it's that time of year again. the part of the semester where i hit my breaking point with all my classes. i hit the hump this weekend after registering for next semesters classes and i could only ask myself, what the hell am i doing here? i can't say i'm getting much out of any of my classes, my spanish is only semi improving, i have no desire to do any work for any of them, so what's the point? it made the whole weekend very frustrating for me when it literally would take me an hour to write one sentence in spanish. luckily i felt reassured when i talked to others from tulane here on my program, who by some weird coincidence, had these similar feelings this same weekend as well.
this was the first weekend since september i had been in granada. i have been so lucky to see all ends of europe even just in the past month, but this weekend was one to relax and reflect on my time here. i realize that the enchantment of spain has worn off a bit as their "no pasa nada" attitude is starting to effect my work ethic, which is fine here, but will be a huge reality check come next semester. i wouldn't say this weekend i was homesick but rather i finally came to appreciate all the great and convenient things about home that i miss. for example, my own schedule not based around meals being made for me, making my own food, a phone, doing my own laundry, not having everything shut down on a sunday, a library, the english language. the simple things.
luckily on saturday, ella, rachel, and i went for a walk around the city (it was one of the first days in a long time here without rain, of course it has rained more this semester in southern spain than ever before). we walked up to the mirador de san nicolas that has a breathtaking view of the alhambra and sat there until sunset. it reminded me why i really do love spain and reminded me there was much more to my experience than my dumb classes. we really did have a lovely weekend in granada that included visitors, free bottles of champagne, the gym, absynth shots, sleeping in, the albaicin, and even fried rice. i was a happy girl. now that i have overcome the mid-semester breakdown, i have found i need to space out my work in a way that what very little i have doesn't stress me out or frustrate me. like i'll do one assignment and then watch an episode of 30 rock, fair trade right? alas my time abroad will enchant me yet again this weekend, as i travel to a whole different continent: AFRICA! adios europea, off to morocco!
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