Thank you to everyone who is reading and continues to check out my stories from my study abroad! Since moving out to Wisconsin to start my job many things have changed but my passion for inspiring people and working to change other's lives has not. My next international trip is coming up soon (my most recent was Costa Rica, you can see in the pic above) and trust me another blog will be coming your way about my next set of international adventures!
Now I am writing about something a little different than international travel, I am writing about my biggest dream in life.The next step in me pursuing my life's dream has come in the form of a website. A simple blog made to inspire and motivate everyone to pursue their dreams.
My life's goal and my life's mission is simply this:
To inspire people to pursue their dreams and to enable them to make their dreams a reality.
I hope this site is able to do exactly that for you.
I am so glad to see that people continue to read my stories about my adventures in Spain and I hope you are inspired to travel and have your own life changing experiences!
I have just created my own website all about Granada and the essentials for traveling so if you would like a quick breakdown about what to do and see in Granada (plus a couple extra entries) visit the link below!
I have more exciting news, I have entered a photo contest using one of the pictures I took in Spain and it got selected as one of the top entrants! If I win I will be selected for one of 3 service trips abroad!
So if you have a minute, please click the link below and vote for my picture!
Before I begin this last entry I just want to thank everyone for reading and allowing me to have a creative outlet to help me remember my study abroad experience and share it with all my family and friends. It has been an adventure for me and almost a year later I am still missing Granada as much if not more than just after I got home. To everyone following me I want to reach out and say if there is anything you enjoy, any comments you would like to share with me, any criticisms, anything you would like me to write about, or anything you think would suit my style of writing please feel free to contact me at:
briancdrury@gmail.com
As this blog is as much for me as it is for my family and friends I want your guys input, comments, etc. So anyone reading this please feel free to reach out to me about my blog.
I plan to start a new blog about my senior year at Penn State after this blog is completed but first I have to get this one done!
So in my last blog entry I talked about a poem written by Ray and Michelle that was read at the farewell party. Now we are nearing over a year since my departure from Granada and fortunately, before I finished this last entry, Michelle put that lovely poem up on facebook so now I get to share it all with you here. Now for anyone who wasn't on the study abroad it won't make much sense to you but there are some great lines and great memories it brings back for me. So give it a read through and enjoy. Every time I read it it makes me more reminiscent than I already was prior. Things like this will bring back fond memories for the rest of my life.
The Farewell Party Poem:
Ray: Hey, do you have a minute
Me: Yea
Ray: I wanna talk to you about IES
Me: Oh I know that study abroad program, they say Granada’s the best
Ray: Well they’re ending their spring semester, it was wild and cool, it even got a little gory
Me: So sit back and drink another cocktail while we tell you our story
Michelle: First we got to Malaga, we were jet-lagged as hell
Ray: There wasn’t much to do, but it had a nice hotel
Ray: So come one, come all to the city of granada, home of sangria, tapas and the alhambra
Michelle: Where the north of africa meets the south of spain, where you hiss at a waitress instead of calling her name
Ray: we went to orientation, with new information our minds were full
Michelle: and if you missed orientation and want to be caught up, just ask Marshall
Ray: We were introduced to the nightlife, they stay out so late it’s crazy
Michelle: We’ll try to reminisce, but the details are hazy
Ray: Some of us went to Afrodesia
Michelle: The deeeeze
Ray: just for the funk
Michelle: and some of us went to el camborio, just to get
Together: educated
Michelle: We were in the chiputeria, trying to earn that t-shirt
Ray: the next day in class, teacher wonders why my head hurt
Ray: Now on to the Spanish food, oh that’s even better
Michelle: The colors are yellow, the bocadillos are wetter
Ray: But tapas we’ll have, we’ll savor forever
Michelle: I mean, what’s better than free food in good weather?
Michelle: This program sure knows how to pick their students
Ray: Now we turn to the series of events
Michelle: We’ve got Liz Brand and her quircky ways
Ray: We’ve got Carson with his free style for days
Ray: Malaki, Shannon and Meghan can sing down the house
Michelle: And Brian Drury who’s shy, quite and reserved as a mouse
Ray: Let’s not forget our IES professors and staff
Michelle: We’ve got hipster Jeff, soulful Rosana and Antonio who’s always got a laugh
Michelle: During our time in Granada, we missed some buses, and some stuff was lost
Ray: ipods, cameras, cell-phones, laptops, dignity...some stolen at a cost
Michelle: In Nerja Jill and her friends got all their shit jacked
Ray: Two weeks in Kyle Reiger got his credit card hacked
Michelle: Throughout the program ee sustained injuries too, Left foot trio unite!
Ray: That’ll teach your dumb-asses to go skinny dipping at night
Michelle: But no matter what happened, we studied and we tried
Ray: Each of us finding our own way to survive
Michelle: We don’t really know what happened in Cadiz
Ray: so if you have good pictures, put them on facebook please
Michelle: There was a lot of dancing, cool costumes and a missing rubio named Rob?
Ray: Streets flowing with urine and one colorful mob
Michelle: Ray, Michael, Chad, Diane, Charlotte, Zach, and others went to the Granada bullfight
Ray: They complained about animal cruelty but to me it looked tight
Michelle: some of us went to Madrid for a marathon
Ray: Some of us sat in Granada, thinking what the hell is wrong with ya’ll?!
Michelle: Some of us hiked and some skied the Sierra Nevada
Ray: Because weekends were best spent in the city of Granada
Ray: Then we had Semana Santa, spring break, I thought they were one in the same
Michelle: We all thought that Ray, so don’t be ashamed
Ray: We went a lot of places for Semana Santa: Ireland, Istanbul, Greece, Italy and France
Michelle: I heard some great travel stories... I guess we left a lot up to chance
Ray: I heard some girls got thrown out of a Paris bar
Michelle: I heard some girls got locked IN to a tulip park
Michelle: Even better than spring break were our travels to Morocco
Michelle: 30 seconds across that country’s border
Ray: They offered us weed like it was a glass of water
Ray: Some of us got a thorough scrubdown in the Hamam
Michelle: And some of us, DANI, sat on the faces of our grandma.
Michelle: We met fellow friends, students, peers who we’ll never forget
Ray: A new perspective on life is what we went away with
Michelle: Then we went back to Granada, Open Mic nights, a mix of songs, rap, and guitar swirled
Ray: and who can forget Rob’s Spanish rendition of “What a wonderful world”
Michelle: Man, Ray stop,
Ray: What?
Michelle: Now when we’re talking about it, I realize I’m gunna miss this city too much
Ray: Me too girl, I’m gunna miss......
Ray: Shwarma’s
Michelle: Rebajas
Ray: Chino stores
Michelle: Gelatto
Ray: Sangria
Michelle: Sacramonte
Ray: Cabo de gato
Michelle: Los perros
Ray: Las terrazas
Michelle: El centro
Ray: La alhmabra
Michelle: Elvira
Ray: Realejo
Michelle: Cafe futbol
Ray: El espejo
Michelle: Fountains
Ray: abuelas
Michelle: Pilar
Ray: siestas
Michelle: botellón
Ray: tostado
Michelle: graffiti
Ray: fiestas
Michelle: With all that we’ve named one thing is clear
Ray and Michelle: todos queremos ser Javier
Ray: But the time to go has come, it’s already here. We’ve already said some goodbyes, Christina for example has been gone for days
Michelle: Wouldn’t matter if she were here
Ray: Why?
Michelle: she’d be asleep anyways
Michelle: But yo, It’s not ALL about the assignments, or the tests you take
Ray: but those lasting memories, and the friends you make
Michelle: So as we head to our homes, we salute you Granada,
Together: and we will always remember, NO PASA NADA!
As you can tell it was phenomenal. They spent a lot of time writing about specific instances and crazy shenanigans from study abroad so it really encapsulates the whole experience in such an amazing way and was such an amazing way to close everything out. So finally we come to the thing I have been both anticipating and dreading at the same time. My blog entry about my last day in Granada.
Let's get this roller coaster of emotions rollin'...
So after the festivities of the night before the day began a little slow and groggy but I got myself up and started my day. I spoke with Eva briefly to set up a time to meet in the afternoon after our last lunch with Mavi so we could hang out for one more day before my departure the next day.
I naturally was very sentimental and incredulous that this was our last lunch as a "family" in Granada with Mavi so I wanted to snap a picture. As was standard Mavi hated when people other than us saw her before she had gotten all dolled up so she covered her face and Paul was cheesin' as we enjoyed our last lunch together.
It was so strange because this routine that had finally started to feel normal was about to go away forever. This schedule of school, lunch, siesta, school, dinner, then bed had finally felt to start feeling like real life and although we knew that was all about to change the next day it absolutely didn't feel real.
We ate lunch and spent well over an hour eating, talking, and reminiscing about the semester we had all spent together. Mavi had seen us grow from little Americanos to full fledge Granada lovers. She was such a big part of the whole experience and we kept thanking her for everything and giving her a hug and she said, "Don't do this yet, otherwise I am going to start crying!" So our last lunch came to a close and I grabbed my things and headed to Puerta Real to meet up with Eva.
Real quick this was the street I walked every single day to and from mi casa. Calle Recogidas will always have a special place in my heart, no matter how long it is before I return and no matter where my life takes me I will never forget those marble side walks, all the stores, "rebajas" (discounts), the heladerias (ice cream stores), the panaderia (bread store) where I frequently got candy or Aquarius (Spain's equivalent to Gatorade), the accordion guy on the corner, and Puerta Real where I could look up and see the snow capped peaks of Sierra Nevada everyday on my way to class. Those street sweeping crews that kept those streets looking flawless and so much more. Most people would look at this picture wondering why I wasted time putting up this picture but for me this street means so much more to me than most people will ever understand.
I was a little late but Eva was understanding since it was our last dinner with Mavi. We sat in Puerta Real for about 40 minutes just watching the people go by. I was telling Eva about how amazing all this was and how different everything felt now, she simply said, "This is normal for me, I see this everyday" so what for me was the best people watching experience ever was just a day in the life for Eva. Interesting to think how that pertains to people all over the world. How when we think about the best job ever, the best career, the craziest experience possible, their are people out there living that everyday. Who says that can't be us?
What was awesome was as we were sitting in Puerta Real I kept seeing people from IES going by and we all talked about how we couldn't believe it was all over. Some of us had already left, some were leaving the next day like me, and others were staying in Europe for an extra 2 or 3 weeks to live it up before coming back to the states. Haedn happened to be walking through the plaza with her camera, she was snapping some pictures and I asked her to snap one or two of Eva and I. So first I had to put her in the signature excessive hug..
The smile on my face and the laughter I remember encapsulates my experience in Granada so fittingly. Eva was such a great person to get to know while abroad, she consistently helped me improve my Spanish and helped to pick me up when I was done. It was a pleasure getting to know her and we still keep in touch and talk when we can to update each other on how our lives are going these days. I can't wait for the day that I get back to Granada to reunite with her and all my amazing friends from Granada, I will work to make sure that happens as soon as possible.
So after we took our nice goofy picture we took a regular one. Really glad Haedn posted this on Facebook before I got these finals posts done, probably helps that it has taken me almost a year to finish up this blog!
So after I exchanged some teary eyed hugs with some of my fellow IES'ers Eva and I went to Plaza Bib-Rambla to do a little souvenir shopping. I wanted to pick up some things for myself and my family. I didn't have much money to spend but I wanted a poster of the Alhambra (which is hanging in my dorm room as we speak and was hung up in my room the whole summer in Indy), an Universidad de Granada t-shirt (which I still love wearing), a little torito (tiny bull) for my mom, some postcards and other knick nacks for my family.
While we were perusing the store I came across a stuffed animal that I knew Eva would enjoy. It was a bunny holding a carrot. Two of the nicknames Eva had given me while I was over there were zanahorio (carrot) and conejito (little bunny). Now if you have read my blog consistently you know why she called me conejito but if not, she had a joke from awhile back where she called me that and when I asked her why she said, "What do bunnies eat?" And I said, "Carro.... ohhhh" and she laughed her butt off. So now that that is explained this picture makes a lot more sense.
I smirked because I knew she would have herself a laugh and honestly I think the only reason she got away with calling me little bunny and carrot is because it was in another language. If any girl here tried to call me either of those things that would not fly.
If you can see behind me there are some Simpsons stuffed animals and Eva didn't hesitate to start singing the Itchy and Scratchy theme song when she saw their respective stuff animals. Now it was my turn to laugh hysterically. I don't really get it but they love the Simpsons over there.
So after we finished up in the store we went over to the other side of Plaza Bib-Rambla to buy some helado (ice cream) and relax in the plaza. We went over to a bench and sat down while we enjoyed our ice cream.
In Granada I had come to accept the fact that you never know what you are going to see on any given day so when a group of men walked through the plaza dressed like this I wasn't all that surprised.
Yes, this was a bachelor party and yes the bachelor is dressed like Snow White riding a donkey through a crowded plaza in Granada. Strange? Yes. Hilarious? Yes.
So we watched our valiant hero ride off into the sunset with his band of partially intoxicated merry men, just another day in Granada. As I found myself thinking that I kept having to remember this wasn't like any other day, the next day would not be anything like anything I had experience in Granada. It would be a farewell to the best 4 and a half months of my life, it would be a day where I would travel thousands of miles and end up back in a place that was so familiar, I would end up back home. So as I found myself going, "Just another day" it really hit me how untrue that really was.
After I finished my helado I lay down on the bench with my head in Eva's lap and we just sat there taking it all in. When I tell you it couldn't have been a more perfect day I promise you it is true. Clear blue skies, white fluffy clouds drifting lazily past overhead, the warm sun shining down on everything, kids and dogs running around the plaza playing and giggling, people eating at the bistros around the plaza, all in all a perfect moment.
And so often I have found in my life that music can enhance an already perfect moment and this was no exception. As we were hanging out on the bench I had started playing music on my Ipod for us to both listen to. As I was skimming through the tracks I came across a song that has had a special place in my heart ever since the first day of my study abroad. The first song I downloaded in Spain and the first song that Mavi ever shared with me, Looking For Paradise by Alejandro Sanz ft. Alicia Keys.
As this song started playing it hit me, it all hit me. I was overcome, so much in fact that I started balling in the middle of the plaza with all those people around. I leaned into Eva's embrace and just cried my heart out.
That moment I talked about when things would really hit you, when culture shock would wear off and you finally would understand everything going on had come at last. I realized everything, a flash of images and emotions ran through my mind and heart as it all began to make sense. I realized that I had just spent a semester in Spain, I had made new friends, I had traveled all over Europe, I had learned to speak Spanish, I had fallen in love with Granada, I had made friends with people from all over the world, I had tried new things, I had laughed, cried, and loved, I had experienced more in those 5 short months than I ever imagined I would, and above all I had started the whole experience with one goal, one simple but very profound goal, to live with no regrets. And in that moment I realized with absolute certainty that I had achieved my goal. I had done something few people can ever say they have done in their lives, taken an experience and lived it to the fullest. I fought through the hard times and brought the great times as close to my heart as I could so I will never forget them. And ultimately what really hit me at this moment was, it was over.
I realized this experience, this chapter of my life, was coming to a close. It was now the time to say goodbyes, to pack my bags, print out my boarding passes, and let go of this place that had become my home. I would have to say goodbye to Mavi, all my friends from IES, all my friends from Spain and all over the world, and head back to the US.
I can't even begin to describe how powerfully those emotions hit me. I absolutely lost it, although I had been saying for a few weeks I was ready to be home and see my family and friends in that moment I wanted nothing more than to stay in Granada as long as I could. Eva did an amazing job taking care of me in this moment, she held me, stroked my head, and said everything would be okay. She said to not worry about the future and to just focus on the time we all had left. She said that even though this was all ending it wouldn't be a good bye, it would be a see you later. Those words were so powerful in this moment because when your mindset changes from "goodbye" to "see you again" it is so much easier to begin looking at the positives and imagining how amazing it will be the next time you are able to see this place or these people.
I cried, I let it all out, then laughed at myself for losing it like that in such a public place. I don't cry in front of people often and I never really cry in public like that but this was certainly an exception. That whole "Hey I am only here for 5 months" mentality really kicked back in and the whole, "I am never gonna see these people again" thing made it even easier to let the tears flow. Really though that moment was yet another epiphany for me, yet another moment where study abroad was able to make me reevaluate myself, everything I knew, and everything I had learned. Much like the moment in Plaza Nueva where I listened to "Beautiful People" by Chris Brown or when I was standing on top of the mountains in the Alpujarras, I was simply overcome with some of the most powerful emotions I had ever felt.
Now after I had let all the emotions go that had been building up for basically a semester I was able to relax and enjoy every single moment I had left. As I wiped the tears from my eyes, looked at Eva and laughed, and lay back down, I looked around the plaza again. As I was taking in all the sites and sounds I heard a distinctly familiar song rising up above the children's laughter. It was being played on an accordion and I asked Eva why this song sounded so familiar. She said, "Es 'La Vie en Rose'" and now for the rest of my life when I hear this song I will be taken back to this exact moment in Plaza Bib-Rambla during my last day in Granada.
I couldn't think of a more fitting song, an absolute classic, to be tied to one of my best memories from study abroad. It was beautiful to have the perfect day right there before me and to have Eva to share it with.
God bless Louie for making this one, in the same way it holds memories for my parents from their time in Europe it now holds special memories from Europe for me too.
So after awhile I decided I wanted to take a trip over to Plaza Nueva one last time, knowing I probably wouldn't have time for it the next day. We walked over there and as always it took my breath away. People outside, kids and dogs running around playing, people outside eating at the bistros, and today there even happened to be a street performer.
This plaza has a special place in my heart as do many places in Granada. The plaza right outside the IES Abroad Center and in the shadow of the Alhambra, it is just gorgeous. So many days we would hang out there after class, have an Alhambra, and just take it all in.
I loved watching the sun set over these buildings and this small crowd had formed watching this street performer.
With a mix of flamenco, imitation, awkwardly following random people walking by, and jokes, this guy put on a hell of a show. I found myself laughing out loud over and over. Eva and I were fortunate enough to get to enjoy the show without having him make us feel incredibly awkward with his antics. So we watched him for about 20 minutes then took a seat on the bench in the plaza.
We spent most of the day talking and reminiscing about the whole experience and Eva did a great job just listening and letting me vent. I was trying to process everything that had happened and trying to accept the fact that it was ending the following day but I still couldn't quite grasp that.
So as the sun set Eva and I went back to my apartment to relax for a bit before heading out with my friends. After some more deep conversations my friends told me they were watching the Barca vs. Manchester United game at the bar so we decided to go join them. We left a little later but headed down Pedro Antonio to spend my last night with my friends.
On my way to the bar I ran into my good buddy Tyler who I wouldn't see again so we snapped a quick picture, bro-hugged it out, then said our goodbyes. After that Eva and I headed on down to the bar to watch the game.
Tyler and I looking handsome as all hell.
When we got to the bar unfortunately we were a little late, okay really late, so late in fact that the bar was near empty and none of my fellow IES'ers were anywhere to be seen. I also wanted to see my orientation teacher Adriana who became a great friend of mine while in Spain and who I still do my best to keep in touch with now that I am back in the US. She only was our teacher for the first week of the semester but she stayed active in all of our study abroads throughout the entire thing. She would constantly check in on Facebook to make sure all was well and that we were enjoying everything Granada had to offer. So when I got there and she was nowhere to be seen I was a little disappointed but fortunately after a few calls I got a hold of her and she said she was right outside.
Adriana was and is one of the most positive people I have met and has an incredible outlook on life. She was always supportive and so, so helpful whenever it came to understanding something in Spanish or learning a new phrase here and there. I can't even tell you how many times I would text Adriana or write a message to her on Facebook trying to figure out what the hell I had heard earlier that day or how to express a certain idea. Fortunately for us she had taught in the US and spoke English very well, of course we always reveled in the opportunity to teach her a new English expression but she did so much more for us helping us hammer down our Spanish speaking skills. I can't wait for my next opportunity to get back to Spain so I can reunite with people like Adriana because I am sure no matter how many years pass, we will still remain close friends and I know if I ever have a question about Spanish, no matter how unusual, Adriana will be there to answer it.
So after meeting up with Adriana I wanted to meet up with all my other friends, it was many of our last nights and we wanted to make it last as long as possible so Eva and I walked to meet up with the rest of the group.
As we walked past Marisma I got hit with such strong feelings of nostalgia I almost couldn't take it. I was overcome, it really hit me in that moment that this was my last night in this place that had become my home, my last night with my new friends, my last night to wake up in my bed in Mavi's apartment, it became so real in a flash.
Right here at this moment I had to stop and lean on a railing and just let it out because it was too much. There had been so many times where I had said, "I know I am leaving in a week but it doesn't feel real" well in this moment is when it started feeling very real. It is amazing how such all the good, bad, and everything in between can wash over you in an instant but I was determined to keep up with the mentality I had throughout the entire trip and make the most of everyday so we kept going and met up with my friends.
Now although for many of us it was the last night, and even though many of our new great friends had already left, we did our best to keep things happy and positive. So what better way to celebrate than have yet another botellon.
We all sat on the ground, got cheap 40oz's, bought some shwarma's and relaxed, talked, and played some games. We laughed a lot, reminisced, and just tried to soak in every moment of it. Just looking back at this picture now makes me smile seeing Michael reppin' his Man U pride even though they lost that night, seeing Haedn making one of her trademark faces, and just remembering all the good times I spent with these people.
As I've said many times before Eva did so much for me during my study abroad and she still helps me out when she can with my Spanish. I will always appreciate all the help she gave me and what she did for me throughout the end of my trip.
Another shot of the two of us.
I had to ask Metta to do his trademark "F' you alex" face one more time, unfortunately it is a little blurry but I know what it's about. That face is from all the way back in Marbella so if you pop back to that entry you will know what I am talking about. If you don't feel like it, you'll forever be in the dark, your call!
So after awhile hanging out we decided we had to make yet another stop at one of our favorite local spots, Chupiterria 69 aka the shot bar. We went in and sampled some of our favorites, laughed, joked and lived it up for one more epic night in Granada. It speaks a lot about the group of people I was with, we came from all different backgrounds, different schools, different upbringings and we all came into this adventure together with the same mindset. To make the most of every second. I don't know how we were so lucky to get 115 students together that all had that same idea in their heads, but I thank God almost everyday for it because as much as a study abroad can be an individual experience, focused on you and your personal growth, to me it is so much more about the people you share the experience with. It's one thing to see a beautiful moutain, crystal clear blue water you can't even describe, or something as amazing as the Alhambra, it's entirely another thing to have someone that you can reach out to for the rest of your life and say, "Remember that time when we..." and just fill in the blank. I have so many people to reach out to and so many people that I HAVE to see again in my life so I am making sure that that happens.
As the night went on we kept having more and more fun, I obviously had to rock Mike's hat and scarf for awhile, and we just kept the night going.
A few more friends celebrating the last night together.
I am happy to say over a year later Alex and I still keep in touch and he became one of my best friends through study abroad. He also has put on about 40 pounds of muscle since this picture was taken so look out world. But I shared so many memories with these two people right here and I am sure I'll be making more memories with them in the future.
As the night dragged into the later and later hours we decided to grab one more group shot before calling it a night. Then we went back out to the streets of Granada and my favorite street of all, Pedro Antonio de Alarcon.
Eva and Haedn got to know eachother pretty well too and I think they keep in touch every now and then as well. It's great when your new friends become your friend's new friends as well.
Haedn was awesome and also took some of the best pictures of me that I have ever seen during my study abroad. I owe her big for all of those.
After saying some difficult goodbyes Eva and I decided to make one more stop before we both headed home. It was interesting because you would have thought the goodbyes would have been really sad but they had more of an optimistic note to them, it was like we all looked at each other and knew that this wouldn't be goodbye, that this was see ya later. This was, hey I know we're heading away for now but God knows I'll be seeing you as soon as I can. Again, I love the people I studied abroad with.
So Eva, and I headed to my favorite spot one more time, Marisma. The dive bar with 1.50 jarras and sunflower seed shells all over the floor that I couldn't get enough of. As I am sitting here eating sunflower seeds writing this I feel like I am almost back there sitting down with my friends for a pint.
You can tell it was real late cause even in Spain the bar was nearing empty.
So we sat down, ordered two jarras, paid the bartender, and I prepared myself to enjoy my list jarra of my study abroad. I looked around and even sitting in a little dive bar I found myself reminiscing about all the beautiful, amazing things I had seen and done in the past almost 5 months. I thought about all the new friends I'd made and how much of an impact they had all had on my life. I couldn't believe it was ending but I was overcome with this certainty that this would not be my last time in this place or with this people.
Eva and I walked back to my apartment and said goodbye, she offered to come back in the morning to see me off so we didn't have to say an official goodbye that night but on that walk back, I walked extra slow. I was trying to soak in every sight, sound, taste, and feeling I could. I wanted to remember every moment and log it in my memory as deeply as I could so that I would never forget how this place made me feel, how it changed me, and how it changed my life. We said goodbye for the night and I went into my apartment and collapsed into my bed after a long night, well spent.
In the morning I woke up and thought about going to catch the first bus to the airport, then realized there was another bus two hours later and decided that would be a much better idea especially due to the fact that I had yet to pack.
After a little extra sleeping I climbed out of bed and began throwing everything into my bags and doing whatever I could to squeeze it all in. Fortunately I didn't do too much shopping so that all of it fit in my one suitcase and backpack I started the whole trip with.
As I looked around my room with my tiny bed, desk, flower stickers on the wall that my parents saw every time we skyped, and my closet I thought to myself, this is home. It felt like I was leaving my second home, and as badly as I wanted to see my family and friends I didn't want to leave my new home. I came out of my room and Mavi was waiting for me in the living room. We talked a little and then I told her I still had to get a few more things together and she said she would wait so she could say goodbye. Eva arrived shortly after that and Mavi finally got to meet this girl I had been telling her all about. They bonded over the fact that they are both from Malaga and then Mavi slapped my arm and said, "Brian! How could you bring your girlfriend over here without giving me time to put on makeup? I'm a mess!" That memory will always makes me laugh.
It was already past the time I said I was going to leave but I didn't want to leave. I hugged Mavi as tears filled both of our eyes and she said to me, "You're welcome here whenever you want to come back, you are my son." Still when I think back to that moment over a year later I get choked up. This woman who did so much for me and Paul throughout our trip, who literally changed the way I look at the world, was saying goodbye and it was so damn hard. I gave Paul a hug and said, "See ya in the states" then turned and walked to the door but I realized something. I hadn't given Mavi back her key.
As I slid it off the key ring I said, "Oh no, this makes it real, when I put this key down that means its actually done." Amazing how some of the smallest things can be the most profound things in an experience like this. So I hugged Mavi two or three more times then she said, "Ok you have to go or you are going to miss your bus" and at that point Eva and I headed out the door.
I turned back one more time to look at my home and take one more picture. I didn't care how late I was I wanted this picture to remember my last day as I walked away for the last time.
Eva and I mixed hurrying to catch the bus with walking slowly to savor the moment. I felt like I was literally being pulled in two directions as Granada/Eva/Mavi were pulling me back and as the bus was pulling me away. We ran up to where the bus was supposed to be and only found taxis so I thought I had missed it. I literally wasn't sure if I had enough money to pay for a taxi ride to the airport at that point. After a moment of panicking I asked around and then someone pointed to a bus across the street and they said, "You better hurry it is leaving any second" so we sprinted across the street and caught it just in time. I paid the driver and stepped down to throw my bag under the bus then turned to Eva. There were about a million things I wanted to say and talk about as I hugged her but the bus driver wasn't about to wait so he started rolling to let me know it was time to go. I gave her one more huge hug and kiss then jumped on the bus just in time. It wasn't the goodbye I wanted but I got to spend more time with her and Mavi beforehand. As I found out throughout my study abroad more often than not things don't go how you plan, you just gotta make the best of it.
Like many things in my study abroad it felt like it was all moving too fast, the bus was pulling away and leaving everything behind and I wanted to just stay, slow it down, take more pictures, do more but it had finally come to an end and this was real.
I snapped a few more pictures of some of my favorite plazas as we traveled back my new home that I was now leaving behind. I had so many emotions running through my head and my heart that I didn't even know which emotion to focus on in that second. The bus kept rolling and all I wanted it to do was stop, just give me more time! But you know what they say, time flies when you are having fun. And I hadn't stopped having fun for the past 4 and a half months, no wonder it went by so fast.
I snapped a shot of the bus as we rode off. I think it's interesting how a picture that is all but meaningless to anyone else, holds so much meaning to me. I look at this and it brings me right back to that moment where I was sitting in my seat, some tears rolling down my face, truly realizing for one of the first times that I had done it. I had lived my life with no regrets for the first time in my life. I had set goals, achieved them, then kept pushing for more. I had realized how much power we have to control our happiness and make happiness be a part of our every day lives.
I sat in that chair on that bus letting all those emotions, thoughts, and feelings wash over me. It seemed that finally, finally I was realizing everything that had happened, and I was on a bus on my way out. All in all that was the moment that it all hit me, I had just studied abroad.
I did it! Some people might say, so what? Is that really an accomplishment? You bet your ass it is. Although study abroad is filled with so many amazing and beautiful experiences it is also laden with challenges and uncertainty that I had never experienced before in my life. I had spent almost 5 months in another country, assimilated into the culture, learned the language, made new friends, traveled alone and with other people, and challenged myself everyday to push myself to make my own happiness.
Challenges like this show you how resilient you are. They show you that you are capable of handling so much more than you ever realized and that plants the idea in the head, if I can do all this and I never realized I could before... how much further can I push myself? How much happier can I be? How much higher can I fly?
An experience like this helps you realize those "limits" in your life are just the things you have established in your mind as limits. They don't have to define you, the "cants" "wouldnts" and "shouldnts" only have as much control over you as you let them have. Next time you say, "I can't" think about it, is it really that you can't? Or is it that you just haven't worked hard enough?
Many times in life, I would say more times than we even realize, that is what it comes down to. It's not that you can't, it's that you are not willing to work hard enough to make it happen. Now the cynics of the world would naturally come up with plenty of examples to negate this but let's be honest, with the right mindset, and dedication and drive, anything is possible.
Two quick quotes:
"The walls in our lives aren't there to keep us out, they are there to stop the people who don't want it bad enough"
- Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
(If you haven't watched the last lecture, take the time to because it can change your life too. )
"When you want success, as bad as you want to breath, then you will be successful. When you are willing to give up who you were for who you want to be, at a moments notice, then you will be successful."
It is always interesting to see how my blog posts progress depending on how I feel that day, where I am in my life, and so many other things. I still think this has been and will continue to be one of my greatest creative outlets in my life.
You will see a bunch of pictures that look like they were taken moments after each other and that is because... well, they were.
I wanted to capture as much of the city in my camera as I could so I could always spark those memories back up as I revisited them.
The soccer fields by the highway outside the city.
The mountains, those gorgeous, magical mountains that framed the city and kept me company on my walk to class everyday.
Even the construction outside the city was beautiful at this point, I probably could have seen a smoldering pile of rubble in this moment and I would have looked at it fondly just because it was in Granada.
The fields just outside the city, I still say to this day that the Spanish countryside was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
The bus station. The place where everyone of my adventures to new places started. I would hop on the bus, ride down to Malaga, head over to the airport, and take off for a new life experience. You know, a bus station may not be the most glamorous thing in the world, but when you think about what it enables you to do, its a pretty damn beautiful thing.
Try not to forget about the enabling things in your life, there may be some things you have to do in your life that aren't that glamorous, exciting, or enticing, but if it helps you get somewhere amazing, go through it with a smile on your face. You may be tired, lonely, and hungry in a crowded bus station in Granada. But you also know that that bus will take you somewhere new, exciting, and beautiful. Simply put, find the happiness in every little thing in your life.
Driving through the countryside for the last time was unlike anything I have ever felt before and honestly I don't know if I can even describe it. I'd find myself sad that the experience was over, laughing hysterically about something that had happened, somber and serious because it was all over, sitting there at peace knowing I had done it and done it the best I could. All in all, its exactly how I should have felt.
I felt all those emotions because I had put all of me into this experience. I had been in it mind, body, and soul. I put so much into it that it would be crazy if I wasn't feeling this wild string of emotions. Now looking back on it, I'm sitting here smiling. I know that this experience was beyond anything I have ever had before but I also know it was just the first of many.
We finally arrived in the airport and dismounted, grabbed our things, and headed inside. I sat there trying to process everything but still wasn't able to, I kept looking up thanking God for everything, realizing how fortunate I was but still I was saying, "Hey God, can I spend just a little more time here?" You know he put this in my life when I needed it and gave me just the right amount I needed. Enough to change my life and help me realize that I had to commit my life to having experiences like this all the time.
I ran into Xian and Jackie in the airport and we sat and talked a bit. On our minds was the same thing, how the hell did it all go so fast? We reminisced about the amazing experiences, the ups and downs, we talked about how we were excited to see our families, and most of all we talked about how Granada had stolen our hearts. It was good to have someone to talk to about everything I was feeling, it helped me start breaking down all the thoughts and feelings I was having and helped me realize something very important.
I wasn't alone.
Because I had done a study abroad, I now had 115 other people that could relate to all the things I was thinking and feeling. And it didn't stop there. All the friends I had made during my time there would be there to talk to me about everything that had happened. We would all support each other as we dealt with the our longing to return to Granada. I can happily say that I still keep in touch with many of my friends from study abroad to this day and they still are some of my best friends.
Like I said, this study abroad changed my life.
The time ticked away and all of a sudden my flight's number was called and I found myself walking out to the runway where my whole adventure began.
I remember when I first stepped off the plane on that foggy day and looked out around me at my new home. I saw the mountains and had no idea what was in store for me in the coming months. How beautiful it is to think back on my mindset coming in and my mindset coming out of this experience.
Getting closer and closer and still unable to believe that it was real.
One more shot of the mountains before I hopped on the plane to Madrid.
Yup, I even had to take a picture of the sky, I wanted to remember every second of this.
Walking up the steps to begin my journey home. I know lots of you are thinking less about the profound impact these steps had on my life and are more focusing on the large booties that are taking up most of the frame. Choose to focus on what you want, either way I think you will find yourself smiling.
The hour and a half flight passed quickly and I was back in the airport in Madrid getting ready to board my international flight back to Newark, New Jersey.
There it is, the plane that is taking me home. I know I miss my family and friends like crazy but am I ready to go back? Doesn't matter! You're going home either way so jump on the plane and take everything you learned from this experience and make a part of your life!
This was one of those bizarre situations where the flight felt like an eternity and like it passed in the blink of an eye. I sat there and tried to sleep, but I couldn't. No matter how tired my body was my brain just kept going, "And remember that! And that! And what about this! I would kill for a shwarma right now..."
I sat next to a woman whose name I have forgotten in the more than a year that is has been since this flight but we talked about our trips and what we were doing. I remember she was asking me what I thought about her relationship and what I thought of the situation. I tried to support her and pass on all the good vibes I was feeling. She was in a distance relationship overseas and at times was worried but she said she has never loved anyone like she loved this guy and I don't know if she really needed my assurance but I told her, "When it's right it's right and distance doesn't mean a thing." One of those people I met, had a great talk with, and said goodbye to at the end of the flight. No idea how things turned out but I hope things are going great for her.
I chowed down on my last bag of Spanish candy and continued to reminisce as I watched the tiny animated plane on the tv screen continue to move slowly across the Atlantic ocean.
Before I knew it, I was home. I had landed in Newark and was about to be reunited with my parents after almost 5 months of not seeing them. I moved through customs, grabbed my bags, and walked into the waiting area where I was met with warm smiles and a "YAYYYYYYY" from Mom. I hugged them both a bunch and then we grabbed some snacks and made our way out to the car.
You know God really did a number on this one, not only did he give me a life changing experience, he also gave me a beautiful day to end it on. I think we need reminders like this in our life constantly. Reminders that say, all things come to an end. But this isn't something to fear or be sad about, this is motivation to make the best of every moment and every second. Things do end, so why not make it the best it can be in the moment? Use that experience to fuel you to go for more, to keep pushing yourself to find a greater happiness than you even knew was possible. Don't ever stop.
I know lots of people have had regrets from sitting around doing nothing and waiting for things to happen, I have never heard of anyone regretting trying to make the best of everyday. Granted, you may not always be successful but that is part of the beauty of the challenge. You live, you learn, you keep finding ways to bring yourself and others happiness. That's what it's all about.
One thing I've learned: when you have the chance to make a difference in someone's life, do everything you can to make it happen. You may never know if you actually DID make a difference, but trying to make a difference in other's lives is one of the noblest things you can do. You may be one of the lucky few who finds out that it did work but until then, just keep trying. You would be amazed the effect you are capable of having on other's lives when you simply make the effort. Try not to get so caught up in yourself, your life, and your problems. I have found that when you help someone in need, even if it's something small, your cares and worries just wash away. Even if they don't disappear entirely they disappear from your mind, even if just for a second and that's a beautiful thing.
As we rode home I continued fighting off my exhaustion to try and share my stories with my parents and soak up every moment and make this memory as vivid as possible. To be honest, my brain was in denial. My body may have been back in Jersey on the highway on my way home but my brain was telling me that this was just another vacation and in a few days I'd be back in Granada.
A friend of mine who just got back from Spain said something that I had said about 50 times over in Spain, "It would be perfect if all my friends and family lived here too!" If only it were that easy to uproot your entire family and all your friends to the place that you call paradise.
Really beautiful sunset over the bridge on the way home.
Then finally, there I was....
Home.
I walked in my house and had that sensation that everything was so familiar and yet foreign. Familiar in the sense that I had lived the better part of my life in this house, foreign because I hadn't walked in that house in about 5 months but it felt great to be home. Walking into MY kitchen through the garage like I always do but then I saw something different...
The massive TV my dad had bought only 2 short weeks after I left for Granada. This thing still blows my mind to this day it is enormous. Then I went aournd the house and so many things had changed. The bathrooms were redone, new washer and dryer, new fridge. It was all pretty cool but it was also a little reminder that even though you aren't there, life still goes on. I think in your mind it is natural to just assume everything will remain the same when you are gone for a period of time but it is cool to see how people and things develop in your absence.
I climbed the stairs to my room to drop of my luggage and suddenly I was back in my room. It felt so surreal to be standing there looking at my own bed in my own room. I set down my things then walked back to the hall.
Then I had to do something.
Took a picture of my bags in the same spot I had them right before I left. Only addition is the Alhambra/Sierra Nevada poster on the side that I still have hanging in my room to this day.
And one more thing that was pretty awesome...
There you can see my empty wallet. I told myself that during my study abroad I would not let money prevent me from having any life changing experience. I promised myself I would leave home, and when I got back, I would have an empty wallet and a head full of memories. Damn did I ever achieve that goal. Maybe I should have set the goal to have a head full of memories and a wallet full of $10,000 dollars when I got back, oh well, livin' and learnin'.
So that is it, the story of my study abroad. From start to finish, the ups the downs, the pitfalls and triumphs, the new friends, the new places, the new experiences, all of that wrapped up into this blog.
What is really amazing is today is August 11, 2012. More than a year since I got back from Granada. What's happened since then? Well a whole hell of a lot. I graduated college, took a trip to Costa Rica, moved to Wisconsin, and started my first real job with Kimberly Clark. Can you believe I just summed up a year's worth of events in a few sentences? Definitely not my style, but let's just call this a teaser.
I have found this blog has been such a positive influence in my life that I don't want it to stop. That is part of the reason it took so long to finish, I don't want to turn the final page on this chapter in my life. But it came to me the other day, this may be the end of that chapter, but that doesn't mean you can't go back and reread your favorite parts of the book over again!
This blog has been a great resource for me to go back and relive the best times in my life time and time again, and fortunately my writing has done the same for many of my friends and family. I am so happy that this blog was bigger than just me because I wrote it for myself and everyone else.
This blog also led to the achievement of a life long goal. My study abroad group sent out a website that pays you to write about your study abroad experiences. I decided to submit a pitch, it got accepted, I wrote the article, and now I am officially a published travel writer. Life long dream, achieved. Now that success has encouraged me to continue to try to achieve all my life long dreams and continue to develop this one! I was going to provide the link to it but they told me it won't be published until the end of the month so I'll just include it in the next blog!
And just a fun fact, today my blog broke 2000 views! Today Aug. 11 I am at 2002, thank you to all the readers for motivating me to keep going and put real effort into these posts! This blog will always be a special part of my life and I hope it will make a difference in others lives.
(Update: Aug 31 - 2101 view!)
Now fortunately I waited all this time to complete the blog because something very special just happened yesterday (Aug. 31). After over a year without contact I finally was able to get back in touch with my host mom from Spain, Mavi. When I was in Chicago last weekend my good buddy from study abroad Michael recommended I just buy some Skype credit so I can call her because I already had her number. I had sent a bunch of messages on Facebook, had my friend Eva try to leave a card in her mailbox, tried to reach out to her kids on Facebook, and a few other things to no avail. So when I bought the Skype credit, dialed the number, and let it ring my heart started pounding. I worried that this woman who had become such a huge part of my life maybe no longer wanted to be in contact with me so when the phone picked up and I said, "Hola?" she responded "Hola, quien es (who is it)" and I said "Brian" she said "Quien (who)?" I repeated "Brian, tu estudiante de los estados uni... (your student from the unite...)" and before I could finish my sentence she yelled, "BRIANNNN MI NINO!!!! (BRIAN MY BOY!)" and a feeling of happiness washed over me like I can't even explain. She asked how I was, where I was, what I was doing, and said it was so good to hear my voice. We talked for just a few minutes because she was driving but I finally got her email and said that I would email her and we would set up a time when we would be able to talk for a long time. She even apologized that it was so hard to get in touch with her! She is such a sweet woman but it turns out she just stopped using Facebook all together because she doesn't like her business out on the internet so it explained everything perfectly. Literally I spent more than a year trying to get back in touch and I worried maybe she didn't want me to be a part of her life anymore but this just goes to show, never give up on the important things in your life, keep pushing to get them and when you do the feeling you get is unbelievable. After the call I literally ran and jumped around my apartment like those girls you see in the movies singing into their hair brushes on their beds. I was beyond elated. Mavi already responded to my email and said it was so great to hear from me and I can call her whenever I want. I can't wait for the day when I reunite with her in Granada and I know God wanted me to wait to finish the blog so that I could include that beautiful little story in the final entry. Thank you lord, the wait was well worth it.
As I said before, I have found I love blogging and I love sharing certain parts of my life with all of you so when I realized this one was ending I decided, what better decision than to start up a new one. So the tales of the adventures in Granada have come to a close. I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I did and found this blog to be inspirational and motivating. I tried to share all the good, positive messages I could with everyone because I know that the right words at the right moment in your life can make all the difference in the world.
I hope that all were motivated, I hope you laughed, I hope you reminisced, and above all I hope you enjoyed reading.
So that's it, the tale ends here. And with that the journey continues with my new blog...
Like I said, Granada showed me that I need to make my life about having life changing experiences. Having a blog about my life continues to push me to achieve that goal because if I'm not doing new, fun, interesting things, I won't have anything to write about!
Again, thank you, I love you all, and don't ever stop pursuing greater happiness and fulfillment than you ever thought was possible.You may not always end up with the result you expected, but the pursuit of that happiness will always lead to good things in your life.
God bless you all and go out and make a difference in someone's life!
If you ever want to contact me to talk about my blog, give me recommendations where to travel, or simply share an inspirational quote/story:
