My most eye-opening experience was taking my Arabic Islam class. In the US and in a lot of other countries, students are not taught a lot about the Islamic religion, even though nearly 2 billion people are Muslim. In our class, we explored areas of Granada that have Arabic architectural designs, and we visited the mosque. There is only one mosque left in Granada because most were destroyed so a cathedral could be built on top of it. We talked about the values placed on purity, water, family, and of course God in the Muslim religion. Even in the short 6 weeks, we covered a lot of interesting information concerning the differences of rule following in different Islamic countries. My teacher for the course was extremely nice, open-minded, and encouraged us to work hard on our projects and papers.
I think the biggest challenge I had was communicating with my host mom about our expectations for each other while I was living in her house. Since Spanish culture is very different from American culture, there are a lot of details that can only be figured out with trial and error. My host mom cooked lunch at 3pm and dinner at 10pm and wanted me to wear shoes when walking around the house. Although these are small details in the grand scheme of things, they are still differences that take some getting use to. I learned to communicate with her about how I was having some trouble adjusting to a different culture, and it made all the difference. Soon after, I became use to my new schedule and I started to like it a lot better, especially the siesta during the middle of the day. At times, I became homesick, which is expected, but I took time to notice how all the emotions would come in waves. When I first arrived in Spain, I was definitely in the honeymoon phase because everything was sparkly and amazing. After a bit, the sparkle dulls a bit, and you start to notice things that make you a little annoyed. At the end of the day, life is life whether you are in Madison or in Granada you will encounter problems, and you will find solutions. Ultimately, I feel I have def grown as a person since being in Spain.
The most eye-opening experience was going to pride in Torremolinos. As a queer Latina women in Wisconsin, It is rare that I feel pride in myself and the challenges that I have overcome, but being in Torremolinos for pride made me feel seen and appreciated. After attending the parade, I shortly found out that pride in Spain first started in Torremolinos and that over 60,000 people attended the celebration. This all happened spontaneously because we did not know the city was having pride until we got there. While I was there, I met another American from Pittsburgh, and we shortly became friends. Walking through the streets with rainbow confetti falling from the sky, Lady Gaga playing, and looking around everyone is smiling and taking pride in who they are was an experience that I will never forget. This experience taught me that the most spontaneous experiences are sometimes the most cherished.
Not to be cliché, but this program changed many ideas I had on my life prior to going. After studying abroad in Spain, my Spanish improved and so did my interest in world history. Seeing the ancient Alhambra hovering above the city, I was immediately interested in the history of the Moors and their influence on Southern Spain. This interest brought me to northern Morocco, where I could visually connect the two (now) distinct cultures. After improving and feeling more confident in my Spanish I feel that I identify more with my Latinx heritage that ever before. As a first generation student, I feel it can be easy to forget heritage and assimilate to American culture. Being in Spain reminded me I could sit at dinner with friends for 5 hours, or I could read my book at the park for an entire afternoon. Essentially, I learned to enjoy life like I never have before.
Caitlin Fox
Hometown: Viroqua, Wisconsin
Major: Spanish and Health Promotion and Health Equity
Program: Illinois in Spain: Spanish Studies in Granada
I chose this program because I have traveled to Granada before, and I absolutely loved it. The Alhambra, a beautiful monument, is here along with lots of other amazing architecture. I also decided on this program because it was the longest one offered for the summer and I wanted to be abroad for as long as possible to learn Spanish. Between the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance, the tapas, the siesta, flamenco, and nice people– Granada is the place to be. My mom is from Nicaragua, so as a Latina, I feel very at home even though the culture is different.