Espaa CEGRl, Granada, Spain Summer 2005 Holly Eichelberger

1
EspañaCEGRl, Granada, Spain Summer 2005Holly
Eichelberger

• Introduction
• During the Summer of 2005, I traveled to Granada,
  Spain to experience life abroad. My program was 6
  weeks long and while I was there, I took classes
  at CEGRl. CEGRl offered a wide variety of classes
  that we could take and a faculty that was very
  helpful.

Results

• I was displeased with my first housing
  arrangement, however I solved that situation
  within the first week and was ecstatic with my
  second family.
• I learned about the culture of Spain, the history
  of Spanish art, business in Spain, and writing
  Spanish compositions.
• I met locals through school, the family I stayed
  with, and by going out at night and seeing what
  Granada had to offer.
• I noticed that the locals were very friendly and
  often times were very interested in learning
  about the United States and our culture.
• In my spare time, I spent a lot of time visiting
  with my host family and traveling around Spain.

Figure 1. Streets of Granada
Figure 2. Waterfall in the Alpujarras
Figure 4-5. Top) Fountain of Lions in La
Alhambra. Bottom) Spanish Royal Palace in Madrid,
Spain.

• Hypothesis
• During my time in Spain, I hoped to improve my
  Spanish abilities, including speaking, reading
  and writing.
• I also wanted to immerse myself in the culture
  and learn everything I could about their customs,
  traditions, family life, social interactions, etc.

• Objective
• I chose the country of Spain because I wanted to
  pursue a Spanish minor and it was a way for me to
  complete many of the required classes and to
  learn a lot about Spain.
• I chose CEGRl because I had heard numerous good
  things about the program including the classes,
  the faculty, and the program directors.
• I did not have any expectations going into the
  program. I had a very positive attitude and an
  open mind.

Figure 6-7. Fresh market (right) and Sagrada
Familia Cathedral (left) both in Barcelona, Spain.
Materials and Methods
Discussion

• I learned about the program through people who I
  live with during the school year.
• In order to get into the program, I filled out my
  application and made sure I turned in all of my
  forms on time. When I wrote my personal essay, I
  was myself and simply stated why I wanted to go
  and the benefits I was going to gain by going.
• I did none of the planning for the trip. I went
  on a group flight, which was booked through a
  travel agent. The only arrangements I had to make
  were my traveling arrangements once I was in
  Spain.
• Before going on this trip, I had no real
  stereotypes about the Spanish people because I
  knew so little about the culture.
• My biggest concern before leaving was safety.
  However, once I was in Spain I felt very
  comfortable in the country and around the native
  people.
• I looked forward to the experience of living in
  another country for a period of time and really
  getting to experience another culture.

• I would definitely study abroad again if I had
  the opportunity because it is an experience of a
  lifetime and you learn so much about yourself and
  about another culture.
• My favorite part about my experience was
  traveling around Spain. I got to see so much of
  the country and not once did I feel unsafe while
  I traveled.
• This trip taught me a lot about myself. It
  allowed me to see how I react in a new
  environment and to see how much I love
  international travel.
• My experiences did not affect my academic career
  in any way. However it made me realize how much I
  want to pursue my Spanish minor and Spanish
  endorsement.

Figure 3. Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea