As I sit for my final siesta in the stuffy room that I have grown to call home, I figured it is as good a time as any to reflect on the past 6 weeks. Its hard believe that my stay in Sevilla is actually coming to a close. It feels like just yesterday that I first introduced myself to Carmen and Patricia dubbed me "Pepe;" at the same time though, I feel like I have been in Sevilla for several months. Although I am sad that the program has come to an end, that I have had to say my goodbyes and that Sevilla will soon become a memory rather than a reality, I am excited for the rest of my Euro-travels.
Without question, the most rewarding part of the trip was the relationships made. I already knew a handful of people going into the trip, but we were only a small part of the 60+ people in the program. It was a very congenial group that did just about everything together en masse, from botellon to bull fights to weekend trips. I'm excited to get back to school to see everyone again - bring Calle Betis to Franklin St.
Of course the reason you study abroad is to study abroad. I can honestly say that I did learn a lot of grammatical structures that make speaking and writing sound a lot more natural, and I do look at the city with a new eye, noticing baroque and islamic architecture in the buildings around me. My teachers Angeles and Fernando were great; they were good at communicating with people who speak Spanish as a second language and were very probably the best Spanish teachers I've had. They did not assign too much work either, so I never felt bogged down with school.
With little stress coming from school, we had plenty of time to explore the city and its nightlife. In a city that boasts the most bars per capita in Europe, it was not hard to something to do at night. Weather we met up with friends at a local joint or went to Fundicion/Buddha/Bilindo under the local promoter Toba Turbo's direction, there was never a dull night.
When the city dies in the middle of the day for siesta, it can be hard to wake back up and build momentum to do something during the day. I admit that I fell victim to a few siestas that lasted from lunch to dinner. However, I was able to stay active most of the time by playing basketball 3 or 4 times a week. It was cool to actually know some locals and learn a few colloquialisms from talking to them.
Being on the Iberian Peninsula, we were lucky to have the chance to go to so many different places on the weekends. Every city in Spain has its unique character and it was amazing to such famous places as the Alhambra and the Rock of Gibraltar.
Being in Europe, I have the even luckier opportunity to travel throughout the continent for the next three weeks. All that is planned for now is Rome, Prague and Amsterdam with Jorge for the first two weeks. After that my final week is flexible; possible destinations include Munich, Switzerland or maybe Brussels. I will be sure to keep updating as often as possible and report how it is.
People always say that study abroad is a once in a lifetime experience. However tomorrow, I will say goodbye to Spain for the second time in four years. Both of those summers have been the most rewarding and fun summers I can remember. Its really interesting to live within a different culture and adapt to their norms; also my ability to speak and understand Spanish has improved significantly. I would encourage anybody who has the opportunity to study abroad to do so; its been the best parts of my college experience thus far.
Hasta luego Sevilla. To everybody in the program, I look forward to seeing you at the Hill in August (and to those that don't go to UNC, I hope yall come visit at some point). Leaving Sevilla though, I know that the fun has only just begun. I don't come back home until July 15 and I got a lot ahead of me until then; I'll keep you posted.
No comments:
Post a Comment