Day 2

“Bumpy roads often lead to beautiful destinations”

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me backtrack a bit. Upon arriving to Spain 🇪🇸 (when I was dropped off on a street by a taxi from the airport), I had all sorts of emotions. I was so excited to be in a new place, yet I was completely lost in my own world. Luckily my roommate was good at reading maps & we were able to find our host mom’s house. Sure enough, as we were close to our destination my roommate & I both look up and saw our land lady sticking her head out her window waving at us. For the first time on this trip, I felt calm.

As we made our way into the apartment, I couldn’t help but notice how small the elevators were – only fitting 3 people at max, and also how it didn’t have a “close door” button like back in the states.

As I reached the 3rd floor & entered into what would be my new “home” away from home for the next three weeks, I also couldn’t help but notice how unrealistic my expectations were. The house was so beautiful. Our land lady, whose name is Maria Carmen Rodríguez Olmo, gave us a tour of were we would be staying.

As we entered our bedroom, I instantly felt a chill of air upon me- it was most definitely colder than the temp outside. I sure am glad I packed warm pajamas, and or land lady provided us with warm blankets as well. I guess it makes sense how cold it was because they don’t have carpet in their houses here. The bedroom was similar to a dorm room- except a bit smaller- fitting three individuals (our third roommate missed her flight so she hadn’t arrived yet at this point). We also got our own cute little bathroom for ourselves. One thing that is taking me time to get used to is putting the toilet paper in a waste basket rather than flushing it down the toilet 🚽. My roommate and I settled ourselves in and took a nap before lunch.

Here in Spain, at least when we are fed- breakfast is arouns 9:30am, lunch 2:30, and dinner 9pm. Being somebody who eats constantly, this is another thing I am going to have to get used to. The fact that my land lady feeds us a lot of food is just that much better though.

The next morning we were served breakfast which consisted of two peices of toast, fruit, and cafe con leche. I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker, but I soon realized that it doesn’t taste so bad after adding 2 tablespoons of sugar lol.

Our landlady encourages us to speak Spanish (as that is the only language she speaks & understands) while we eat our meals – as she goes on her way to humming & cleaning. She’s so cute. There have been many times I haven’t understood her, but rather than making me feel awkward- she helps me out the best she can (even if that means doing hand signals). I’ve come to realize that the Spanish here is spoken a bit differently than what I was taught. The accent is different, and the vosotros form is mostly used (which is the exact form my teacher in high school had us ignore- what are the odds). Because of this, I’ve been a bit more shy with my Spanish- so far.

As my roommates and I made our way to class, it didn’t take us long to notice just how wide the cross walks were (makes sense since there are so many people), and how narrow the streets were (single file line most of the time- to make way for vehicles driving through). I also noticed how the people of Spain are very well dressed when out and about, and how they don’t multitask when they walk (compared to US- drinking/eating/texting while driving or walking).

Something else that looked familiar were the bike trails- you better step aside or you’ll get hit. There are many people here who ride bikes, so it’s something I’m constantly looking out for.

In today’s class, we learned about the history of Roman Sevilla (Hispalis) and got the chance to visit Lebrija Palace- a XV century mansion of Renaissance Mudejar style, which was remodeled in 1914 by the Countess of Liberia. It holds an important collection of Roman art, Includes the Medusa, Gaminedes, Octagonal and other rooms and patios. All the halls are richly decorated with Roman, Greek and Arab statues, ceramics, cases of various origins, and other items of great beauty.

To view more info visit: http://www.palaciodelebrija.com .

Lucky for us, we had time to eat lunch & take a short nap before making our way to La Plaza de España. I honestly have no words for what that experience was like. Pictures don’t do justice- it was just so magnificent.

As we continued our way back to our apartment for dinner, I noticed how well lit up the streets were when it got dark- much different than the US. Although I liked it & felt much safer.

When it comes to being fed by our host mom, I have quickly come to notice that vegetables 🥒 aren’t served as much- besides a side salad on occasion. While walking the streets, I have seen plenty of fresh veggies though.

Soon after dinner my roommates & I decided to go see a free fire show in celebration of the upcoming new year. It involves dancing, fireworks, and lots of fire 🔥.