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Boy, do I have great timing—I definitely chose the right country and the right summer to study abroad! Spain's journey to the 2010 World Cup win was one I never imagined I would be able to partake in. Throughout the month-long tournament of soccer, or fútbol as it is known to Spaniards, I was studying abroad in Granada, Spain. All of Europe is known for its excellent fútbol players and dedicated fans, and Spain is no exception. With some of the most skilled soccer players in the history of the sport, Spain was a strong favorite going into the tournament. After not keeping up with expectations via an early loss to Switzerland, Spain barely scraped through the first few bracket games to make it into the final stages of the Cup. They picked up their pace, and took the entire country on a whirlwind of a victorious journey to Champion status.

I had the distinct pleasure of watching every single Spanish game from Spain with Spaniards, and they taught me a lesson of love and passion that can only be compared to the intense rivalry of an Auburn-Alabama Iron Bowl game. I watched the majority of the games in a huge white tent situated in the middle of the city. Every game thousands of Spanish fans flocked to the tent, decked out in their red and yellow, and ready to cheer their team on to victory. Inside the tent was pure electricity. There was a gigantic big-screen television set up to display the game, as well as dozens of smaller TVs lining the entire tent to ensure that everyone could catch the game from every angle. The tent was scorching hot and always packed, but was worth attending because when Spain scored a goal the crowd went wild. I'm talking waving flags, confetti flying, people jumping onto each other's shoulders and spraying water all over the place wild. It was as if everyone in the room had won the lottery all at the exact moment that David Villa kicked the ball into the net.

This tent is where I watched the final World Cup game, when Spain marched its way into a thrilling overtime victory over the Netherlands. The celebration following the World Cup was one I will never in a million years forget. The streets were flooded with people smiling, cheering, and chanting Campeones! Oe! Campeones! Oe! (Champions, Ole!). There were Spaniards climbing fountains, yelling from their balconies, and even shooting off flare guns—it was quite the spectacle! The party went on until the wee hours of the morning, when, as I drifted off to sleep, I could still hear the cars on the streets showing their pride by honking every time they saw a Spanish flag. In fact, reflecting back a week later, I think the Spanish people are still on a high from this World Cup victory, as they should be. Talking to an older Granada native, I learned that there has not been this much Spanish patriotism since the time of dictator Franco's rule in Spain. Spanish flags are usually not flown, and the words to the Spanish national anthem are never sung because they are reminiscent of tougher times with Franco. Being champions of the world in the most popular sport on the planet brings the Spanish people together in a time of economic crisis and political strife. It is symbolic of the joys of the Spanish people, and represents the love they have for their country that may not always be shown. Though just one small American in the midst of this period of national Spanish pride, I have never felt more a part of something in my entire life, and I am ecstatic to have been in Spain to witness this wonderful moment in history. Que Viva España!