There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to study abroad in Spain, mainly because I was convinced that I spoke Spanish – something that I had to accept as completely false immediately upon my arrival. After going through the pros and cons of Madrid versus Barcelona versus Sevilla, the beautiful city of Sevilla won! Located in the south of Spain with a population over 1.5 million, the city of Sevilla is the perfect combination of peace and excitement.
The hardest part about studying abroad is the two-week time span before you leave. The mixed emotions running through your mind of extreme nerves, stress and anxiety do not go away until you land in the city you will be living in for the next four months. Nerves are a natural feeling that every person getting ready to study abroad goes through—it’s like freshman year of college all over again. The stress of packing came into play immediately when I weighed my first suitcase, realizing I was going to have to cut about half of my belongings and leave them at home. Every. Girl’s. Nightmare! On top of that, you becomes extremely anxious as you start to watch your friends leave and see the pictures on Facebook go up. Jealousy begins to come into play, and you get a serious case of FOMO—fear of missing out.
I was lucky enough to travel from the United States to Spain with a friend, allowing myself to avoid the sad goodbye from my parents. Upon arrival in Sevilla, we wandered around aimlessly looking like the ultimate Americans. Everything our program director told us not to do, we did: walk in large groups, speak in English loudly, hold out our maps – we even went to McDonalds for ice cream…more than once.
I’ve lived in this beautiful city for a few weeks, and this experience has been going by way too quickly. There are a few things since being here that I have noticed:
1. No matter what you think, you do NOT speak Spanish. I was convinced I understood Spanish relatively well, but as soon as I encountered the man at the customs desk, I was put in my place. In America, we are taught Mexican Spanish, which is very different from Spain’s Spanish, and many times Spaniards do not understand Mexican Spanish. My friends and I have had many cultural situations in which the language barrier has offended Spaniards and confused them, but mostly made them laugh.
2. Euros are NOT fake money. The European Union, which consists of most of the countries in Europe, all uses the same currency—Euro. The idea of a Euro seems much like monopoly money, until you check your bank statement.
3. There is no studying in a study abroad program. No matter what school you attend, the study abroad program will not be nearly as difficult as your university. Many abroad programs focus on immersion to the culture of the city you are studying in rather than focusing on the classes themselves.
4. Survival of the fittest. No matter where you choose to study abroad, drinking is a big part of it because it is a big part of European culture. A bottle of wine normally costs less than a bottle of water. And if you go to a restaurant for lunch and ask for water, you will automatically be categorized as an American. Spaniards are known for being extremely social and go out for drinks and discotecas until 6 or 7 a.m. But remember, being too juiced up from the night before is rarely an excuse to miss your 9:30 a.m. class—trust me, I’ve tried.
5. Siesta. I love sleep. At home, when doctors recommend 8-10 hours of sleep, I often get 12. But living in Spain, with the late lifestyle – dinner at 11 p.m., home from the night at 6 a.m. – most of the time you do not get more than four hours of sleep. Spaniards came up with the idea of the siesta, a midday nap, which I have learned to incorporate in my everyday lifestyle—just another way I am trying to immerse myself in this culture.
When all is said and done, I do not consider myself a Sevillana at all, but I pretend. As time goes on, I have tried to adapt to the lifestyle since I am living here for the semester. With laughs from some of the locals about my poor pronunciation, I try my best since this is really a once in a lifetime experience—and as Drake would say, “You only live once, that’s the motto, YOLO.”