Chapter Two: Up and Running

Greetings from Granada, beloved readers!

I've now been out here for five days, and the enormity of what myself and my fellow Erasmus students are undertaking is just starting to dawn on me. I've written previously about the importance of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone if you want to grow, and I can definitely say that's the case here.

The previous week has been intense. I moved into my new flat on the anniversary of the first episode of Friends (22 September, in case you were wondering), so I'm hoping that's some kind of good omen! After only five days Granada is beginning to feel more and more like home, and already myself and my fellow LA's feel like we understand what the city has to offer on all fronts, whether that's linguistic, social, cultural, or whatever you can think of really! The process of getting your feet under the table can be tricky, but its something to be endured, as once you're on the other side and into your routine everything will fly past. You'll be looking back on the most incredible year in no time at all.

Not a bad place to run.

That being said, the opening few weeks are still bound to be stressful for everybody, and Spanish bureaucracy has done its best to throw us all a huge curveball- namely the infamous NIE appointment and seeming reluctance of any Spanish bank to accept a travelling English student's request to open an account so far. If it's any consolation, everybody will be in the same boat. This is where perseverance, adaptability and confidence will be so important: all three of which are skills I've marked to improve this year. So you could say that this is simply another objective to be ticked off the list- things like this, although part of a country's legal system, can be treated as a means to a more personal end, namely improving your ability to deal with a challenging, unfamiliar situation in a foreign country, on your own. And when you've done it? Massive kudos to you!

Though initially discouraged I have still managed to accomplish plenty this week: I've been fortunate to have moved in with two delightful Spanish students (both Ana, conveniently), and already I feel my linguistic skills improving. My fellow members of Team Granada are fantastic people all, despite my success in getting us all lost during our initial meet-ups- including in El Corte Ingles. And the city itself is as you'd expect- overflowing with rich cultural heritage, full of lively and generous people, great food and drink, (very important!) and the most incredible city centre you are ever likely to see: consisting of, among other things, the Federico Garcia Lorca park, the Rio Genil and the Plaza de la Trinidad near the city's amazing Cathedral. I could go on forever.

Despite all this, of course there will be certain aspects of home that everyone misses, especially in the opening few weeks: namely the comfort of a regular routine, people you know and activities and other quirky things you enjoy. For me, the first one of these moments came this morning when, upon glancing at the time, I realized that I would normally be down at my local Parkrun. But everyone knows how to get around this: use whatever you can to your advantage- for example, running around, through and across the city this week with the aid of the ever-reliable google maps (don't listen to what my fellow LA's out here say!) has done wonders for my infamously unreliable sense of geography. Of course, surrounding yourself with positive people who share your outlook and experience also helps to no end. But some things simply cannot be replaced, however hard you try: which is why I'm overjoyed that I've been able to track down my favourite muesli from home- Hipercor, you are wonderful, please keep stocking it! My mornings would not be the same otherwise!

I'm also incredibly relieved to have had some time out here without having to work. It sounds obvious but it's so important to make sure you're fully settled before beginning a job which requires meticulous planning and no little patience and flexibility. Moreover, you don't want to arrive at school for your first day at school completely unprepared and worried sick over the fact that you haven't had time to book your NIE appointment, or at the other end of the spectrum, uncertain about your flatmates or city, having had no time to settle in and prepare. It's imperative that you give yourself the best possible platform to both do what you're here for, whether that be studying or work, but also to make the entire experience worthwhile and memorable for you: it will require some effort, conviction and adaptability (that word again) but at the end of the day you will be setting yourself up for the best year of your university career.

However, I do understand why many of us are getting cold feet from waiting to get started: it's so important to have a routine that allows you to make time for both your job and the things you enjoy. I still have plenty of things to do: namely revolving around visiting my school before starting work on Thursday, finally resolving the NIE issue and opening a bank account, and sorting gym membership, to say nothing of social events and meeting friends. Once this is all ticked off, I'll finally feel like a fully-fledged Granadino, and it will be a great relief! Moreover, once you know what you're doing, where and when, you'll be able to throw yourself into your placement of choice without any needless worries or distractions- after all, familiarity breeds content.

It has been a long, but very worthwhile week. I still think back to the times when, upon leaving Menorca at the end of each summer, I'd wonder what it would be like to spend a whole year in Spain. Now that dream is a reality, and it will be a long time before the novelty wears of- in fact I'm not sure it will! This would have been the perfect week, but for the utter capitulation of a certain Catalan football team away at Celta Vigo on Wednesday night, but life, and more importantly, the Year Abroad, continues at a frenetic pace for your favourite blogger. Let's see what Thursday and onwards holds. Until then, if anyone needs me, you'll likely find me nursing an Americano in one of the Gran Via's fantastic espresso bars. Hasta pronto!


No matter what kind of wisdom dictates to you the option you should pick, no one will be able to tell you if it's right or wrong until you arrive at some sort of outcome by making a choice. We can only believe that we won't regret the choices we make.