The end of my semester abroad. 

These past two-three weeks have been unbelievably busy and emotional. For that reason, I will try to keep this post short and sweet.

 Last week (first week of May) I spent the week writing my research paper on the Cuban Revolution, which I received a wonderful grade on! I also spent this week socializing and take time to myself. I was obligated to say yes (because of my intercambio) to any invite I received from friends. I followed this command and I've got to say, I am glad my intercambio made me say yes to everything! I had the best weekend ever in Sevilla. I am not saying that it was that great because I was out all night. I was out all night, but mostly sitting next to the river and talking to friends.

This week, my last week in Sevilla was even more emotional. I completed sophomore year on Wednesday. Studying for those exams..well the one exam, was very hard to do because Sevilla is a very beautiful place. On Wednesday, I said "hasta luego" to the student I have been tutoring the past three months. On Thursday, I said "hasta luego" to all my children at the daycare I volunteered at. I was not prepared to sing the goodbye song for the last time without the children knowing that day was my last day. On Friday, I had to say "hasta luego" to everyone at the farewell tapas at school. Friday evening, I had to say the hardest "hasta luego" yet, to my intercambio. I think it is because I won't be able to see him until I come back to Spain. At night, I said a real "hasta luego" to my closest friends I made in Spain. 

Since I had the weekend to myself, I told myself I'll do everything I have yet to cross of off my bucket list. Saturday, I visited Plaza de toros and climbed up La Giralda. On Sunday, my last day in Spain, I spent the morning with my Spanish mom in the countryside. We visited a monastery and went to a book fair. After, she treated me out to lunch at the club she is a member at. I came home and rested for a hour. I spent the late afternoon walking all through Sevilla reminiscing all my the memories I made with the city, both good and bad. I returned home and saw a gift on my bed. Marta, my Spanish mom, had bought a book from the book fair that the author signed. She also left a message for me! I opened it in front of her and started crying. I went back to packing and finishing up last minute tasks before I had to leave. Marta made a wonderful last dinner too. 

With that being said, my time abroad has come to an end. It has been quite the experience in Sevilla. Sevilla has become my second home without a doubt. As sad I as I am to leave, I am ready to come home. Hasta luego, España. Sevilla, ha sido un placer. Te amo y te echaré de menos. 

April 27-29: Madrid

This was my last trip while being abroad. Of course, I couldn't study in Spain and not visit the capital of Spain. We visited almost every single site that you could associate with Madrid in three full days and even had time for siestas!

We arrived Friday morning at 7 am and walked to our hostel to drop off our bags. Afterwards, we went to a very cute coffee shop to warm up and take a break before we starting site seeing. We went to Park Retiro, my favorite site in Madrid. We walked through the whole park and visited other sites like the Crystal Palace. After the park, we went back to the hostel to check in and freshen up. We spent Friday visiting lots of plazas, chocolate shops, and of course, eating churros at San Gines. 

Saturday was full of more adventures! We visited the Botanical Gardens, even though there were not as many flowers as we thought would be there. Afterwards, we walked to the Real Palace. This palace is so beautiful and elegant. After the Real Palace, we went to the Temple of Debod-a reconstructed Egyptian temple, the Cathedral,  La Latina-a latinx neighborhood, and back to hostel. We took a siesta and at night, we went for dinner and met up with my friend's friend. 

Sunday was another adventure in itself. The weather in the morning was cold and rainy but by the afternoon, it was sunny and windy. We went to an outdoor flea market named El Rastro and to museums: Prado and Reina Sofia. I saw La Guernica and Las Meninas in person! The whole time I was standing in front of both pieces of art, I could not believe that this was real. It was a dream come true. 


With that, my final adventure in Spain came to end. Even though I did not travel to Paris, Prague, Italy, and other European sites, I am not sad. I was able to visit so many sites in Spain and learn about the different cultures and accents within Spain. All of my trips in Spain allowed be to become open and get the cultural experiences I wanted to experience in the past three and a half months. 

Feria.

What is Feria? Feria was initially meant for the farmers to sell/trade crops and domesticated animals. Now it is a week long celebration with food, dancing, and drinking (rebujito). La portada de Feria (the entrance to Feria) is breathtaking. The amount of light throughout Feria reminded me so much of Diwali. Actually, this entire fair reminded me so much of home. That is probably why I loved Feria so much and went practically every day! 




The first night I went, I went with a few friends. We danced in the casetas then walked to calle infierno to take a look at the attractions. The second night, I went again with friends but this time my intercambio and his friends joined us (picture to the right)! It was great meeting his friends and getting to know him even more! Also, his friend had asked if I knew how to dance Sevillana. I told him I only know 1 of the 4 parts. He told me that when the next Sevillana song comes on, we'll dance. That being said,
I danced Sevillana with a Sevillano! 

The third and fourth day of I went to Feria, I went during the day. I had seen Feria at night and it was about time to see the it during the daylight. The atmosphere in the day is very different than it is at night. The socializing aspect of Feria is a lot more dominant. There are horse carriages everywhere, and everyone having so much fun. Never had I thought I would have to wait to cross the street for a horse.. 







The fourth day is when I went with my Spanish mom. She took me to two private casetas. The atmosphere differs so much from the private caseta to the public caseta. My mom treated me to a tinto de verano and arroz mercantil. Also, the picture to the right is the first picture I took with her since I have arrived to Sevilla. I am so fortunate to have such an amazing, caring, and loving person to take care of me when I am over 4,000 miles away. 

On the last night of Feria, there were fireworks or fuegos artificales in Spanish. Unfortunately, I did not have anyone to watch the fireworks with, but luckily I was able to call a friend from Chicago. That is when I realized how much I love Sevilla and how attached I have grown to this beautiful second home of mine. Sadly, the end of Feria marked my last three weeks in Sevilla. As much as I do not want to leave this city, I know when I return, it will be waiting for me with its arms wide open! 

Barcelona

La Sagrada Familia

This past weekend I traveled to Barcelona. My flight was at 6 am. Our first stop after landing was La Sagrada Familia. I fell in love with the interior and all the stained glass windows! After La Sagrada Familia, we went to lunch at La Boqueria. This outdoor market is filled with every type of food that you can think of! 

Parque Ciutadella

Afterwards we went to our hostel! This was my first time at a hostel, and I have to say that it is really nice!! We even had free breakfast everyday! After resting up, we adventured back into the city. We saw murillos, Parque Ciutadella, and Arco Triumfo! We grabbed dinner at a tacos place! 














Although it was rainy for most of Saturday, we went to the Pablo Picasso Musuem, Casa Mila/La Pedera, Plaza de España y Fuente Magica! Halfway through the day, we went back to our hostel and took una gran siesta! My friends and I found an Indian restaurant for dinner. After eating dinner, we walked to the Fuente Magica. We missed almost all of the show, but luckily I was able to get a picture of  the fountain! 

The weather on Sunday was just perfect. We went to the Barcelona beach and Park Guell. The beach was so pretty, and I never saw such beautiful waves in my life! We sat near the water for a while and grabbed our second break right along the beach. The views were so beautiful. We left the beach to go to Park Guell. We had to take a taxi there because once again, the bus systems are horrible. After getting to Park Guell, I was left speechless! It is so pretty and the architecture blew my mind. We got a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant that prepares fresh pasta with any ingredients you want to add in! We went back to our hostel and then got to Barcelona Airport with two hours to spare prior to boarding. I took advantage of that time by calling a friend to catch up! We got back to Sevilla and caught the bus home. As soon as my friend I began to cross the bridge, it started to downpour! During a downpour, the bridge is the last place you would want to be in Sevilla. Luckily, my Spanish mom had prepared soup for me. When I returned home, I changed into dry and warm clothes and had some wonderful soup.. oh did I tell you? I got another cough, just how I did a few weeks ago during Semana Santa.

This past week was quite the week. It was a week full of nonstop assignments, work, studying, and extracurricular activities.

Sunday was a complete homework day for my online English-Spanish Linguistics course. I also spent two hours after dinner talking to my roommate about our trips and life.

Monday was a homework and trip planning day. I finally managed to get myself to the stores to buy things I was lacking. After my class, my friend and I booked our last trip while in Spain, to Madrid!! On the walk home, I ran into one of the tour guides I went to Morocco with! What a small world indeed! After returning home, I attempted to do more homework. However, my Spanish mom taught me how to make a quiche from leeks. It is so much easier than I had expected it be!

Tuesday was a very long day. I had woken up at an earlier time than usual because I just had so much to do. I began my final reflection paper for anthropology class. I left my home around 11 am to visit the doctor. During my breaks, I really tried to be productive, but I couldn’t get myself to be so productive. I did manage to check out a few books about the Cuban Revolution to write a research paper on it. I think this next part was my favorite part of the day. My anthropology professor walked into class and told us that we had a ceramics workshop to attend!! We walked over to Triana for it. One of the employees from the workshop told me that I have a small Andalusian accent; I was shocked. The workshop was incredible too. I partook in pottery and created a bowl and then painted a tile.

Wednesday was a study day. My only breaks were my history class and tutoring. When I got to tutoring, I found out that I was working with all three kids from the family… I had nothing planned, but we ended up playing Hangman the whole hour.

Thursday was also almost as long as Tuesday but more relaxing. I went to the daycare in the morning, and all the kids were very well behaved. After returning home, I studied for 2 hours before eating lunch. After lunch, I registered for classes. I realized that this fall I will be a junior!! It felt like just yesterday I started my time at Lewis. My history midterm was easy, but I am really glad that I studied as much as I did for it. During my break, I finally bought some chocolate and caught up with some friends.  In my anthropology class, I learned all about Flamenco because I am going to another workshop!! This time, obviously, for flamenco since Feria is right around the corner. After I came home, I ate dinner and began my online exam for Linguistics class. I also managed to catch up with my mentor back at home!! Finally at 2 am, I was able to fall asleep!

Madrid Airport

Friday to Sunday was my trip to London to visit a family friend and her family (basically my aunt’s family). I spent most of my day Friday travelling to London. I had a layover at Madrid Airport, but it wasn’t a layover. It was just getting from one end to another end because it is that big!! It did, however, remind me of O’hare because it is so pretty. I finally landed in Heathrow and after a long line at Immigration, I met up with my cousin who picked me up. On our way to his home, we caught up on a lot of things. After arriving home, I met my other two cousins and my future sister-in-law. We went out to a dessert place called Twist and it was absolutely delicious!! Saturday was very relaxed day. I had not made any major plans for London since I visited London last year through a travel-study program at Lewis. I spent the morning talking to one of my cousins while having breakfast. My aunt  made some amazing Indian coffee, and my cousin made an amazing wrap. The stuffing that my aunt prepared for it finally satisfied my craving for spices. After breakfast, my cousin and I met up with her friend on the tube and went to Trafalgar Square. We went to a bookshop, the National Gallery, and Pizza Express—for lunch of course! At night, my cousins and I went bowling! 

On Sunday, I spent my morning and early afternoon relaxing at home.

 Before leaving, I had a full Gujarati meal. It has been over two months 

since I had authentic, Indian food!

Welcome back! As I mentioned in my last blog, it's been a long two weeks. I'll start by talking about the week of March 18th, continuing on to my trip to Morocco, my full day in Sevilla for Semana Santa, and then close off with my trip to Ibiza!

Week of March 18th:

On Sunday, I decided to adventure out and go to a Sevillano (dance) workshop at Plaza de Espana, but the plaza was closed due to the wind. I continued to venture! I walked through the city center and watched a flamenco show! After eating lunch, I sat by the river and read for a hour or two. I forgot how much I love to read, especially by the river. On Monday, I taught my mom how to use Airdrop to transfer her pictures from her new iPhone to her iPad as well as set up her new iPhone for her. I taught her how to make video calls and oh my, was she happy! Tuesday was the same old same old, my busiest day of the week. However, Wednesday was quite the day. I went to to a Semana Santa

info session and also tutored my 8-year kid. I have to say, my kid was bouncing off of walls. It only reminded me how much I love kids but couldn't work with them all day. On Wednesday, I was also nominated for always speaking in Spanish, being active at school, and immersing myself into the Spanish culture.  I started my first day as a volunteer at a daycare on Thursday! It was my first time in a daycare, but the babies and toddlers were so cute! I loved playing with them, but they did get me sick.. typical right?

Moving right along to my trip to Morocco. This trip was full of laughter and memories. I made 3 new friends and learned about Spanish Ministry of Education! This program allows you to teach in Spain as long as you are a native US citizen and have a bachelor's degree. (You already know what I'm thinking). But I digress. The first night we watched a traditional Moroccan show, belly-dance performance, and I held a snake.. I told you. I'm trying to grasp every possibility I can while I'm abroad. The second day in Morocco, we went to Chefchaouen, the blue city. It was beautiful! Oh, side note-oranges with cinnamon on top is absolutely delicious! On the last day, I rode a camel! Enjoy my reaction :)

On Monday (March 26th), I ventured out to the city center during Semana Santa. I showed my friend around in Sevilla, surprisingly I remember a lot more about the history in this city than I expected. On my way home, my high school Spanish teacher called me because she was in Sevilla and wanted to meet up! After walking through a procession, I finally found her (Picture to the right)! At night, I took my friend (same one from earlier) out to dinner. A 15 minute walk took a hour due to the processions!

Now to close off this blog, here's all about my trip to Ibiza (March 27-31). Upon arriving to Ibiza, my friend and I made a friend who works in Ibiza. We shared a taxi, and I exchanged contact information with her. She recommended some wonderful restaurants  and even called a taxi for us on our last day to go back to the airport. Ibiza was really the vacation I needed. I stepped out of my comfort zone so many times, and I have no regrets. I'm proud of myself for being so open to new things and actually trying them. The water from the Mediterranean Sea was so clear and blue, as well as refreshing! This trip was filled with lots of beaches, emotions, and saying "Estamos viviendo" when we did not know what we were getting ourselves into.

As I returned home on Saturday, I was so happy. The moment we landed, all I could think about how much I missed Sevilla. The feeling of returning to home sweet home is really one of the best feelings in the world. I cannot possibly imagine how I happy I will feel when I return home, to Chicago. However, I am scared to even think about returning home  because I know that when I have to leave Sevilla, I will be crying just as much as I did when I left Chicago to come to Sevilla.

On that note, here's to two whole months in Sevilla!

Time really does fly when you're having fun!

Only 7 Mondays left..and then I'm back 😭😭

As an apology for not blogging as frequently these past few weeks, I am going to make it up in this blog!

The week of March 5th- March 8th.

I booked an Airbnb and flights to Ibiza during Semana Santa (Spring Break)! Can you imagine that? Me, and going to Ibiza? Who knows what is happening to me in Spain. I am definitely changing, for the better!  In my anthropology class, we discussed the definition of sex and gender. In other words, how culture creates the identify for males and females and how anything other than male and female, is "wrong." Wednesday was my first day of tutoring an 8 year old child! I was very impressed by his  fluency and competency in the English language! On Thursday, I spent my morning doing homework and packing for Lisbon! My professor for Anthropology class let us out early to participate in the Women's March in Sevilla! This was my first march, and it was amazing! It was great seeing so many people marching for women!

(Weekend for this week is my blog on Lisbon)

The week of March 12th-17th.

On Monday, after getting some rest from travelling overnight from Lisbon to Sevilla, I spent my  morning with lots of self-care. I also tried to help my Spanish mom set up her new iPhone that she received as a gift from one of her daughters! How sweet is that! After my history course, I stopped at a shop to browse and get ideas on what to bring back as gifts for friends and family. I ended up buying lots of gifts. I also spoke with the employee who is Ecuadorian and is married to a Spaniard. She was super sweet and wants me to teach her English! On Tuesday,  during my 2.5 hour break, I visited to La Hospital de Caridad. It was a hospital that accepted anyone that wasn't accepted by other hospitals. The visit was more than interesting, and interesting in the sense of not knowing what to think of it. Wednesday was my second of tutoring my 8 year old! I ended the tutoring session a little early but spent time with my Spanish mom! We watched some interesting reality game shows as I read for class. Thursday was a very long day. I practically spent all day at school. I tried on flamenco dresses for Feria and found one (blue one below)! Although I wasn't in love with it, I still really liked it! The reason why I did this is because I am going to participate in a parade with my school for Feria (in April)!! To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was signing myself up for. My anthropology class was very lively on Thursday! It was because our professor wasn't able to attend class, and we had a substitute. For dinner, I had arroz cubana (rice with tomato sauce and a sunny side up egg). On Friday, I went shopping!! I know that shopping is a typical girly thing to do, but it is really hard to not shop in Sevilla! I bought myself my very own flamenco dress (red one below)! It is an older fashion dress but it is red!I don't feel as bad because  I bought the dress and all the matching accessories for only 21 euros (25 dollars)!! For lunch, I had spinach with garbanzo beans. I finally learned how to make it! At night, I met up with my intercambio and we spoke for a hour in a nearby park. I might be able to travel to his village (Sevilla has lots of close villages) and meet his friends if everything works out accordingly! Now, I am on today! I have finally caught you up with the last two weeks of my life! Today was a very productive but relaxed day. I spent all of my day completing homework, uploading pictures onto Facebook, and of course-blogging! I even took one of the best siestas I have taken in weeks!


Now here's a preview to the next few weeks of my life. I will be travelling to Morocco next weekend and to Ibiza after returning from Morocco. After returning from Ibiza, the month of March will be coming to an end leaving only April and roughly two weeks in May left with my time here in Sevilla! It's too scary to think about I have to leave this wonderful place soon! 

Hospital de Caridad