Overall, I have been blown away by the caliber of people I've met thus far in my program. The social aspect has been phenomenal and I've quickly fallen into a group of friends that I see myself remaining close to for the rest of my time here and after.
My orientation group on our final night together! Our leader, Jose (to my left), has become a great friend and plans to continue hanging out with us despite his leadership duties having ended
-wake up in the morning and explore sevilla with a few friends, enjoy un cafe cortado, window shop, and soak up the city. The weather, by the way, is unbeatable. 60's and sunny the majority of the time I've been here.
-come home for lunch at 2:30 to eat with my Señora and her daughter, rest/unpack/blog/skype during siesta time until 4:30 or 5.
-meet up with CIEE people to go to various information sessions about life in sevilla, tips for adjusting to the culture successfully, academics once we start classes (I have an intensive language session for just 3 hours a day starting monday and then regular classes begin february 6th), interest groups (we can join 1 of 9 interest groups that involve things like a weekend trip to morocco, wine tasting in valencia, going to the beach in portugal, flying to the mediterranean island Mallorca to see hidden caves, lay out on the beach all day, and go out clubbing all night etc etc all FREE with the program).
-grab a pitcher of sangria with some amigas before dinner.
-either go out for tapas or come home and eat a wonderful dinner prepared by my señora around 9:30.
-go to a flamenco show! (ok, this isn't part of my normal routine but I went once and it was AWESOME).
-meet up at a bar and enjoy some spanish cervezas while mingling with the locals and other international students I've met (lots from england!)
See why I haven't slept?!?!
I cross this river every day on my walk into the center of the city!
La Calle de Constitición
A side view of la Giralda
My friend Katie sketching while we drink sangria
One of the things that I absolutely LOVE about this city is the amount of walking that I do. My house is about 25 minutes from the center of the city and about 30 from where I'll be taking classes so I am CONSTANTLY on the move. We walk to the center of the city to explore, walk home for lunch, walk back to have some orientation meeting, walk to grab a drink or tapas, walk to learn the streets a little better, walk home for dinner, walk back to go to a bar, then either walk or taxi home. Whew! If anything, I may have lost a pound or two since being here! Even though meat is huge in Spanish culture, being a pescatarian hasn't proved to be an issue at all, as Sevilla is right by the coast and has fantastic seafood. The food is much lighter than I expected yet I always feel like I'm indulging! Spaniards don't snack at all during the day (unless it's a tapa or two with cerveza) which I love because I'm learning to appreciate each meal so much more. The culture here is centered around meals (breakfast upon waking, lunch at 2:30, dinner at 9:30 or 10) and because I'm not nibbling in between, I feel like I'm respecting my food in a way that I don't at home. Almost like honoring my hunger by preserving it, thus enjoying the comida that much more. My Señora cooks lunch and dinner for me every day (breakfast is usually just toast with jam) so I'm getting the authentic Sevillana food experience pescatarian style!
As you can probably tell by my enthusiasm, life is wonderful here. The pervasive spanish phrase "no pasa nada" (the spanish equivalent of "it's all good") is very apparent in the lifestyle here. Everyone goes at their own pace, stress is minimal, and people love life! It's contagious! I am so excited to start class next week and finally settle into a routine here. Tomorrow is my first day without scheduled activities, and I intend to take full advantage of that freedom! This will also be my first full weekend in Sevilla, so I hope the next time I write I'll return with a story or two to share ;). Hasta te veo! xo
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