The Final Month

I packed my bags again, and set off for Italy and then to Greece. 

In Italy, I took a gondola ride through the canals of Venice. It was like I was in a movie or something. All I could hear was the movement of the water and the wonderful singing of the gondelier. It was peaceful. The Amalfi Coast. I can't tell whether it's more beautiful at night or during the day. The scenery of rocky cliffs, a glistening bay, and pastel villages. In Rome, I saw the 3-tiered amphitheater known as the Colosseum. It is a massive arena that could fit 55,000 spectators. Also, the food there was bellissimo! 

Lastly, Greece. I swam in the turquoise waters of Myrtos beach, and it was magical. It is surrounded by steep cliffs and lies between two mountains. Then, Mykonos. No wonder that island is famous. Its whitewashed houses remind me of some kind of paradise I've seen on a postcard. Then there's Delphi, home to the Oracle of Apollo. Some religious sanctuary. Ruins like I've never seen before. 

Reflections - In every place that I visited, I experimented with what it’s really like to be one with that culture. I not only wanted to be an observer, or a tourist, but also a participant. I became a Spaniard, a Brit, a Frenchie, and I fully embraced that new person and made that place home during my time there. It was so much more, and so much better than I expected. I can honestly say I had the time of my life. Seville - full of sunshine and orange trees. I will miss this place with every fiber of my being.

Month Three

Any extra time that I had, I spent exploring, discovering nearby countries. 
Europe - it is the place to be.

But before I get into all of my excursions, I cannot forget about the festivities of Feria de Abril in Seville. A week long celebration with Sevillanas, bullfights, flamenco music and dancers, not to mention parades of horses and carriages. I had never seen somewhere so crowded before. Gosh...there were probably a million people there. I even got on the dance floor myself. Man, those Sevillanas really know how to party. And when I say party, I mean all night. I wandered around from caseta to caseta, which are like tents that each had their own unique atmosphere. Overwhelming and intense I must say, but so worth it.

First stop: Paris, France, the romantic city of love. Of course I visited the Eiffel Tower, such a massive structure and especially breathtaking at night. I also had the pleasure of seeing some of the finest masterpieces at one of the world's largest museums, The Louvre. Then onto the Royal Palace of Versailles. This was quite a luxurious castle. And lastly, the Gorge du Verdon, a canyon surrounded by an emerald river of which I rafted through.

Besides sightseeing, I indulged. I went wine tasting, tried real macarons, crepes, croissants, and all that France is known for.

Second Stop: The Grand United Kingdom. London, where I took a tour of the magnificent Buckingham Palace. It's still hard to believe that an actual royal family resides there.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Wow...just wow. The detail of the wax figures and celebrities were impressive. Amazing and maybe a bit freaky how it looks JUST like the real people. 

 The Stonehenge. I watched the sunrise at this mysterious place. A sight to see, and so ancient. It looks mystical, and almost sacred. 

The Natural History Museum. Indeed it is fascinating, with its dinosaur exhibition, a 40-million-year-old spider, and a life-sized blue whale on display. 

And of course the Coca-Cola London Eye. A 30 minute ride of the best view in London. Enough said.

Then it was time to take a break from my travels and welcome my mom to Seville, Spain. If only you could have seen her expressions as I took her on a tour around my second home. I was completely settled in now, and it was the perfect occasion for my mom to experience this side of the world. It was like watching her perspective get bigger by the minute. This was her first time out of the country, and what better destination than Europe? She stayed with me and my host family, and we saw and we did and we tried all the things I thought she would enjoy most.

Month Two

This entire month I have ventured around Spain like a real tourist. From Barcelona and Madrid to Valencia and Granada, as well as right next door in Portugal. Most of these are only a metro ride away. Each city in Spain is so unique, but Seville still has to be my favorite. I finally was able to go to the beach in Barcelona, swim in the clear water and soak up the Spanish rays in the white sand.

In Granada, I was lucky enough to see a flamenco show. It was an incredible performance, with a talented dancer and singer, guitarists, and a combination of finger snapping and hand clapping sounds. 

While in Madrid, I could not pass up an offer to watch a classic fútbol game (which is actually soccer). Normally I am not big into sports, but being in the audience with a front-row seat was exhilarating. The whole crowd was cheering, and after the game was over, I could finally see what all of the hype was about. 

Before setting off for Portugal, I just had to go to the largest aquarium in Europe, which was at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia. 

Then I set my sights on a new destination. Lagos, in Algarve, Portugal. A beachside city surrounded by cliffs, where I went snorkeling and visited the zoo.

Visiting Portugal only gave me more of the travel fever.

The First Month

I'm here. I've landed in Seville, Spain. Physically I am in another country, but mentally I am still home. All I can hear is the rapid accent of Andalucía. It's beautiful here, but I don't know if I belong. I am a lone traveler. This is supposed to be a good thing, right? Do I stand out? I hope not. I am supposed to be meeting the family that is hosting me for the next four months. Please, let me be able to understand them. My Spanish has improved so much, but still...what if I draw a blank? I'm walking around this city, map in hand. I can do this. 

As I approach their home, I see a sweet little family standing on their front porch holding a sign with my name on it. How picture perfect is this? We exchange "Mucho gusto's," meaning "Nice to meet you." I have a bit of a hard time catching on to everything being said in the conversation, but they don't mind having to repeat, and my host mother even said she could give me Spanish lessons. I start to think that this won't be as bad or scary as I had originally thought.

The first couple of weeks I had to adjust to the time difference, so I took a lot of siestas (naps). Their meal times are much later here as well. I have to get used to eating dinner at 10 PM, but the food is like nothing I have ever had before. I cannot get enough of it. Tapas are most likely the best invention worldwide. If you are not familiar with tapas, they are basically like snacks or appetizers and are usually very cheap (we college kids are on a budget).

My intercambio friend gave me a tour of Universidad Pablo de Olavide so that I would be prepared for my first day of classes as an international student. The campus is nothing special, but Seville is the place to be. I have delicious home-cooked meals with my host family most of the time, but whenever I go to the dining hall, it always surprises me to see beer as one of the drink options. But I have to keep reminding myself that here, all of the students are allowed to drink alcohol at the ripe age of 18. I am turning 21 in a few days, and it will be a big deal to me, but no one else. Fine by me, especially since I've heard the nightlife is amazing. Probably the first week of classes was the most stressful, an adjustment to say the least. I am taking half of my classes in English and the other half in Spanish. But I am learning so much already, even if I can't keep up sometimes. I have met other people from around the world, not only Spain, who are passionate about traveling just as I am. This world is immense, and I cannot wait to discover it.

My 21st birthday celebration was a success. I am now legal! I received gifts from family back home as well as numerous calls. This is the first birthday I have spent out of the country, and it just happens to be one of my biggest milestones. It definitely feels weird not being with my real family, but my host family has made me feel like one of their own. They even surprised me with a party and invited my friends from school. Needless to say, I felt very special that day. 

My weekends lately have been so very busy. I have been from place to place and taken several adventures (of many) around Seville, Spain. I visited the world famous Plaza de España, the most amazing piece of architecture I have seen yet. It would be hard to beat. Next I went to the exotic, fairytale-like Parque Maria Luisa. 

 

Then I went to see a royal palace, the real Alcázar de Seville. I strolled through the neighborhood of Santa Cruz and reached the top of the La Giralda Bell Tower. 

One of the most exciting things I was able to experience was an actual bullfight. It was an adrenaline rush being there in the stands, so close to such a dangerous sport.

  

Seville, full of sunshine and orange trees...I could not have chosen a better place to spend my semester abroad.