Family Visit

The moment I announced I was going to study abroad in Spain to my parents, I could see it in their eyes that they were already planning a trip to visit. Thankfully, knowing my family was coming soon made homesickness less prevelant during the weeks before their arrival. When my family finally came, I was more than excited to see them. We spent time in Madrid together and visited the Prado for the first time. The next morning, we took a train to Barcelona, where we visited the Sagrada Familia and Parque Guell. The Sagrada Familia was absolutely breathtaking. The architecture was spectacular, and brilliant light in various colors poured through the windows.

Later that week, my family and I celebrated Thanksgiving together with the IES Abroad program. Although it was very different from our Thanksgiving dinners back home, it was definitely nice to spend it with my family. 

The next morning we went to Sevilla. I was happy to be able to visit Sevilla once more, to see things that I had missed before. For instance, we were able to visit the Alcazar, which was gorgeous. My little brother and I had fun exploring the beautiful gardens of the Alcazar while my parents took a romantic stroll. We also spent a lot of time in the Plaza España, which was a personal favorite from my first visit.

After Sevilla, we took a train to Granada. The apartment in which we stayed was located in the valley below the Alhambra. We had a spectacular view of it. We passed the next day at the Alhambra. It was nice to see it a second time and really take in the beauty. It was also interesting to see how much the gardens had changed since my first visit. The beautiful roses that I saw in September were no longer in bloom, and therefore the gardens were a bit lacking. But they were still gorgeous and I am certainly not complaining.

The next day I had to say goodbye to my family. It was a sad farewell, but I knew I would see them again in a few weeks, which made it easier. It was nice to have a taste of home while I was here.