Las Alpujarras

Last Sunday my friend Sarah and I journeyed to Las Alpujarras where we hiked from the town of Pampaniera to Bubion to Capileira. The towns are built on a mountain and visitors can hike from one town to the next although it is quite a good workout. It is a completely different atmosphere than Granada as it is quiet and secluded from the rest of Spain. It was honestly one of the best experiences I have had since coming to Granada and I am so glad the weather cooperated even though the forcast predicted rain for that day. It ended up being the most perfect autumn day with a crisp blue sky. At some points during our hike up the mountain from one town to the next we actually felt hot which brought us back to our days in Granada in August and September. Lately it has been so chilly and I have learned from talking to Granadinos that this weather is unusually cold for this time of year. Well, here are some pictures from my time in Las Alpujarras!

After doing much thinking and observing...

As I have approached the last month of my study abroad experience, I have started to realize that a couple of things are different now from what I previously thought. First of all, coming to Spain with an American study abroad group is not a complete immersion experience and I have learned that you will only be as immersed in the culture as you want to be. The office for API (Academic Programs International) is almost a safe-haven/hangout for all of the American students in the group and it is an area where you hear mostly English, despite the resident directors’ desire to speak in Spanish. The Center of Modern Languages, where I attend all of my classes, is a separate and isolated part of the University of Granada and that too is safe-haven for all of the international students. The idea of immersion has to be an independent decision and I have tried my best to integrate myself into the native life here. I have made Spanish friends during organized intercambios and have met up with them on separate occasions. Do I still speak English more than I would like to here? Yes, unfortunately I do. This past month I have tried extremely hard to speak in English as infrequently as possible but it is as natural a process as breathing and I find myself slipping into an English world without my conscious recognition. I really felt that I would come to Spain and become completely fluent and sound like a native speaker but I have realized that I had really high intentions. The language skills I have acquired here are undoubtedly recognizable, yet I am not absolutely fluent nor will I be by the time I leave in December. I think fluency is partly a state of mind and my mind is not yet at that stage where I can completely cross into Spanish without some English translations tagging along.
On a different note, I have come to the conclusion that Granada is the most beautiful city I have ever been to. Instead of there being a Dunkin Donuts every 5 minutes down the street (like Cranston, RI) there is a beautiful cathedral, monastery, theater, etc. that illuminates the rich history of this province. I still find myself looking up at the buildings on my walks to school because the architecture is so impressive. I love the views of the Sierra Nevada in the distance, especially now that their peaks are white with snow. I also love the views of the Alhambra from a random side street; I just happened to look up between two buildings and see part of the structure sitting on the hill overlooking the city. It is a magical area really and while that may sound cliché there is really no other word that comes to mind. I am going to miss this city so much.