First impressions of Spain

I am finally here in Spain, and I love it! The city of Seville is probably the most beautiful I have ever seen. I often feel like I'm walking into a postcard! The picture is of Plaza de España, a very famous landmark in the city. Today as part of our orientation we got a walking tour of the city, and it is amazing.

I arrived with the rest of the students yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon after nearly 24 hours of travel/airport time. My roommate, Katelin, and I were dropped off near the apartment where we are staying and were met by Esperanza, with whom we are staying--our "señora." Esperanza is very warm and welcoming, greeting us with the Spanish "besos" on both cheeks and a big hug. She has made us feel at home, and she's cooked great homemade Spanish food. Esperanza also does not speak English, so we were immediately immersed into the Spanish-speaking world. Conversations so far have been far from perfect, but generally I can understand her and make myself understood, and I hope the fluency will come with time.

This morning we met at a hotel for our orientation, and Esperanza walked us there, but we had to find our way home, which with a group of us wasn't too hard. Seville is definitely a pedestrian's city, and we have already been doing a lot of walking, which is entirely normal here. After lunch and siesta we met up at the school for a guided walking tour of the city. It was good to get a feel for some of the lay of the land. Tomorrow is another day of orientation up at the school, and tomorrow night we have a pizza party at a local restaurant, and I think I'm going to go explore the city and find a local cafe or something after that. Should be fun.

Anticipation

After so many months of thinking about this trip and making preparations, it's crazy to think that in a matter of days I will be heading to the beautiful city of Seville (or Sevilla as it is known there), Spain for a study abroad semester.

I am filled with great anticipation and excitement for the new experiences that await me. I have always dreamed of going to Europe, not knowing whether I would have the chance. So I am very thankful that I am able to have this opportunity. I expect this semester will be filled with unique challenges as I seek to adapt to living in another culture and improve in my abilities to communicate in my second language of Spanish, but I also know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I want to make the most of it. I pray that God will use this as a time of growth in my life. I want to be open to the things he desires to teach me while I'm in Spain.