For inspiration, I always look first to nature. It is the first thing I wish to explore in a new place. I want to know the plants, what they do, their relationships to each other and to humans. When I think of nature, I am always filled with images of the forests of home, with our evergreens and towering mountains. One of the reasons I wanted to be here in the south of Spain, was so I would be in a place completely unfamiliar in culture, language and scenery. The difference in scenery, although interesting, has been more difficult to connect with than I thought. I have found myself more drawn to the city than the nature. The dry landscape did not invite me in at first, but the more time I have spent exploring, the more I realize how much diversity and intrigue there is when you look closely.
Yesterday we decided to go on a hike, my hosts favorite one here. The trail takes you up in to the hills, showcasing the rolling hills with a mixture of olive groves and pine forests. Halfway through you come upon a viewpoint just below the castle of Moclin, built in the 13th century as a defensive castle to the Kingdom of Granada.
Castillo de Moclin 
The path then sends you back down a rocky path down into a ravine teeming with trees and shrubs: pines, birches, figs, pomegranates, rosemary and lavender. It was truly magical and gave me a glimpse into the power this landscape has. With the dryness of the climate, it makes the most of what moisture it can get. I was tilling in the garden the other day and as I got past the first few inches, the claylike soil was still damp from the last rain (3 weeks ago!). It is so fascinating to see how different landscapes adapt around weather and climate, and what plants come out of those adaptations.
Actual ancient cave paintings (hard to see lol)
There are a ton of edible plants here, I have seen a ton of almond trees, tried to eat a few, but they were not quite ripe. I sadly missed the fig season, my host were telling me when they last did this trail in late August, the trees were filled with ripe figs, plucking them along the way, no need to pack trail mix. By far my favorite thing to see growing here is the pomegranate trees. It feels so weird to see trees ornamented with these huge, fantasy-like fruits, one I never put too much thought into where they come from. I can see why it was chosen to be the namesake of the city.
Fig leaves 
Pomegranates! 
More pomegranates!
It has now been just over a month since I departed to Spain. It feels so long ago, but it is a great feeling to think I still have so much time ahead of me. So much happens in a short amount of time when you are traveling. Three weeks ago, I was in La Coruna and now I am on the other side of the country!
Granada is everything I imagined it to be and more. This city is full of so much: people, history, markets, amazing food, and of course: the Alhambra. I have done a fair share of exploring on the weekends and this city is unlike any other I have been in. I love the winding streets, the history visible in the buildings, the cuisines that meet here. However, I wish to save my thoughts on the city for next month, because I will be living right downtown! This month though, I am outside of the city, where I have started my first workaway.
If you don’t know, workaway is an online program that allows travelers to live with hosts all around the world and exchange work for room and board. These places are usually (but not limited to) farms, homesteads or permacultures. Traveling this way allows you to have a unique experience by being able to interact with locals on a more personal level as well as getting to learn by experience. This is one of the ways I will be traveling throughout my study abroad.
My first farm stay is with a young Spanish couple whom have just recently begun their life outside of the city. They have a small property out in the countryside and are currently working on fixing up their house and getting their garden started. They have a few chickens and this place has a lot of potential. So far I’ve been able to try so many new things! I have gotten to plaster, sand, and paint a flight of stairs; work on building a rock wall for terraces; sanding and varnishing chairs; tilling garden beds and planting seedlings! Every day I get to try something new and it is so fulfilling. I also have plenty of free time so I have been able to work on the hobbies I love: yoga, art, crochet and reading! My hosts are so kind and have made my first workaway experience a positive one. We eat together, sharing stories and jokes, over wonderful home cooked meals. Often in the evenings we play board games, which if you know me, you know I love playing games!! The other night my host brought out their telescope and we looked at Saturn and Jupiter, it was absolutely insane, you could see the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter! SO COOL.
TA DA!! 
Me with Alex (workawayer) and Pedro (host) (: 
Fortunately for me, I have a few connections at the university here. I got the opportunity to join an ecology class on a field trip this past weekend. We visited a few different natural areas, and learned about the “life history traits” in plants. We focused on how trees and plants reproduce and what mechanisms they have developed to adapt to their landscapes over time. We also talked about relationships between trees, other plants and animals.
Not far from the city lies the Guadix — the largest badlands in all of Europe. Badlands are areas where erosion has happened after different rocks and sediment have built up over time. This can be caused my natural forces like water, wind — and in the case of the Guadix — a shift in tectonic plates. The area was previously an endoterric basin (a lake with no exit point), letting sediments settle here over a great amount of time. After shifting in the earth, eventually there was a way for the water to escape leading to erosion, which left behind the badlands we see today.
The badlands… 
Scott’s Pine
That day we also visited the Scott’s pine forest, a stark contrast to the badlands. There we examined what has negatively affected the Scott’s pines, from climate change to parasitic plants like mistletoe. I am so thankful to have been able to explore the different sides of nature here. It has given me a look into this area, and an appreciation, that I would probably not have found on my own.
As I am sure many of you know, traveling alone is very different from traveling with others. In the past I have only ever traveled with family or been around people that knew me previously. It is interesting to meet people that have no preconceived notion of who you are, not even knowing where you are from or who your family and friends are. It feels very refreshing for people to not really know where I am from; I can share things about my life and where I am from that I normally would not when interacting with people from home, and I think the same goes for others. This has given me time to truly think about myself, reflect on what I like, what I believe in, and the opportunity to be alone with my thoughts — no one else to tell them to, just to sit with them. In the past I have always found journaling as a chore; something that felt like a waste of time and almost homework. Now that I am traveling alone, I made it a goal to journal at least a few times a week. The more I write, the better if feels to get out my thoughts. In the past I had always thought, “Why would I write down my thoughts if I have already thought them?” It felt redundant. Now that I can’t vent to others as much, it feels like a safe space for me to empty my brain a little. It also feels nice after trying to speak in Spanish all day, not being able to express myself in the same way I would in English. That is something that I (and I’m sure many others) struggle with when beginning to learn a second language. It is hard to feel like you are saying exactly what you want to say how you want to say it. It is such an difficult yet compelling experience. While this language barrier I feel can sometimes hold me back in, I am working on it and hopefully improving! Beyond this I still feel an great amount of freedom. Without my normal responsibilities and my only assignment being to experience life, I can say yes to more opportunities, have time to work on the hobbies I love and time to reflect by myself. I give myself more room to adventure and I am just endlessly grateful that I even get to do this. A true dream come true!
Now this may be a little off subject, but I wanted to try something new! I think what we choose as our entertainment is a huge part of our lives and something I always use to connect to others. To end my post, I think it would be fun to share what I have been reading/watching/listening to, because that is a big part of my experiences and influences me a lot.
Music: Faye Webster, Album: Atlanta Millionaires Club (I love the way she writes, very good rainy day music)
Books: Dune (decided to read it before watching it and I am glad I did! It is such an intriguing world and enthralling story)
Feel free to leave a comment of what type of entertainment you have been engaging with and any suggestions of things you think I may like!