It’s officially been three weeks since I arrived in Sevilla, Spain for my study abroad program this semester. Oftentimes, this would be where I talk about how fast things have gone by, but it’s actually the opposite. I’m doing new things constantly, discovering a new city, learning aspects of a different culture, and meeting new people. There’s been days where I take a fat siesta (which, I learned, is only practiced regularly by around a sixth of Spaniards) and the evening feels like a completely different day. I’ve had a mix of feelings: anxiety and dread on the first night, curiosity and excitement when exploring the city and on the daytrip to Cádiz, and confused frustration as I try to navigate my way back when the streets change names every other block. My dreams have been more vivid and numerous. The experience has been really cool, but it’s certainly been hard. Although I know it’s a part of the process, I make mistakes all the time, and sometimes I really have trouble expressing myself properly. I know I’m improving, but sometimes it’s hard to see the changes. I’ve also felt a bit isolated at times, feeling like other students on the program don’t have the same goals as me; I knew that there’d be a good number of students who speak a lot of English, but I was surprised just how many students on an immersion program will use English any chance they get. Luckily, I’ve been able to find some students who are also dedicated to using Spanish as much as possible, so I’m excited to spend more time with them.

Being so far away from friends and family and in such a different environment has been difficult as well. I’ve tried my best to keep in touch with family, but I hope this blog can help me reach out to more people in my life. I’ll try to write more frequently in the future — I actually tried writing this entry two separate times before, but I started writing with too much detail both times. There’s just too much to talk about. For that reason, I’ll provide an overview of what’s been going on here, along with some highlights at the end of the post:

• Aug 17-18: Left the country for the first time, MSP -> CDG -> SVQ. 14 hours. 104°F. Had to get an uber and contact my host mom without data. Met other students from the program in the barrio (neighborhood).
• Aug 19-20: Orientation, met many of the students on the program. Visited Nervión Plaza.
• Aug 21 - Sep 5: Intensive session, class 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. Three essays, a midterm, a final, and daily exercises. Had to go out and speak with natives to gather evidence for essays. Went over many useful grammar points + learned a lot of practical knowledge/tips.
• Sep 8: University classes start. These two weeks are for figuring out which courses we’ll be taking at the University of Sevilla before the CIEE courses start (the ones taken directly with the study abroad organization).

Some things I’ve enjoyed recently

In the intensive session class, we listened to the beginning of the Tiny Desk performance by the Colombian artist Camilo. I had heard the song before, but having the English subtitles made it truly hit. Along with the excellent instrumentation and atmosphere, I love this version of the song. ¿Cómo puede ser que uno sueñe con alguien que ni siquiera ha conocido? Definitely worth a listen, the entire video is fantastic. I’ve rewatched it several times already. In fact, Camilo is coming to Sevilla tomorrow as part of his tour across Spain, so I bought a ticket and I’ll be seeing him live. I don’t tend to go to many concerts, but I’m really excited for it. Over time, I’ve gotten more invested in the Spanish-speaking artists I listen to, as I listen to a lot of music in Spanish to practice the language. Seeing one of them in-person will be crazy cool.

I’ve also been connecting a little bit with some of my hobbies, as I went climbing at a local gym twice, gone on some runs, solve my cube on occasion, and I try to read in Spanish before bed. I’m excited to get better at doing and talking about these things in Spanish, as it’ll make it easier to connect with locals who have the same interests.

Highlights

• At a café after arriving into town so I could use wifi to contact my host family.

• A photo of La Giralda in the city center as I’m exploring the city on the first weekend.

• Great restaurant that my friends Rena, Ayz and I found by happenstance, with a fantastic bartender.

• A replica of the Nao Victoria, the first ship used to circumnavigate the world. Captured on the Guadalquivir, the river the original expedition started and ended on, during a morning run before class!

• Although the street signs are quite aesthetic, having them only on the faces of buildings makes it even harder to learn the street names.

• Plaza de España. Right before taking this photo, I was flooded with gratitude for the ability to be where I was and do what I was doing. It’s crazy that I’m actually in Spain. Even as I get more accustomed to being here, I’m reminded of the fact that it’s such a gift for me to get this opportunity.

• A pretty shot taken at the Plaza de España as well.

• A typical lunch at my homestay.

• A very tall clocktower at the Catedral de Cádiz with an incredible view. (Also I promise I don’t wear this shirt every day)

• Same place, but with my friend Sebastian & our tour guide, Ángel.

• Baffling self-checkout when going clothes shopping. Somehow it could automatically detect what product each item was when I put it in the bin? I still don’t know how it did it, but I was flabbergasted by the sheer convenience.

Signoff

So that I don’t lose out on too much sleep, I’ll call this entry off here. I hope the flow isn’t too strange, as I had to rearrange things a little bit. If you wish to send me your thoughts or have any updates for me, feel free to send me a message on WhatsApp, Discord (mat.math), or email me at matthewnortonllc@gmail.com :) ¡Hasta luego!

P.S. if you know someone who would like to hear from me / see what I’m up to and they don’t already have the link, feel free to send it to them!