neighborhood. I packed a lunch, took a quick hike, and appreciated a beautiful day with a bird’s-eye view of the city.
Alright, now that you’re all sufficiently jealous, why don’t I tell you all the things you can’t see?
Touching Grass
For starters, this view was actually on the edge of a dirt parking lot, and that “quick hike” lasted an hour because Google Maps betrayed me. Where the hike was supposed to be was… a wall, so I improvised. Said improvisation consisted of me wandering around until I found something akin to nature.
This may sound silly, but one thing I had taken for granted in Minnesota was how available grass was. When I left the city center that day, I realized I had not actually touched grass since I left home. As a girl who grew up searching for salamanders and falling out of trees, two months without grass beat my old record of, like, half a day.
When I finally saw it again, I didn't care where it was. I plopped myself right down and got back in touch with my inner mudchild. The parking lot was for the Sacromonte Abbey, an incredible cultural landmark and pilgrimage site constructed in the 1600s. I, however, was more interested in an ant trying to drag around a sunflower seed.
I lay there for about an hour and a half, listening to music and playing with dirt, which would’ve been fine if I had remembered my sunscreen. That UV of nine did just about what you’d expect.
Here's the aftermath of that day that will not make it onto social media. (Until I repost this blog on my Instagram story, of course).
At this point in my studying abroad journey, I have come to learn that speed bumps and misfires don’t mean you're doing something wrong. If anything, it's the opposite. Every step out of your comfort zone is a step in the right direction, even if it's onto a rake. I’d bet that every post you see has about four rakes just out of frame.
Don't believe me?
Girls Trip! (and Fall)
How about this one: my best friend of almost a decade, Ella, and I on a girls' trip to London.
We saw Big Ben, walked along the River Thames, and ate fish and chips at a famous food market. We even went to the National Gallery Museum and saw a room of different Water Lilies painted by Monet, which, as a Lillie, I considered my pilgrimage.
What I conveniently left out of my (very clever) caption was Ella's phone battery at 20%, which, to her credit, was still 20% more than mine. Before you judge us too hard, I should clarify that we didn't know London had different outlets, not only from the U.S., but also from the two European countries we were studying in. (Okay, you can judge us a little.)
Pro tip for all my fellow travelers: make sure you can charge your phone when trying to navigate a city of *quick Google search* 9 MILLION PEOPLE?! (My god, can you get retroactive anxiety?) Not to mention that London's Tube system is no joke. I thought it was one of those things that only looked complicated from the outside. Honestly, it was more mind-melting than I had expected.
As a Type B person, I am eternally grateful that I have a Type A friend. I don't think I would've survived London without that magnificent, well-managed mind. I think that’s obvious, though, from this picture taken minutes before nearly missing my flight because the airline overbooked the plane.
All Type B travelers reading this, go buy your Type A travel buddy a coffee. They earned it.
Semana Santa: Some Semantics
Here is a picture from one of my favorite experiences in Spain so far: a procession during La Semana Santa, otherwise known as Holy Week.
This week was one of the reasons I wanted to study abroad in Spain in the first place. It was absolutely incredible but, like everything, came with a few hiccups.
Disclaimer: I am so Type B in this (putting it nicely) that it honestly gets a little hard to follow, so please bear with me.
Every day of Holy Week has scheduled processions throughout the streets of Granada. I was especially excited for Silent Thursday. When the clock strikes midnight, candlelit processions move through the streets with thousands of onlookers completely silent, nothing but the sound of footsteps. I went out at 11:45 and started making my way to the remarkable Albaicín neighborhood.
I walked for about 45 minutes but didn’t see any of the major processions on the schedule. On my way back home, though, I caught some beautiful celebrations near the city center. They didn't really look like the Holy Thursday processions I had researched, but I shrugged it off and arrived home feeling accomplished.
I woke up the next day, Friday, and prepared to head to the bus station. I was taking a bus to the Málaga airport for my flight to London. While leaving my apartment, I got the following email from the bus company: “Your trip to Málaga is only 24 hours away. Packed your bags yet?”
Why yes. Yes, I had.
Looking at the date, I realized it was actually Thursday, not Friday. I had been a day off… for multiple days.
This explained the earlier confusion. Those atypical “Thursday” processions? Actually the Holy Wednesday processions.
Now, if that was confusing to read, imagine what it was like to live. I truly don’t know how this happened. In my defense, it was spring break, so my leading theory is that my brain must have factory reset after midterms. Still, not my finest moment.
“Fake It ‘Till You Make It” or… Just Make It
That last story is so absurd that I seriously considered not including it, but that's what this post is about. Social media is so polished that it can make us feel defective when things go haywire, but I promise that every student abroad has stories just like this one. Okay, maybe not just like this one, but you get my point.
Either way, I am happy to take one for the team. Hopefully, my embarrassing stories will make you feel a little more normal about your perfectly imperfect time abroad.
Here's my final piece of advice to anyone reading: If it feels like there is some big secret to life that you were never told, don't worry. Nobody knows what they're doing. The secret is doing it anyway.