Makensie Brown | Staff Writer

As I’m sitting at the foot of the Alhambra with blue skies over my head, 80 degree weather all around me, the sounds of Spanish conversation and music nearby, and close to my return to the United States, I can’t help but reminisce over the last four months of my life. It is cliché to say “time always goes by way too fast,” but in my opinion, it always holds true. I feel as though even if you anticipate it, the end of an experience as special as a semester abroad still will catch you by surprise.

I had many goals that I hoped to achieve throughout this last spring of my life; some of them which I completed while other lessons learned came natural and unexpectedly. In my opinion, these lessons learned and adventures experienced have no value unless they are shared with others. My life will forever be changed by my time in Spain, but I want to impact the lives of others with a taste of the Spanish culture and cuentos hispanicos or “Spanish stories.”

Upon my arrival to Spain, I had the desire to document the contemporary state of every day lives of the citizens of Granada. My initial actions included taking photographs of individuals on the streets in hope of not presenting a bias or impressing my own opinions upon those who would view my images. Obvious difficulties with my plan surfaced after my first few attempts. I found it very complicated to discretely capture an image of an individual without disturbing the genuine habits and customs behind every action.

After more time of walking through the streets of Granada and observing that many Spanish individuals often glanced at me, as well as my friends from the US, in a manner that appeared judgmental, I rapidly came to a realization. I understood that over the last several weeks I had carried out a similar action towards the strangers I crossed on the sidewalk, the same action that I disliked when it was done towards me. After this new-found understanding, another cliché presented itself to me: “You cannot judge a book by its cover.” I strongly believe that those who live amongst a specific society every day define the culture. Therefore, to truly document the Spanish, a deeper exploration of the unique individuals themselves is necessary.

I have been very fortunate to meet and form friendships with many residents of Granada. Their passions, characteristics, and lifestyles make them who they are and consequently the culture of the city as well. I believe these friendships have been more of a crucial element to understanding another culture than any knowledge gained from reading a textbook or learning from a lecture in class.

These relationships have allowed me to peer into the minds of those who have been born in, lived amid, and shaped by what is Spain. For that reason, I am currently in the process of composing portraits of several Spanish individuals and asking them “Quién eres?” or “Who are you?” in order to more properly value the Spanish culture.

Once this semester concludes I will be able to say I traveled to ten different countries and that my Spanish speaking abilities have improved tremendously, but I have faith that I will take away something even more priceless from this experience.

Because I have allowed myself to stretch past my comfort zone and strive to grasp the true identity of Spanish individuals, I believe I am able to tell the story of the Spanish culture to others. These thoughts are the beginning formations of my major capstone project that will be presented next year. I anticipate that throughout different seasons of my life, within due time, more understanding will unfold but until then you will find me ruthless to enrich the lives of others by proclaiming Spanish stories to all.

Photo by Makensie Brown