Anyone who knows me must know that I go to school full time in London, England, because I seem to talk about it non-stop. However, last year, having fallen into the dreaded sophomore slump, I felt as though everything I was doing was useless and boring. Basically, I felt stuck. I decided I needed a break, and a new experience- and what better way to achieve that, than studying in a different country? Since I had studied Spanish from elementary school all throughout high school, Spain was obviously the place to go (and my first thought was that if I ever decided I missed London too much, it wouldn't cost a fortune to go back for a weekend.) Before I knew it, I was all signed up with a study abroad program and booking my ticket to Seville, Spain...and, that's where I've been for the last few months! Let me fill you in on what I've been up to.
First of all, I must say that I got incredibly lucky with my living situation. I live in what is called "El Centro," which is--you guessed it--the center. In other words, I live dangerously close to a never-ending street of clothing stores, restaurants, and places to get frozen yogurt (or gelato, if that's what you're into.) It's also within walking distance of pretty much everything else in Sevilla, such as the Guadalquivir river, Torre del Oro, Plaza de Espana and the Cathedral. In terms of where I sleep at night, I'm in what is called Casa de Sevilla, which is something I would consider a mix between a home-stay and an apartment. I live with seven other girls on one floor of the building, and our host mother lives above us, and comes down to bring us lunch, dinner, and our laundry. It's a good thing I do a lot of walking here, because she brings us tortilla Espanola and paella once a week!
Not only do I do a lot of walking, but also a lot of traveling. In fact, I think I've seen more of Spain in the two months that I've been here, than I have of England in the two years that I've been there (did that sentence make any sense?) One of the perks of my study abroad program is that weekend trips are included in the tuition. So--so far, I've seen Portimao, Portugal (a trip that included loads of tanning and a ride on a jetboat), Cadiz and Jerez (AKA an amazing tour of a winery) and Aracena (which wasn't actually included in the program--but a great place to go hiking for the day.) And of course, a semester in Spain isn't complete without making a trip to Madrid (where I got to spend my 21st birthday!)
But of course, it wouldn't be "studying abroad" if I wasn't actually studying--though I will admit that the classes here are much less "college-y" than ones I would normally be taking at my school in London. One of my favorites is 'The Culture of Food and Wine in Spain,' and my professor is basically the reason I love this class (which is something I don't think I've ever said before.) Aside from the fact that he stars in the Spanish version of "The Biggest Loser" as one of the nutritionists and is pretty much a local celebrity, he also has an extreme passion for food, and has a constant energy that makes the class incredibly entertaining. And not to mention, we have regular tasting sessions. Think chocolate, cheese, olives (or aceitunas), and gazpacho. Again, it's a good thing I do a lot of walking.
I could keep going on about all the things I've been doing during the last two months, but that one be one very long blog post- so for now, thanks for reading! Expect more pictures/posts soon, and a video on my Youtube channel!
xx Gabi
