Balancing Studying Abroad and Ultimate Frisbee in Granada, Spain 

In the heart of Granada, Spain, amidst the vibrant culture and rich history, I found my place on the Ultimate Frisbee team.

The ultimate vibes in the Alhambra city. Where every toss tells a tale of teamwork and unity! 

Connecting to the Team

The journey started with practices on Mondays and Thursdays which helped create a routine in my new study abroad city. This team introduced me to a community that redefined my understanding of Spanish friendships and a whole new world of language barriers.  

From the Albaicín to the end zone, my team worked together to navigate Granada's historic streets and our frisbee fields together.

As a newcomer to the team, I initially had a hard time communicating with my teammates, but I got the hang of connecting to my new friends in different ways. Despite these hurdles, the shared passion for Ultimate Frisbee created an immediate sense of belonging. The field transformed into a universal language, where the disc and the chemistry of our movements spoke louder than words.

Granada’s culture became clearer as I had a disc in hand with contagious smiles running around me.

I became a great observer, paying attention to the movement of their throws, catches, and maneuvers which made me feel like I was right at home. The smiles on everyone on this team helped a bit too.  

While language may have been a challenge on this team, I connected to other study abroad students around the world in so many ways.

One distinctive memory of being on the Granada Ultimate Frisbee team was the post-practice tradition of tapas. This became a weekly Spanish lesson as we all laughed and tried to understand very broken languages. The tapas sessions brought frisbee, community, and Spanish culture together, truly showing me the life these beautiful people will continue to live as I leave my study abroad experience.  

I felt as though I was on a journey of Granada’s cobblestones with the power of a disc in hand.

The Highlight of our Season

The highlight of our season arrived in April when the team hosted the Granada Ultimate Frisbee tournament.

Needed many tapas rounds after this game… just tired looking at this picture.   

Over two amazing days, we faced off against six different teams who traveled from all over Spain, each bringing their own study abroad students and excellent frisbee technique to the field. It was a true frisbee experience abroad.  

Spinning dreams, chasing discs, and making memories under the Spanish sun. 

In the end, my experience with the Granada Ultimate Frisbee team was truly a cultural immersion, a journey of personal growth, and a newfound need to visit my teammates in the future. We conversed, discussed and laughed after every game in this tournament to appreciate the opposing team and give our spirit awards. 

This was my favorite part of my day. 

As I reflect on my time with the team, I realize that the true beauty of this experience lies in the connections made, the lessons learned, and the study abroad friendships I made on the Granada Ultimate Frisbee Team.  

Chanting the famous Granayd team chant. Our captain Nefta was the designated screamer. Y lo hizo bien! 

Legs tired, feet sore, arms weak but spirit of the game with Granayd was too infectious to let that stop you. Los amos chicos <3