Journal entry #2
This week, we all started our internships. I’m at San Juan de Dios hospital/school. It’s for kids and young adults 4 to 20 years old. They range from mild disabilities, such as just cognitive issues, to very severe physical and mental disabilities. My class is first grade, and I absolutely love it. The teacher in my classroom, Jesús, is amazing. He has worked at this institute for 30 years. Everyday we usually do the same things. One day after another, he continues to have the same enthusiasm as if he just started! It’s amazing to see him work with the four kids in our class. He knows exactly what they need even though they can’t speak. The kids in my class are severely disabled. They are bound to wheelchairs, but they are able to wear braces to help with walking and building strength. Even though these kids have such challenges to overcome, some that we can take for granted, it’s amazing to see how they are still able to be happy. He is helping me speak more Spanish, and in return I’m helping him speak more English. It’s neat learning more and more about the kids each day that I have been there. Their way of communicating, from what they like to what they eat for lunch. Jesús says he is like a second dad to them now and I see what he is talking about. One of the days we visited a police station with a bunch of the kids. It was great for them to go and do something fun. The police men and woman did an amazing job showing the kids the police dogs and helping the kids play with them. The kids in my class are the youngest and got nervous with the puppies, so it was a little stressful. But overall a fun day and a mix up to the normal routine.
Everyday after work we head for a short walk and then take the bus to the Inmaculada. This is where the students who study at the University of Granada have lunch, hang out, and go to class. The seven of us in the group meet up everyday there and we have lunch. Let me tell you, this is far from your normal cafeteria. The food is delicious and cheap! It’s great, and I look forward to it all day. Especially if I have forgotten to eat breakfast. After that, it is usually around 4 so for us this means nap time! So I usually pass out for a good 4 hours and then wake up and shower. After that I go out and explore the beautiful city of Granada! Then, since we sleep for so long and recharge we are able to go out at night and not be so tired. Plus, it’s so fun going and getting something to drink and getting free food, “Tapas” that is also amazing. So why stay in when you can go meet people, drink, and get free food!
So it has been fun exploring this little city, I love how I am starting to remember places and streets. And figuring it out has been great! It will be cool to see how much I remember and know at the end of these five weeks. It’s making me comfortable here, and I could definitely see myself studying abroad here one semester. But who knows, I would also like to experience a new area as well.
On Friday, our day off from work, Mike took some of us and his wife Cassie hiking! And this was no ordinary hiking. We had to cross bridges and tip toe along edges of rocks without falling into the river below. It was terrifying and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it out alive. But afterward I was pleased and excited that I didn’t die and now want to see what else I can do. Finding something out, like thinking you can’t do something and then accomplishing it, is pretty cool. I can’t wait to see what else we can do! After that, we ate at a restaurant at the top of mountain/hill. We were probably the only customers of the day since it was so out of the way. But the food was delicious and there was an amazing view! After eating we all headed back to our host families for a well deserved nap. Then we all got ready and the four girls went and met Mike and enjoyed some tapas! Then we met up with mostly everyone and got Gelato. It was a nice adventurous and delicious food eating day!
Today it is a huge deal in the sports world for Granada. It is such a big deal, we have all decided to all watch and experience this evening together. We are just trying to figure out which host family we’ll agree to all of us coming over and watching. We thought about going out but it is packed as we speak, and it’s nowhere near game time. I’m really just excited to eat food and spend time with the rest of group.
Tomorrow it is Sunday so we have nothing planned. It is crazy how the days and weeks fly by. But to no surprise when your busy that’s bound to happen. Next week is a massive holiday festival for Granada so we possibly will be only going to our internships Monday and Tuesday. Which is awesome to get a little break but I will definitely miss the kids while we are out celebrating with the Granada citizens. It’s called Corpus Christi, every year on May 31st. It’s a huge celebration of partying and spending time together. It’s a feast that it is a celebration of the real presence of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. I cannot wait, I am so excited to be here to celebrate something so important with people who are also so excited about it as well.
So yet another amazing week here in Granada, wow the weeks are going by so quickly!
