bienvenido a sevilla

After many countless delays and more than 24 hours of traveling, I finally made it to the airport in Sevilla in one piece. I wanted to be excited but I was too tired to process anything, including my emotions, clearly. I waited to pick up my luggage, which luckily all made it there, and began to follow the “Salida” signs to the CIEE bus. The arrived at the hotel, Fernando III, at around 7 and had just enough time to shower and join the group to get tapas and see a flamenco show at 8. Since I was there a day late, I figured I should try to get to know everyone asap even though I really just wanted to go to sleep. The tapas bar was right down the street from the hotel and was the smallest place I have ever been to. No joke, we crammed all 35 or so people in our group into an area about 10 ft by 12 ft. The walls were completely covered with framed articles and pictures from Semana Santa celebrations in Sevilla.

The next morning, everyone moved into their new homes with their new families. I am now living with Maria Josefa and Antonio, an older couple maybe in their late 50s. Antonio is always either whistling or listening to a soccer game on the radio with his headphones in, and Maria is always in the kitchen making something, or telling me to put my slippers on so I don’t get sick. I want to take a picture of them (they are a funny couple), but I am definitely not that comfortable with them yet. But so far I really like living with them. The heavy Sevillan accent will take a while to adjust to and hopefully there won’t be so much of a language barrier soon. I also live with another girl from the CIEE program named Jillian, who goes to University of Wisconsin. It’s nice having a roommate so I don’t have to struggle in understanding Maria and Antonio alone and can have someone to walk with to the CIEE “palacio.” Its not a bad location for the nightlife along the river, but walking to the center takes me about 40 minutes which is good exercise but a little too far away for my liking. But soon I will be brave enough to figure out the bus system here. Until then, walking is a really good way to become oriented in the city and see all the different stores, restaurants and people. I have been here for 4 days now and am already feeling a lot less overwhelmed and nervous about living in a foreign country for 5 months.