On Friday, it felt extremely weird to be back. I felt like my time both here in Sevilla first semester and at home over break were whirlwind experiences, so it just didn't seem like it was time to be back yet. I got settled in, showered, went on a long walk, and ended up going out that night for just an hour and a half or so to meet some people that my new roommate, Ali, had met during orientation.
Turns out, I think my feelings of strangeness and sadness were symptoms of my pure exhaustion, because I felt much better when I woke up on Saturday at THREE IN THE AFTERNOON after 13 uninterrupted hours of sleep. I'm serious. I actually did not wake up once during that 13-hour period... And that was exactly what my body (and mind) needed. I then met up with some more new people, as well as my friend who is here for the year, Raechel. We tried to go to my favorite ice cream place, Rayas, but I forgot that it was closed for the winter. Apparently 65 and sunny is too cold for ice cream! ;)
I decided not to go out on Saturday in order to try to get on the right sleeping pattern for class on Monday (today). I have extra energy at night and I'm super tired in the morning/early afternoon, but that's nothing that a few days and some melatonin at night can't fix!
On Sunday, my new roommate, Ali, and I went to the flamenco fashion show/exposition where my host mom, Eva, was working. She is a fashion stylist, which means she works in the dressing rooms with the models getting their looks together and making sure the show goes smoothly. This is the third event of hers that I have gone to, after "Miss World Sevilla" and a more contemporary fashion show called "Moda de Sevilla." Anyone who knows me can probably imagine how thrilled I am to have these opportunities. At Miss World Sevilla in December, I was even able to "help out" backstage- which mostly meant just hanging out and watching everyone prepare for the show.
Eva sent me this picture from the dressing room!
And finally, yesterday and today were my first two days of classes, however only my classes with American students have started, and my classes with Spaniards start next week. I'm still trying to figure out how many classes to take with Americans and how many to take with Spaniards. I was only informed they day classes started (yesterday) that my classes with Spaniards don't start yet until next week, but I'm glad to have another week to freshen up my Spanish before I have to go sit with a bunch of natives and listen to a professor who without a doubt will not slow anything down.
To conclude my first post back, I wanted to write down some goals for my second semester. I'm so fortunate to be in Sevilla for a second time around, and it that has allowed me to reevaluate and think about what I'd like to change for this semester. I may have more, but these are the ones that are on my mind.
Second Semester Goals:
- Run more (as you may have seen on my Facebook).
- Take 3-4 classes directly with Spaniards.
- Actually talk to the Spaniards and professors of those classes.
- Take more walks through the beautiful María Luísa Park, including Plaza de España and Plaza de America.
- Go to Morocco (among many other places I'm dying to see, but this is one I'm not sure I'll ever get back to).
- Do more language exchanges, which are called "intercambios" here.
- Last but not least, BLOG MORE! I need to write more about my time here in my Spanish hometown of Sevilla, rather than just about my weekend travels.
Plaza de España
Plaza de España
Plaza de America
¡Hasta pronto!
A
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