Settling into Sevilla

I have to admit - I'm absolutely awful at keeping up with a blog. It’s just so hard! It’s been almost a month since I wrote last and SO much has happened. I’ll try to keep the details to a minimum!

I did get to go to the fire station at the Jerez de la Frontera airport for an evening, which was great fun. Richard gave us a tour of the station, showed us the control room, demonstrated how to slide down the fireman pole, and took us for a ride in the fire truck (I got to spray the water!). We also met all of his firefighter friends and I got to dress up as a firewoman. When he answers the phone in the control room, he always says, “Bombero, Dígame!” So now it’s a joke between the two of us and every time I see him I say it – except, of course, I am “BomberA!”

My fourth day in Sevilla, Richard invited me to dinner with himself and his girlfriend and his two best friends. One of the friends was Joaquin (who hails from Brazil). The place where we ate was very fancy and they kept ordering food and food and more and more food and I was thinking "OH MY GOSH how am I going to pay for my part of this?!" and then “la cuenta” came and Joaquin paid for all of it. Turns out that his dad is the secretary of the largest and most successful bank in Spain and he is, for lack of a better term, loaded.

Also turns out that he has lots of different residences...including an apartment on the beach in Málaga. I had mentioned that I wanted to go to the beach since I had nothing to do before school started (before I knew he had a HOUSE on the beach) and he convinced Richard and Estelle (Richard's girlfriend) to stay at his place there for three days. So we did! The apartment is part of a hotel so the boys got a separate hotel room and we girls stayed in the apartment. It had such a cozy bed and the most comfortable pillow I've ever used in my entire life.

We got there at like 4 in the morning and went for a walk on the beach, which was very peaceful and the stars were incredible with all the lights turned off. Then the next day we had lunch at the port and the bill was 180 Euros. WHAT!? For lunch!? And that's how the entire three days went. Incredibly fancy restaurants, some of the best food I've ever eaten in my entire life, and the most delicious desserts and amazing wine. We slept in late every day and went to a movie one night (which was in Spanish…and excellent!). The boys didn’t like being on the beach very much because they said it was too hot so usually it was just me and Estelle. It was such a luxurious and fun three day vacation and I returned tan (maybe a little burnt), full of good food, and exhausted.

After Málaga I went back to Madrid to meet my new group for the Sevilla program. We did all the same things and I did when I first arrived to Spain – visited the Prado, went to Toledo, toured the Cathedrals. I thought I would be bored but I actually enjoyed it way more the second time. The tours were in English so I understood everything about the history of the paintings and the buildings and we got to see things that we didn’t the first time around. I like my group a lot and the ISA directors in Sevilla, which should come as no surprise, are fantastic and extremely helpful (and fun!).

We started school last Monday, and I am taking three advanced level language classes (though I consider myself by no means advanced in Spanish) and an International Marketing class. It’s rough having class for three hours straight every morning, and then two hours every other evening, but siestas help a lot and we don’t have class on Friday so the weekends are wonderful. My marketing teacher got his degree in the States and is one of the smartest and most funny teachers I’ve ever had. Makes two hours of class go by much faster… (well most days).

Last weekend a group of us went back to the beach at Cádiz. I feel so experienced because I’ve already been to all of these places and know exactly where to go! :) It was, again, a lot of fun. Not as many topless women this time. The water was freezing, but good company can compensate for just about anything.

Last Sunday a group of us booked plane tickets to Paris and Amsterdam for 6 days! Here is my travel schedule (basically every weekend) for the rest of the time I’m here:

-Lisbon, Portugal (this weekend)

-Paris and Amsterdam

-Morocco (5 days sleeping in a tent - or in the dunes if we prefer, which I’m DEFINITELY doing - and riding camels and 4 wheelers)

-London

-Córdoba and Granada

-Ronda

-Italy, Greece and Germany (TBD)

Some of the students here are doing a whole year abroad. I have had a great time but after being here this long, I know I wouldn’t be able to do it. I haven’t really felt homesick yet, but I was extremely homesick in a dream the other day…strangest thing ever…and it was the most awful and hopeless feeling. I know I’m going to enjoy every minute of the rest of my time here – I have SO much still to look forward to – but I’m definitely going to be ready to be home with my family and friends at the end of the year!

More after Portugal!