My journey to Spain went according to plan as my first week in Seville I ventured across the city various times. I visited Plaza De Espana, a famous square in Seville. The beautiful architectural marvel was built in 1929 and has since become a key landmark in the city. My transition went fairly well as I maintained steady communication with loved ones despite the mass time change separting us by 7 hours. While there I utilized the local bus and metro system with the help of apple maps showing me the way.
While studying abroad in Spain I am taking two 3 hour courses, a food and cultural course and a sports nutrition course. I had a positive first impression as I was welcomed in with open arms on my first day class. My classmates are a mix of students from the United States as well as from the University of Alabama. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know the students from Alabama before traveling to Spain, as it made the transition much smoother.
I learned various Spanish culture norms such as “sobremesa” to gather around a dining table and talk with friends and family. I witnessed sobremesa around Seville particularly at night passing by restaurants and coffee shops. I learned that tapas bars are very common in Spain. Fun fact- tapas is traditionally a small portion of a dish for a low price.
I am proud to express that I fully immersed myself in a journey full of learning and cultural awareness as I interacted with locals and key cultural norms. I will miss the kindness of the locals and peers i interacted with daily as they were a key part of my memorable experience.
