Wowza.
I don't think four months have ever flown by faster. The first thing I would like to say is THANK YOU MOM & DAD. I am so grateful for this opportunity and it would not have been possible without you both-- and I'm so glad you were able to experience Europe with me (blog post to come on that later)!
Next, expectations vs. reality. Leading up to this semester I imagine sunshine, rainbows and butterflies when I thought about study abroad and living in Spain-- and I thought I would want to live in Sevilla forever. Not everyday is a walk in the park. Learning to navigate a new city that is just about as confusing as pans labyrinth, trying to understand people that talk a million words per minute and cut off half the word (Aldalucian accent at work), and adjusting to the very very different aspects of Spanish culture such as the different eating schedule, that almost everything is closed during the middle of the day, it on average take 25 minutes to check out at a grocery store, the process of sitting down and getting a cup of coffee, a wi-fi password, and a receipt for your coffee takes upwards of an hour, customer service isn't a thing, people smoke everywhere, and public displays of affection are EVERYWHERE.
Ok, ok, now you probably think that I didn't enjoy living in Spain-- but that couldn't be farther from the truth. I loved my four month experience of learning to adjust to a different culture and assimilating with the spanish lifestyle. However, I don't think I could live in Sevilla forever. As a big-city girl who loves to be constantly busy with a "go, go, go" lifestyle (and my picky eating habits), I don't think that I could permanently live in Sevilla, (you can let the weight off your shoulders now mom and dad). Although, I definitely plan to return in the future-- as Sevilla is a truly amazing city.
The cafe and tapas culture is something I loved-- although I might complain about how freaking long it takes to get a cup of coffee, it was nice to spend time talking to friends and not feeling rushed. Sharing tapas is one of my favorite things about the culture-- it's so nice to be able to try many things in small portions (especially for me because if I didn't like it, it was only 2 Euros!) The city is BEAUTIFUL and so VIBRANT. All of the colorful apartments, fountains, plazas, and amazing architecture is something I will most definitely miss.
Working out in the Plaza De Espana every Monday and Wednesday with my friends the entire semester is as good as it gets for workouts. The amazing architecture of the plaza and having great company made work outs one of the most enjoyable parts of my day.
My classes-- while the workload was not as challenging as a UW class, I was definitely challenged to improve my spanish. Learning about topics as difficult as finance, in a different language, seemed impossible at first..But I somehow survived (hopefully--haven't received my grades yet!)
Volunteering-- It was so interesting to see a different community in Sevilla, one that was in much worse conditions, where most of the Gypsies lived. I could see how poor the education system was from working with the students. I volunteered weekly but sometimes I would show up and no one would be there -- the lack of communication was frustrating. I enjoyed my time with the students, helping them learn English-- even though they often swore at me.
My host family-- something I was probably most nervous about turned out to be one of the greatest aspects of my experience. I was so nervous about the food and being able to find something to eat, but Virginia was an AMAZING chef. She was so good about cooking me foods that I liked-- but also challenging me to try new things. She helped me improve my Spanish tremendously (mainly because she didn't know any English) by having great conversations with me, watching spanish TV shows and the news, and correcting some of the grammar in my papers. She allowed me to have friends sleep over so I wouldn't have to walk to the bus station alone in the morning before an early flight, and she let my friend come over to watch the season finale of How I Met Your Mother. She taught my how to make Tortialla Espanola and she taught me how to dance, Sevillana. She also showed me where her stash of chocolate was-- for whenever I wanted any!
Her family was amazing as well. I absolutely loved hanging out with her husband, Francisco. He always had such great stories and he loved showing my his old CDS, books, pictures, and random things in the apartment. He taught me how to make Sangria-- which is the best Sangria I've ever had.
Her daughter and son, Gema y Paco, where two of the nicest people. I loved when they came over for lunch as they were always fun to talk to-- especially when Paco tried to practice his English! Gema's husband, Carlos, and Paco's girlfriend, Montse, were also super nice to have around. One of my favorite days when was when the entire family came over for lunch on a sunday and we had a feast with the best sangria ever!
Gracias FAMILIA!
A big cheers and thank you to all the amazing people I met in my CIEE program and to the Spaniards I met-- to all the people I traveled with, had tapas with, took chupitos with, had class with, or just people I met along the way- thanks for being a friend and smiling face!
My heart goes out to Cien Montaditos for always being there for me-- #70 (pesto, goat cheese and tomatoes) & #95 (nutella and oreos) -- you always made me happy!
but for real-- to all of the Americans, Spaniards, and people from all over the world-- cheers to hoping our paths cross in the future!
Traveling--
I did not expect to travel as much as I did-- but I don't regret any of the trips that I took. I am so fortunate to have been able to visit so many amazing places. I was able to see incredible sights, eat outstanding food, and experience such interesting cultures. I visited 11 different countries and 26 cities. Each of them was incredible in its own way. Here is how I can best sum up each trip:
Ireland (Dublin and Galway) had the nicest people ever.
The UK (Gibraltar) was the most interesting place that I visited, it was so close to Spain and Morocco, but there was a huge indian culture there and everyone had british accents and there were telephone booths--and it had wild monkeys- making it one of my favorite visits.
France (Paris and Versailles) had the most amazing sites and desserts.
Morocco (Tetuan, Tanger, and Chef Chouen) was the most culturally different and the most eye opening place I experienced.
Portugal (Albufeira and Lagos) had the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.
Switzerland (Interlaken) was the most beautiful place I have ever seen-- and I had the most thrilling experience when I went canyoning.
The Czech Republic (Prague) felt like one of the most historic place I visited-- I felt like I was back in Mid-evil times.
Hungary (Budapest) such a vibrantly alive city with so much to do-- coolest ruin bars ever, thermal baths, nature, city... this was my FAVORITE place.
Austria (Salzburg and Vienna) Salzburg, in addition to Interlaken was one of the most beautiful places ever, and Vienna was the classiest city with such a high class cafe culture.
Italy (Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice) had the BEST food.
SPAIN (Sevilla, Barcelona, Granada, Ronda, Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva) had the most vibrant culture, best fiestas, beautiful architecture, and amazing people. (clearly couldn't narrow it down!)
I could see myself living in Budapest, Switzerland or Barcelona!!
I learned so much from all of these trips-- how to navigate an unfamiliar city with just a PAPER map, how to plan and organize hostel accommodations, plane, and train tickets, how to say hello and thank you in over 10 languages, how to read and navigate metro lines in many cities, how to see a million different things in very short periods of time, travel with just a backpack, and so much more.
I made so many international friends who I know I will keep in touch with. I even met a girl in Prague who was from Vienna, and I ended up meeting up with her when I visited Vienna-- and she showed me and Kelly around!
Overall, all of my travels brought with them food, people, and experiences that will create life long memories.
BACK IN AMERICA:
What I missed: my family, friends, food (real salads that aren't drenched in olive oil, peanut butter, cheese curds), the fact that it's acceptable to wear sweat pants here, the idea of customer service, front lawns with grass, driving, the language of english, eating lunch at noon and dinner at 6, screens on windows that keep bugs out (so many mosquito bites), not having to worry every 5 seconds about getting pit pocketed, the american dollar, not having Gypsies come up to me everywhere I go trying to give me rosemary, glow sticks, and babies (yes a man tried to hand me a baby one time), playing sports, and efficiency (in all aspects of life).
My first meal back in America was a salad from corner bakery -- YUM. I saw some friends, and was also able to play some catch and a get some batting practice in with my slow pitch team from last summer.
I also went to buy a new pair of shoes--since mine were completely trashed from the cobblestone. At the store I praised the sales associate for her great customer service-- as it was something I hadn't experienced for a while!
--
This whole experience still seems so surreal. I still remember walking up to Virginia's apartment and her running out of the door to embrace me and greet me with "Dos besos." I remember the director of CIEE at orientation telling us everything in Spanish and thinking that I was going to fail every class, I remember trying shrimp and squid my first night out for tapas and almost puking, I remember all of the hostels I stayed at, people I met, food I ate, and things I experienced.
My dad asked me if I had to do it all over again, would I change anything? The answer is no. Every up and down, challenge, and triumph was a part of the experience that truly made the semester what it was.
People say study abroad is a life changing experience-- it's true. Coming back you see things differently, appreciate things more, become more accepting of different cultures and understand that there are many types of ways to live-- none of them being wrong or right--just different. It's something that's hard to describe but believe me when I say that it is the most eye-opening experience I have ever had.
It's crazy that the semester I had been anticipating for so long has come to an end-- but I am so grateful for everything, and I have probably a million pictures and plenty of blog posts to look back on, friends to recount the experiences to, and memories that will always stick with me.
So for now, hasta luego Sevilla, NO ME HA DEJADO.
Sending Smiles from Chicago,
Rebecca
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