I officially have my first week of living in Granada, Spain under my belt! What a beautiful city with so many things to offer! In this blog post, I will share some of the NEW things I have experienced in Granada!

Lema nueva (New Motto)

Say “YES” to everything that is SAFE!

I have decided that this is my motto for my semester here in Granada. A semester feels like a pretty long time, but when we received a singular sheet of printer paper that had our entire semester mapped out, I began to realize how quickly time is going to fly. So, my motto for this semester is to say yes to every opportunity or experience that is safe (you’re welcome for adding that last part, Dad).

Amigos nuevos (New Friends)

  • A selfie of two girls.
    My housemate in my homestay this semester, Aracely!
  • Four girls standing in front of an outlook to the Alhambra.
    Julietta, Alana, myself, and Grace looking out at the Alhambra during sunset!
  • A table with four plates of food and three girls smiling.
    Haley, Maria, and Julia as we enjoy a little snack in between classes at a near by café!
  • A selfie of two girls outside.
    JULIETTA! Such a radiant friend! This is her and I on the balcony of our IES academic building taking in the view!
  • Three girls standing together holding cookies.
    Julietta, me, and Julia holding our favorite cookies! This shop is right next to where we take classes and a lovely snack location!
  • Three girls sitting on a rock with a large bridge behind them.
    Me, Julia, and Aracely in Ronda, Spain!
  • A selfie of two girls.;
    JULIA! I met her in the airport during my travels to Granada and, since then, we have been the best of friends!
  • A BeReal with a professor on one side and a class full of students on the other side.
    BEST ORIENTATION GROUP EVER!! Our professor (Trini) is pictured in the corner. She is AWESOME and our group got along very well!

Comidas/Bebidas nuevas (New Foods/Drinks)

The drinking culture in Europe is super interesting! It is much more casual here and it is frowned upon to drink alcohol without also eating food at the same time. Because drinking is such a large part of the culture here, there are many drinks available that offer various amounts of alcohol so that everyone can partake!

  • A photo of a bowl of soup on a table.
    Cazuela! A soup made of broth, noodles, potatoes, chopped fish, shrimp, and mussels. I am not usually a seafood fan, but I did eat the entire bowl because that is what I was offered for lunch!
  • A picture of a plate with two fried croquetas of chicken and sliced tomato.
    Croquetas de pollo! Similar to mozzarella sticks, but with creamy chicken filling inside. Very delicious!!
  • A picture of a table with cheese, ham, bread, and wine glasses on it.
    A look into tapas! Whenever you order a drink in Spain, it comes with a free course of tapas (appetizers). In this photo, we are drinking tinto de verano, a very popular Andalusian drink with a splash of red wine and the club soda!
  • A picture of chocolate ice cream with a wafer.
    ICE CREAM! Speaks for itself. So yummy.
  • A picture of a wine glass full of liquid and an empty bottle next to it.
    El mosto – A non-alcoholic wine that tastes even better than sparkling grape juice! A great option for those who want to participate in the drinking culture without actually consuming any alcohol!
  • A picture of a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of churros on a table.
    CHURROS Y CHOCOLATE! An absolute must. So delicious. Fun fact, if you order hot chocolate, they will give you the same chocolate sauce for churros – it is very creamy and rich!
  • A picture of a plate with rice, a fried egg, and a plantain.
    Unsure of the official name for this meal, but my host mom made it for lunch one day! It is rice, a fried egg, a plantain coated in cane sugar, and bread with tomato gazpacho!
  • A picture of a bottle of kombucha.
    Classic kombucha. SO GOOD
  • A picture of an açaí bowl.
    ACAI BOWL! The picture speaks for itself. So yummy, so fresh, very good price. Will be having again.
  • A picture of a bowl of pasta salad with bowtie noodles.
    PASTA SALAD! This salad consists of noodles, egg, pineapple, walnuts, and olives. Interesting combination.
  • A picture of two pastries.
    Pastries! I honestly have no idea what these were, but they were delicious!
  • A picture of a cup of coffee with whipped cream and a candy straw.
    A crazy coffee! Did not realize that I was ordering something so fancy, but it was delicious!

Vistas Nuevas (New Views)

It is so crazy to take in and process all of the views here! Do not fear, Hope College people, nothing could ever beat the Campus Ministries front porch, the barstools at Lemonjello’s with friends, the egg chair in my cottage (shoutout Pieter’s Cott girls!), or the top floor of Western Sem Library, but these views are pretty incredible!

  • A picture of a patio full of plants
  • A picture of a beautiful view with the Alhambra.
  • A picture of a giant cathedral.
  • A picture of a sunny room with many windows.
  • A picture of an orange tree.
  • A picture of a girl standing in front of a large bridge.
  • A picture of many white houses climbing up a mountain.
  • A picture of mountains and a sunset.
  • A picture of the street with hearts hanging in the air.
  • A picture of a coffee shop!

Published by Kaitlyn Goeman

Class of 2025 IES Abroad - Study in Granada in Granada, Spain

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