Day 1: 25 Hours of Travel and Some Friendly Faces

         

                   I’m officially in Sevilla and it’s absolutely amazing here! I don’t know if the culture shock just hasn’t hit yet or what, but I already find myself feeling comfortable. My day of travel started Wednesday at 11am, my parents dropped me off in Greensboro and we said our goodbyes, they’ll be visiting in April so I’m going to do my best to prepare the city for their arrival! From there all of my flights were fairly simple, I had a layover in Miami where I first began using my spanish a bit, but walking into the terminal for my flight to Madrid was like stepping into Europe. The terminal was a mix of dozens of languages and people of all nationalities. I sat and had my last phone conversation with Rebecca (my phone is shut off until June), and after that it was a quick wait until I hopped on for my red-eye to Madrid. My layover in Madrid (for 7 hours) wasn’t too bad, I found a (not) nice and (un)comfortable bench to nap on while I waited. 

                        Waiting in Greensboro for my first flight....so exciting!

Oh hello Madrid airport! 7 hours here....

The flight to Sevilla was quick and easy, I slept the entire way which was definitely necessary, it helped correct the jet lag and I was feeling refreshed when I stepped off the plane. I arrived at 5:30pm on Thursday and went to baggage claim only to find out that my (very large) bag was still in Miami. Luckily, I had packed three days of clothes, toiletries, and my camera in my carry-on so I had no problem with them promising to deliver my luggage to my friends’ apartment the next day. 

Not having that luggage turned out to be for the best since I would be taking the bus and walking to Kelsey and Trevors’ apartment in Nervión. Having someone familiar on the other side of customs was a very comforting feeling which helped me avoid feeling overwhelmed. When the doors opened I was greeted by Sara Caballero, a Sevillano who welcomed me with a big smile and a much needed hug. Sara is a friend that I made while at ASU who was on exchange there last semester. She’s back home for a bit and is currently finishing up her semester at UPO; oh and what a gift she has been to have around! We rode the bus and she walked me to the door of the apartment where I would be staying for my first two days. I would have surely gotten lost if it weren’t for her, especially since we had to walk a bit after we got off the bus; a walk that was difficult enough with a banjo and a loaded backpack, something that would have been near impossible with my luggage. 

Sara left me to get settled in with Trevor and Kelsey, I’d be seeing her the next day, plus she had exams to study for. Kelsey Fuller is a friend from ASU as well, she hails from Florida and is a sociology major (i think). We had a spanish class together last semester and she worked as a Night Star in my dorm, you can find her blog here. She was gracious enough to invite me to stay at their apartment for my first few days in Sevilla. Trevor Brown is her boyfriend who attends school at University of Florida, both of them are here for the semester attending UPO (Universidad Pablo de Olavide), they arrived two weeks early for an intensive preparatory spanish course and so they already know their way around. 

Surprisingly I wasn’t too exhausted but I was definitely hungry; it was about 6:30pm which in Sevilla is the perfect time for some tapas. Tapas are a quintessential Spanish tradition, it’s the umbrella name to describe a wide variety of small portioned fares. It can be anything from seafood, jamón íberico (SO good), cheese plates, and much, much more. I’ll be talking about these a lot throughout my blog, they are delicious, cheap, and necessary since the meals are so spread out.

They showed me to one of their favorite places, La Flamecaría, for delicious fried shrimp and sangría. The tapas bar was close to the center of the city and only a short walk from the apartment so afterwards we went walking to take in the sights and sounds of the city at night. We saw the cathedral and did a quick circle around the neighborhood; it may have been 10 at night but the city was still bustling! Shops were open, people sat in the streets enjoying tapas and tinto, and cars whizzed by. 

On the way back we stopped at a place for churros and chocolate. Churros are fried bread that you dip in chocolate that is similar to a thick hot chocolate, it’s a late night favorite here. After sitting in the café for a bit we walked back to the apartment and watched a little tv. It wasn’t long before I was ready to head to bed, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I can’t believe I’m here, it’s like I’m in a movie, when I find myself walking the streets I sometimes just have to laugh at how unreal everything is. How can I be this lucky to live in such an unspeakably interesting and amazing place? If you’ve never been abroad it isn’t too late. Go out and see the world because it is amazing and impossible to experience through the word of others. Don’t always trust that map they show you either; the world is so much bigger than that, and dang is the food and drink amazing!

I’m so lucky to know Sara, Kelsey, and Trevor. Their hospitality is what has made me feel so comfortable in such a short amount of time and for that I will always be grateful, I hope to repay the favor some day.