Ah, Sevilla- a beautiful dream

Studying abroad- for some, this is basically the same thing as an expensive vacation hidden under the mask of pursuing higher education in a foreign country. Some students go the entire summer w ithout really integrating into the culture and experiencing true Sevilla. I was lucky enough to meet some wonderful Sevillan friends who were eager to show me the city and the life. I had very few friends from the school. Apart from my college friends who were there in June, I rarely, if ever, went out with Americans. And I say this with great pride. Why? Because if I wasn't clinging to American students, my only other option was Spaniards (or no one at all- and come on, I'm not that antisocial!). If I was hanging out with the Spanish, I was actually integrating and fulfilling both of my goals.

The whole reason I came to Sevilla was to learn Spanish and experience Spain. I did both. My Spanish improved, at least a little bit. Some people are more talented at this, but I finally got to the point of not over thinking what I wanted to say and just saying it. That means I actually talked! And my friends could (at least more or less) understand me. I thoroughly enjoyed my Spanish 20th Century Theater class with Mila. The assigned reading kicked my butt. It was worth it though. My July course in Spanish for Health Professionals with Sara proved to be (thankfully) a much lighter course than the literature class. This time around, I could spend more time out in Sevilla and less time hitting the books (and the dictionary).

Did I come to Sevilla with any expectations? I'm not really sure. I knew I felt a lot more comfortable being with friends from back home than all by myself. Other than that bit of a security blanket, I don't remember having any specific expectations. Maybe over time, I somehow learned to prevent myself from going into anything with expectations. Now, my mind is more like a sponge, ready to soak up the experiences that come, rather than be disappointed because they did not meet my preconceived notions. I learned a lot this summer. Not only about Spain and the Spanish language, but also about people. I'm amazed at the people that Divine Providence (or destiny, for some) puts into my life and all the things that I learn from them. I was moved by the openness and honesty of the people I met. Although we did not (and probably would never) agree on everything, it did not prevent us from being open to each other (and all the craziness or seriousness involved) and becoming great friends, a little family of sorts. A summer in Sevilla was one of the greatest adventures of my life. It was also a nice break from reality, a dream that ended too quickly. A time to learned about myself, others, life, and the world. A time to learn from experience. I think I will continue learning and applying my (many) experiences in Spain for a while. You don't come to Sevilla and leave unchanged.