Fifteen Moore students enjoyed 12 days in Granada, Spain, as part of their Cultural Immersion class, taught by Dr. Kelly Kirby, Liberal Arts department chair, who traveled with the students.
From January 4 through January 18, the group from Moore toured Granada, a southern city in the Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra. This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens.
Since 1899, Moore has expanded its students’ intercultural knowledge through travel and study opportunities to global destinations. These annual journeys take students out into the world, providing new context for what they learn in the classroom.
Courtney Warren, a junior Curatorial Studies student, documented the trip. This is her first dispatch in a series.
Days 1 and 2 in Granada: First Impressions
By Courtney Warren
Airports are hardly a place to get a first impression of some place, as my layover in Barcelona proved. However, my arrival at the small sunny Granada airport might’ve told me all I needed to know. It wasn’t a big bustling place of people. Instead, after hours of being directed and pushed through to the next place, it was calm and easy.
The first night we all went out to get tapas, or small portions of food that come free with drinks other than water. It was explained that getting the bill or food can take a while in Spain. Service is more relaxed and slow. During orientation before the trip, we learned that people started their days later, ate lunch at home during siesta, and then had dinner late as well. These things were done at a slower pace than what we are familiar with in America.
I’ve always been branded as slow-moving by my loved ones, but sometimes during these first few days there was this feeling of resistance in my body when it was time to be still. Sure, I may go to the beat of my own drum, but this shift in culture was dramatic. I would catch myself starting to experience this and take a breath and remind myself to stay in the moment to stop feeling the differences and start seeing the architecture, the decor and to taste the food.
So far, being in Spain has been a big lesson in being present in my body and mind to adjust to the differences of culture. Taking time to remind myself to slow down and be present with the people around me couldn’t be taught in a better place. It feels like I’m letting go of the thought of “what do I have to do next” and reminds me to enjoy what's around me, and there is much to be enjoyed.
Our first night we watched the Three Kings Parade, where Disney characters and biblical figures made their way down the boulevard. Kids waved hands and bags, and even an upside-down umbrella to catch the candy being tossed down from floats featuring movie characters.
