I loved living in Granada, Spain! What affected me the most was the rich culture of the city. I loved how tiny and quaint the city felt with its narrow, winding streets. The night life was nothing to complain about either... there was always friends to hang out with, a bar to go to, tea to drink, and tapas to eat! My favorite part of Granada was the Alhambra. I loved learning about the history of the city and a large part of that was its time under Arabic rule. To this day you can still see the influences of that culture. The Alhambra is such a beautiful sight, I would stand and look at it in awe if I was walking by it. Also, I loved the Catedral of Granada. It is so massive! And all around it there are little Arabic shops run mostly by people from Morroco. They would always have such beautiful items, such as tea sets, scarfs, bags, etc. I loved just listening to music and looking around these shops on a sunny day.

Another great part of being in Spain was the traveling I got to do. The Central College program is amazing! We had the chance to travel to Toledo, Segovia, Madrid, Ronda, Cordoba, and Sevilla with the program. It was a wonderful way to get to know the country. On the side, I traveled to Barcelona and Valencia with some friends. I also had the opportunity to go to Morroco for four days with a program offered at our school. It was one of the most fascinating experiences of my life. It was awkward because the official languages there are French and Arabic, and I don't know either of those languages. It is beautiful over there and the people are so friendly. It also broke a lot of stereotypes for me. In December I went to Ireland with some friends, and it was gorgeous as well! It was quite the shock to hear English all around me though.

I would highly recommend the Granada, Spain program. I made all kinds of new friends, learned more Spanish, and traveled a lot. It's the experience of a lifetime and I will never forget it. Gracias a la Universidad de Valparaiso!

~ Brittany Bowers

Granada, Spain is a place where the day starts at night. After the end of siesta, my friends and I would wander the streets searching for tapas (which I might add were free!) and ultimately ending up talking with other American students or with natives of Granada. Everyone in Granada is willing to talk if you make the effort to speak with them in Spanish. Apart from its vibrant nightlife, Granada is a beautiful city with a history stretching back to pre-Visigothic Spain.

On the weekends, if you're tired of staying in the city, you can always catch a bus in to the Alpujarras. From there, you can climb a trail up the tallest mountain in continental Spain and stay in a tefuge on your way back down. My friends and I did this a couple times and each time we were amazed by the beauty of the Sierra Nevadas mountainscape.

Don't be worried if you think that the only language you can study in Spain is Spanish. At the Centro de Lenguas Modernas, they made arrangements so that I could study Arabic (which is valuable in
Andalusia as a large minority of people speak Arabic as their native language). The teachers as the Centro are great and they will work with you on any problems that you have for any classes that you're taking.

Veronica, the program director, helps you as needed, but she does believe there are some things that you should be able to do on your own, so if she thinks that you can handle yourself in a given situation, she will let you handle yourself. All in all, the program was a wonderful experience, one I will remember for the rest of my
life.

~ Barrett Ludy

Studying abroad in Europe was one of the best decisions I made in college because there are so many opportunities to travel and see other cultures while still taking advantage of the wonderful cities and sights of Spain. I was able to expand my horizons and meet lots of new people, both Americans and Internationals. I also had two good friends in Germany and England, which was cool because I was able to go visit. They gave me free housing and food, and showed me all around their countries! Seeing European countries also gave me a better pride and appreciation for the United States; I really enjoyed seeing the different ways of life as well as the similarities, but I also discovered some American traditions and styles that I hadn’t appreciated before.

The traveling was enlightening and adventurous, but my favorite part of the experience was daily living. I resided in an apartment with a host family who encouraged me, explained Spanish culture, asked me questions, helped me revise essays, and always invited me into their family customs and conversations. They invited me into their home and really welcomed me. By living there, I really learned a lot about Spanish culture and food, and I had a safe place to ask questions about life or Spanish history that I might have been embarrassed to ask someone else. Their understanding and warmth helped make my trip spectacular.

The daily classes were stimulating – taught completely in Spanish. Although learning subjects in a different language proved challenging at times, my Spanish proficiency approved immensely. By the end of the trip, I felt very confident, and my “intercambio” language partners and host family praised my growth in the language. The professors were always understanding and fun. They took their work seriously, but they enjoyed teaching as well and were always very patient. Some of them accompanied us on weekend trips that the University sponsored, and we had a chance to know them personally as well as professionally. One of the aspects at Valpo that I really appreciate is the closeness between professors and students, and I found this was true in my University in Alcala as well. My experience in Spain was incredible, and I grew a lot while learning about the interesting history and culture of another country. I would highly recommend it for interested students and would be happy to answer any questions.

~ Holly Vanderwal