"¡No pasa nada en Granada!"

One month and ten days in Granada.

I need to sit back sometimes and remind myself both that I've already been here that long, and other times that I have only been here that long. I'm afraid now that time will pass too quickly but I feel so comfortable and at home here. And I love speaking Spanish! While many here have told me that I'm very good at it, some more honest people have confirmed that, yes, I do make quite a few mistakes, and that's probably because I often talk without really thinking. This is both good and bad ;) Anyways I came to the conclusion of the following after some intense 2 minutes of philosophizing...

Just as words can be translated to say the same thing in a different language, I feel that I translate my 'self' in a different culture. I’m the same person, I just perceive and feel differently, and become somewhat altered on the surface.

I think this is true for anyone who finds themselves in a different culture, using the language. Friends of mine have confirmed this. But it's so interesting for me, even after a lifetime of feeling so close to two countries, to come to yet another and see my reflection through a different angle, if you will. This is definitely a growing experience which has only inspired me to hope to seek out some bigger culture shocks in the future!

I'm going to conclude by mentioning some more concrete things. I have visited Córdoba, Toledo, Madrid, and Segovia. Next weekend I am going to Lisbon, Portugal, and at the end of April I will get to experience life in Morocco for four days! Here in Granada I have discovered my favorite place to be the Mirador de San Nicolas (especially during sunset) which gives you a breathtaking panorama of the city, Albaicín, Alhambra and Sierra Nevada.

More to come on the details of my first walk through the Albaicín... stay tuned!

[Here also is a link to a song by a well-known singer in Spain named Chambao who is from Málaga in Andalucia. Her music is a blend of Flamenco with electronic. Enjoy!]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKnvxHkk8NA

Where and back again?

So, I realize it's been a while since I last posted a moments
reflection, lifetime experience, or what have you. Anyways, here is a
breakdown where in the world my family currently resides. My older
brother has been attending the Kingly Technical University of
Stockholm as of a year and a half ago. I have not seen him (other
than through skype sometimes) since he backed out of our driveway
summer 2009. More recently, however, are my parents and little
brother who moved down to St. Lucia, a paradise of an island in the
Caribbean. Yes, that vacation spot everyone talks about. They moved
just about a month ago for my dad's job, and I am absolutely stunned
by where they've been located. The good news is that that's where I'm
going "home" to for Christmas! Roughly following this school year
they may be relocating yet again to Sweden, permanently. In sum, I
will be the last member of the family living in the U.S. next year.

But hold on to your hat! More happy travels... my plans are almost as well
as set for studying abroad in Granada, Spain this spring! My dad faxed
me the postcard I had received in the mail from Granada - it is taped
up in my dorm room, giving me so much more well-needed motivation for
the workload I have taken upon myself at school this semester. So if
everything works out, for which I am crossing my toes and fingers and
picking up every heads penny I see, I will be traveling first to St.
Lucia, then to Spain, then to Sweden, and back again thereafter.

This is exactly what I need, to figure myself out a little more. I just spoke the other day with a friend at school who had spent 12 months in Argentina, and him and I are on the same page when it comes to understanding the importance of just getting out and living life. Opportunities come up along the way. Life is spontaneous!