As I was sitting in one of my new favorite restaurants here in Granada, Restaurante Paprika, I looked up to the chalk board to see the saying “Inhalo, Amor, Exhalo, Gratitud.” As simple as this quote may be, it perfectly encompasses the way of life here in Granada. The Granadians know how to live their life to the fullest, while maintaining a sense of tranquility and pure happiness. This is one of the many things I love about this special city.

My mom and sister came to visit me here last week, and we were able to explore the city inside and out. We went to the Alhambra where we took a tour and learned all about the Nasrid dynasty. Our tour guide Jorge educated us about the historical significance the Alhambra represents as we walked the grounds and took in the incredible views. We visited the Catedral where we were amazed by the artistic detail put into every inch of the church. And one of my favorite cultural immersion activities, the Arab baths. The baths proved to be not only healing, but also a spiritual experience.

Hammam; the Arab Baths

Generalife in the Alhambra

Catedral Granada

Las rosas en el jardín

In addition to the cultural immersion activities I have taken part in, Bridget and I have been doing some prep work for our experiment. We had a few set backs with the equipment and programming, but with the help of our advisors, and other people in the lab, we have come to solve them. Yesterday, Bridget and I spent a solid 8 hours testing the experiment to make sure that it is suitable for our participants. The lab manager, Borja, has been invaluable in helping us become acclimated to the lab environment and of course with making sure our experiment runs as it should. We are lucky to work along side such welcoming and helpful people. Our next step is to start the recruitment process so that we can begin testing participants and collecting the data. Ta luego!

Vistas desde el laboratorio