Sevilla, Sevilla, SEVILLA

Well...we've officially been living the Sevillana life for 5 days now, although it feels like we've already been here for an eternity. In just 5 days a lot has been accomplished. We have become familiar with the city, started classes at the University of Sevilla, and most importantly, many great friendships have been made along the way.

Our first day in Sevilla, we had an orientation of the city. Every building, street, fountain, house, etc looks like it came straight out of a movie. Sevilla is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Amongst all the excitement of our first full day here, Kelly and I ran into a serious problem.....we couldn't remember where we lived. Our madre, Lole, had driven us to school that morning so when we went to head back home, we realized neither of us even remembered what direction we came from. Trust me, if you ever visit Sevilla you will see how easy it is to get lost. Every street looks the same! We spent the next two and a half hours walking aimlessly down all the wrong streets and waiting at all the wrong bus stops until FINALLY we somehow made our way home, an hour late for dinner. You live and you learn...Here's a photo of us after finally finding our home.

Saturday was also our first night out in Sevilla and it was an absolute blast. Top 5 best nights ever. While walking toward the local bars and discotecas, we met a local named Juanan who told us what bars to check out and which ones to stay away from. Surprisingly, the locals here love us. And we love them because we get to meet new people while also improving our Spanish! Here's some of the group having a little too much fun.

Sunday, we went to the Sevilla vs. Elche soccer game. It was the craziest sporting event I have ever been to, in a good way! Soccer fans here are so dedicated and invested in their teams. The fans were constantly singing, chanting, and waving their Sevilla scarves. So were the tourists...

Monday began our first day of classes/orientation at the University of Sevilla. We got to know our teachers and became familiar with the campus. That afternoon, we played a game of soccer in which I tried, and failed, to kick the ball even once. We had a welcome dinner in the city that evening, and a group of us headed to the park afterward to have .50 euro(50 cent) cervezas. Yes....they were actually that cheap. Yet another reason why Sevilla is the greatest place on earth.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to tour the Plaza de Espana and Maria Luisa Park. Both were stunningly beautiful. Here are a couple of shots I took while we were there.

Sevilla is genuinely the most captivating place I have ever visited with so much history behind it. It is such a beautiful city filled with romance and diversity. I'm beginning to think I'll never leave...

Until next time!
Alex