"You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person." -A.W.

    It’s 8:30 in the morning here in España. I’ve been awake for an hour and I couldn’t sleep last night. I have been bursting with excitement since the beginning of yesterday morning. CEA took us to our University and showed us the language buildings that we’ll be taking classes in. It’s all so gorgeous and the walk to campus is lined with so many interesting sights and shops that I’m sure I’ll get lost walking to campus simply because I can’t concentrate on where I’m going.
    I love this city more than words can describe and I find myself in awe of its customs. In Spain, everything is much more slow paced. For example, breakfast is around 10:00 in the morning, that’s also when all stores open. Lunch is anywhere from 2:00 to 4 :00 in the afternoon, which falls into siesta “nap” time. Yes, Spaniards in Granada take a 3 hour siesta everyday, 2:00 to 5:00, during which all shops close down so people can either go home to rest or go get lunch. Let me just say that that is already my favorite part of the day! Entonces dinner is around 9:00 to 10:00 at night.
    Yesterday, my first full day in Granada, was a dream. My roommate, Jensen, and I woke up early and decided to explore. We discovered that we are right in the center of Granada and can find literally everything we need. We finally found an ATM which, by the way, are not called ATMs like we learned in Spanish class. They are called caja automaticos or cajaras. That would have been nice to know our first night here when we were asking the chinese supermarket owner where an “ah-te-eme-” was located and she stared at us and then proceeded to show us some milk called almite even after Jensen took out her debit card and pretended to stick it in an ATM. Spanish class failed to prepare us appropriately for that! We also found some coffee shops we plan to try soon.
    After morning orientation, the students from CEA had lunch at a Spanish buffet, or cafetería. It was superb. I can’t begin to describe the food that they had. I’ll try to get pictures if we go again. I’ll just say it was all amazing and leave it at that. After lunch, Jensen and I bought some muy importante things for our apartment, like a hairdryer and a straightner/curling iron. Now we just need to find a trash can and I need to find some sheets! That’s right! I have been sleeping on a mattress cover por dos días! To be honest though, I’m so ready to be in bed when I lay on it doesn’t even register that there is nothing on it. However, last night I got a bit chilly so I think today is the day I go find some sheets!
    After siesta time (I slept for nearly two hours, which probably explains why I couldn’t sleep last night), we met up to go on a bus tour of the city. I was sitting on the top, open part of a double decker buss and I won’t lie, I felt like I was in a Harry Potter book pretty much the entire ride (geek, I know)! Granada is more beautiful than I can describe in this post, so I am going to try to post pictures very soon. On the tour, we went up into the hills that surround Granada. There we saw where gypsies had dug holes into the side of hills and made them their homes! It was pretty incredible to see a wooden door randomly inserted into a hillside. We got to drive past the Alhambra Palace, though we couldn’t see it very well because it is so deep in the hills. We’re supposed to be going to visit it soon, though. The entire city is colorful and each section has its own unique characteristics that make you feel like you’re traveling through time. There are buildings that came about when the Moors, the Arabs, the Jews, and then Spaniards ruled. It’s like someone decided to take the most breathtaking architecture in world history and put it all in one place.
    After the city tour, a big group of the students went out to a few restaurants to have tapas. It’s a rule in Granada that when you order a drink, you get free tapas. Tapas are like an appetizer, but not, it's hard to explain. Let me tell you though, you’ve not lived until you’ve had Spanish tapas. I didn’t know this until I experienced it last night, but each restaurant gives you it’s own specialty tapas. I feel that this alone justifies me trying every restaurant in Granada!
    This city is beyond anything I could have imagined or hoped for. I truly pray my experience continues in the incredible direction it's been heading! If the title quote is true, I've done it. I've fallen in love at first sight with a place and it's name is Granada! I hope I have given you a good glimpse of my first day and a half in Spain. Until I can type again,

Te cuida.
Kaitlin Esperanza

I'll sleep when I'm dead

9:55am
    Finally found an outlet to charge my phone. Of course, it’s next to a smelly indian man. Trying not to gag. WARNING: London Heathrow Airport has a total of 5 outlets - 2 don’t work- in the whole dang airport, so I’m telling you now, turn your phone off through the 8 hour flight. You’ll regret it if you don’t!
     The flight from Dallas to London went well, I slept about 3/4 of the way. I’m still exhausted, though. I woke up once because I was having a hard time breathing. That was scary. Luckily, other than the minor panic attack, the flight went pretty well and I don’t feel nearly as terrible as I usually do after being on a plane. Maybe it’s the excitement.
    I’m so ready to be able to sleep in a bed!! This airplane snoozing just doesn’t cut it! Luckily, in just a few short hours ( I say short, I mean 7) I will finally be in Granada. Hopefully all will go quickly and smoothly at customs so I can get to my new apartment quickly and unpack. Somehow I doubt it does. I would just like a chance to shower! Not to sound like a snob, but foreign airports are sick!

2:30pm
    Just got off my flight from London to Madrid. It was much better than the first flight! Now I’ve just got to wait another hour before I can board my plane to Granada. Finally met up with some of the other study abroad students with CEA and got to meet a few of them. So far everyone seems really nice. There are about 10 of us taking the flight from Madrid to Granada. Just one more hour of plane riding and then no más!

7:50pm
    Just got to the apartment! The first thing I did was log onto our Wi-Fi. So glad our apartment has it!!! The apartment is small but super cute! We have 2 balcony windows that we can open to look down on the street. Our neighborhood is full of cute little shops, and right across the street is a bargain shoe store. That one is going to get me into trouble : ) The roommate, Jensen, and I are about to head out and explore. Our apartment is lacking most of the necessities so we’re gonna have to go out and find a good place to shop. Too bad Spain doesn’t have Wal-Mart! Also, it’s been 12 hours since I’ve eaten anything and 29 hours since I’ve had a real meal so I suppose it’s time for me to try some authentic Spanish cuisine. I’ll post again soon.
Una chica que está muy cansada,
Kaitlin Esperanza

'Twas The Night Before The 12 Hour Plane Ride...

And, while I wish no one was stirring, everyone except my lovely nephew McKennon is up and interrupting my packing. I love them all anyway. I have packed and repacked and unpacked and repacked all day trying to fit my things into 2 suitcases and a carry on. Tis near impossible, let me tell you! After all of that hard work, I am exhausted!
The reality of this upcoming expedition is finally starting to set in. It's strange really, thinking about being on my own for nearly 4 months, when I couldn't even pack for the trip by myself : ) Thanks, Jess (she knows who she is)! I think the hardest part will be the initial good-bye. My brother, my mother, and my nephews came to spend time with me before I leave tomorrow, here at my sister's, her husband's and my nephew, Luke's, house. It's been pure chaos all day, but that is my amazing family! I took the boys to the park and got to answer all of their funny questions about my trip. All of them pertained to the actual plane that was taking me to Spain, not what I was going to do once I got there
: ) I wish I could sneak them into my suitcases. Or maybe into a kennel. Zac does have a monkey suit he could wear! Sadly though, I don't think that would fly (get it? fly? haha). I guess skyping will have to do until I'm home again.
I'll be getting up bright and early at 6:30 tomorrow morning, to get ready and loaded up to head to Dallas to catch my flight. I'm definitely dreading the drive and even more so I'm dreading the flight. It's roughly 17 hours away, but I'm already ready to be in my bed in Spain. So sleepy!
Well guys, wish me luck! I'm sure I'll need it! The next time I'll be able to post I will be in Spain so, for now, adiós!
Kaitlin Esperanza

Facts & "Q's and A's"

Before I begin posting about my escapades, I thought it would be a good idea to let everyone (or at least those that are reading this) know a few important details about myself, this blog, and this trip.

Important Facts:

• Warning: I will be using a lot of Spanish vocabulary in these posts. Please make friends with Google Translate! It'll be good for you, I promise!
• My name is Kaitlin Hope ******* (I decided I wouldn't use my last name as a precautionary measure).
• Hope translates into Esperanza in the Spanish language, hence the Kaitlin Esperanza bit.
• I am a senior at the University of Oklahoma (normally).
• I am taking classes at la Universidad de Granada for the fall semester.
• I leave from the US on Sunday, August 28 and will arrive in Granada the following evening.
• I will return to the US on Wednesday, December 21.
• While I'm abroad, I will be taking 17 credit hours, all of which will be taught in Spanish and all of which will pertain to furthering my understanding and reading, writing, and speaking skills of the Spanish language.
• I will be staying in an apartment, off campus, with another student (and friend) from OU.  
• When I refer to CEA, I am talking about the members and/or staff of the program that I chose to study abroad with. It stands for Cultural Experiences Abroad.