So, there are quite a few ways I could start this blog, being my first one and having never blogged before puts me in a position of not really knowing where to start. With that being said however I believe the best place to probably start this initial blog is just with how I feel about my first week in Granada. To put it simply it has been amazing yet humbling. Amazing in the fact that at every turn there is something new, something not yet discovered waiting to be found and every day without fail I have had one of those “wow” moments. Whether it is walking into the Granada Cathedral for the first time and seeing this amazing architecture tower above me and then learning about the history behind it, it was completed in 1561! That was 457 years ago and still stands flawless in the center of Granada to this day. I do not know if I will ever truly be able to comprehend how amazing this is, to compare this cathedral had already stood for over 200 years before the united states became its own country. You see those “wow” moments go from structures like this and more such as the famous Alhambra all the way down to the streets and the people that walk them every day. I personally believe that it is the people that make a place and that could not be truer than in Granada. Since the moment I arrived the people that I have met have been some of the kindest and most caring that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. And even after such a short time of being here, and I’ll be honest a major language barrier for myself, these people have shown me how to appreciate the little things a lot more. I cannot remember the last time I have sat down for lunch at a table and stayed there for more than an hour and just taken time to enjoy the process and not be so consumed with the next step of either work or stress for the rest of the day. For that I have George and Sonia and their amazing four children who have taken me in for my stay here in Granada to thank, simply put they are just amazing caring people and I do not think I could be more thankful for that than I am. And this is where the humbling aspect that I mentioned earlier comes into play. I’m humbled due to the fact that the language barrier is so hard to overcome and yet a lot of people here are bilingual if not more, for example George speaks five languages fluently and his children who are under five years old already know more English than I know Spanish. This is humbling because it goes to show how important language and communication is. And I can also say that standing at a bus stop and having someone ask you a question and having no idea what was said to you and therefore not being able to help is not the best feeling. So with that being said I’m determined to change that and learn this language both for myself and for the sake of those around me. I know a month’s time here will not be enough to fully learn but I hope that I can leave here with a solid foundation and continue to learn when I go home. Another humbling aspect has to do with the way of life, there is a saying that goes “Americans live to work while Europeans work to live” and while motives are different culture to culture I do believe this to be a little true. Just taking more time to appreciate smaller things goes a long way and believe that is a lesion I will take home with me after this trip is over. Now obviously I have only been here for a week and I have a long ways to go but I think I can say confidently that no matter what places I go to, things I do or discover I am pretty sure that at the end of this trip the thing I will take away the most are the relationships with the people I meet along the way. Getting to know new people is the real prize out of all of this, I believe that after a week and I am confident that after a month that will not change. Until then See you next week.
