Goals

I have been in Spain for 4 weeks now, and the time has flown incredibly fast. With that being said, I want to take advantage of this time abroad.

1. Learn to dance Sevillanas, which is the type of Flamenco people dance at la Fería de abril. I signed up for classes and I plan on practicing at the flamenco bars and during La Feria.

2. Find the best tinto de verano and chocolate con churros in Sevilla.

3. Travel to three countries. I do not want to travel every weekend, because I want to enjoy the culture of Sevilla and hang out with friends, and second of all I can not afford to travel every weekend. :) As of now I am traveling to Morocco in May and other little towns and villages in the coming weeks.

4. Travel to the little villages and towns near Sevilla. Little villages will always hold a special place in my heart, like this little village, Estella, in the North of Spain

5. Speak spanish more fluidly. I would like to have a good grip on Spanish and be able to converse with whoever I want, even the Andalucían abuelos.

Goodbyes

Saying goodbye to people who have been a big part in your life, even if only for several months is never easy. I was so fortunate to have the most amazing Spanish friends and friends from all over the world who helped make my five months abroad truly amazing. Saying goodbye is hard, especially when your friend writes you a sweet message. Yes, I was that person who cried in 100 Montaditos.

I believe that as a traveler you never have to say goodbye because you understand how important these friendships are and will take advantage of relative closeness. Spain and Holland aren't really that far as compared to Holland and The United States.

I have been lucky to see so many friends on this trip, who I had previously said goodbye to, and I hope to see more friends on future trips and adventures.

Life in Sevilla

I love Sevilla. First of all, the city is very pedestrian friendly/bike friendly which I absolutely love. Whenever I walk around in the center or other neighborhoods near the center I always run into people I know.

Running in to friends during La Feria de Abril.

     I have heard multiple people say that Sevillanos live their social life in the streets and bars and I completely agree with them. As a study abroad student, I was able to take full advantage of this lifestyle. I lived with a family when I was an aupair in the North of Spain so when I was deciding on my living situation I chose to live in a shared apartment with other students so that I would be free to enjoy the culture of tapas without worrying about being home for dinner. This allowed me to enjoy Sevilla to the fullest. I loved being able to have several plans each day to have a tapa or a drink with friends. Often times I would run into friends while walking through the city, or would receive a call from someone who was wondering if I wanted to "tomar algo" with them, and of course the answer was yes because this was a semester of enjoying life in Sevilla to the fullest, without worrying about the fact that I hadn't been to my flat all day.

Eating with friends near the neighborhood of Los Remedios

     I enjoyed having countless tinto de verano's (which is wine mixed with some sort of fizzy drink, such as fanta) in Plaza del Salvador, having a coffee near San Bernado or the river, or just spending hours at the bars in Alemeda. My time in Sevilla was spent simply enjoying life while meeting new friends from Sevilla and other places. Being able to live in Sevilla allowed me to go beyond the tourist activities and live in Sevilla more or less like a local. Often times just venturing five or ten minutes from the tourist areas (around the cathedral, Avenida de Constitución and San Fernando) allowed me to find lively tapas bars with a friendly atmosphere and without the translated menus. For example, the tapas bars on calle Mateos Gago, the street that is located no more than five minutes from La Giralda, and surprisingly out of the touristy zone.