Hello! Thank you for tuning in again to read my blog this week! The first week of November went by in a blink, and a big reason for that is all my newfound free time this month. For November, I am only enrolled in my two Culture Content classes, one each per day. This means I only go to the university campus for two hours a day, and both classes begin in the afternoon. This week’s blog will talk about what routines I have started to fill my free time in this last month of being in Spain.
Absolutely one of my favorite things about this new school routine is the ability to sleep in. Getting up at 7 every morning was doable but so different from my typical college routine and overall very tiring. Side piece of advice for any new college student reading: only take an 8am class if you have to or if you are a crazy morning person. It is so much harder to get up than you would think, even if you just went through 12 years of getting up at 6am for school. Just don’t do it. Anyway back to life in Spain: since I get to sleep in, my mornings have been pretty relaxed and quiet. Haley, my housemate, usually is gone or on her way out not long after I wake up and everyone at home is asleep, so it has been a lot of solo time. The solo time has been even more rewarding than I would have thought because it feels good to be able to enjoy your own company. Once I actually get myself moving for the day, I have been filling my free time with different things. I’ve taken walks down to the port to journal, gone to the beach before the chilly weather kicked in, watched Netflix, finished homework, and walked among the kiosks of the Explanada to buy Christmas gifts. Even though I have other friends in my program that are home when I am, we all seem to have enjoyed the opportunity during these days to have time to ourselves. It has been a chance to walk around the city I have been living in for 9 weeks and discover little shops or people watch. My solo trips around town have shown me that even though a GO Short would still have been amazing, having only a month of regulated activities would not have given nearly the same experience to become immersed in the Spanish culture and really understand the language and how they live. Beyond my solo afternoons, my friends and I have found ways to fill free time together too at night or on the weekends where we have stayed in town. Because of the late dinnertimes and school the next day, we all almost always stay in our houses after dinner. A couple nights here and there, though, we have gone out to eat together, shop, or take a walk to get ice cream. On the weekends, we have taken small day trips on the Tram to nearby towns such as Villajoyosa or Altea. We also often go out to get cheap drinks at 100 Montaditos, a huge chain throughout Spain that serves tapas and basic mug drinks. It has always been a great location to meet up and not worry about spending too much money. Free time is one of the most important things about embarking on a GO Long. Shorter abroad trips still bring you to a fabulous country and give you the chance to do something amazing, but you don’t really get the chance to live like a local. Even though most Spaniards can tell immediately that we are Americans by our appearances or our accents, we still can give directions within our little area or give restaurant recommendations. 3 months is not long enough to become a full-fledged local, of course, but the things we do and learn during our free time has been what allows us to feel a part of the country even just for a little bit.
2 Comments
Lisa Garland
11/11/2021 03:51:45 am
het there sweetness you are not far off from coming home bet you are all excited to see us soon and sleep in your own bed again. I know you miss me the most but hang in there its coming soon when you will see me. Also thinking at the same time how you will miss this place and all you have met . It truly is a gift to get to do this and hold it in your heart forever . love and miss you tons see you in a few weeks
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Keli Emmons
11/11/2021 06:51:07 am
Hannah,
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