Since I began studying abroad in The Netherlands, I have made it a point to travel to other European countries, to explore their cultures, and to see how things work in other parts of the continent. I recently had the opportunity to visit one of my best friends, David Tejada, a fellow Le Moyne student who is spending a semester in Granada, Spain. David and I have kept in touch throughout our respective study abroad experiences, chatting about how we are living our best lives. Naturally, I could not wait to visit him – and to be in Spain! I recruited my friends Tatiana and Senja to join me and mentally prepared myself to enjoy some beautiful weather and tapas. Following weeks of preparation, we were beyond excited about this trip, and Spain did not disappoint.
When our plane touched down, we were greeted by a group of school children and their teachers, clapping and cheering“Granada. Granada. Grenada.” Their enthusiasm was heartwarming and infectious, and we exchanged high fives with them before hopping in a taxi to meet David. I was amazed by the warm weather and lush, green landscape, and eager to see my best friend for the first time in months. When we finally reached David’s residence hall, I saw him standing outside waiting for us. We immediately ran to each other, overjoyed, laughing and hugging. (Yes. It felt like a scene straight out of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants). We talked about how surreal this moment felt and how our high school selves never would have imagined us living this dream. Introductions were made and, after taking some time to settle in, we found our way to David’s favorite coffee shop. There we met one of David’s friends from Granada, and each of us shared a little bit about what our experiences had been like so far studying abroad. Needless to say, we all had a lot to discuss.
What came next was a bit of a blur.
We spent two days visiting the 13th century fortress known as the Alhambra, which is located in Grenada’s Albaicin District. We were entranced by the sheer size and scope of the complex, not to mention the incredible architectural detail throughout it. The Alhambra also offered striking views of the City of Granada. It felt appropriate that we left on the first day just as the sun was setting. We returned the next morning, and while we were still struck by the Alhambra’s beautiful, almost magical essence, we were also struck by something we witnessed: police brutality. It sparked a tremendous amount of conversation among our small group. We talked about differences and similarities between life in Spain, the United States (where David, Tatiana and I are from) and Senja’s home country of Finland, and why it is important for members our generation to speak out against injustices in order to build a better future.
Those conversations were still echoing in our memories as we prepared to make our next stop, which brought us south to Nejar, which is famous for its beaches and for a cave known as Fundación Cueva de Nerja. We spent hours relaxing by the ocean, exploring and, despite our sunburns, singing. It was a great place to refresh and recharge. Sadly, though, we knew that our time in Spain was coming to an end. Before long we founding ourselves returning to Grenada to gather some souvenirs, enjoy a few last bites of local food, and kiss the city goodbye. I did not want our trip to end. As the taxi brought us to the airport for our return flight to The Netherlands, I thought about how much I missed David, and how much his presence reminded me of home. But I also realized that I needed this experience of being abroad. It has shaped me into a new person.
Hasina Foye ’23 is an aspiring journalist from Bronx, N.Y., who is studying English literature and communications at Le Moyne. Hasina is spending the spring semester of 2022 at Hague University in the Netherlands and will be sharing her reflections on life abroad. Please continue to follow her journey here.