Week One Complete!

Hello again to all 3 of you who are reading this (Thanks mom). So its officially been a week in Spain and I'm fairly certain I'm just not going to come home after this trip. I love it here so much! I think part of the reason I love it so much is because I'm constantly busy. Whether it be touring the city with my class, visiting new places like monuments and the beach, or walking around town with my roommates in a direction that I can only describe as "confused bumble bee," I always have something to do. The sightseeing is by far my favorite thing to do here. Everything has some form of historical value and you can't just see a building without there being some form of significance. I have quickly learned that this city has been built essentially "from the ground up." Rather than tear down old buildings for the new ones, they build on top of or around it, resulting in an amazing mix of old and new architecture styles. This is something I haven't really experienced back in the states and I love it. A prime example of this architecture is the cathedral and the Alcázar as pictured below.

           
Cathedral

   
Real Alcázar

Not only is the city amazing, but this weekend my roommates and I got to travel an hour south to Matalascañas, a beach right on the ocean. It has an amazing view and an an even more amazing way of tricking you into thinking it's not that hot there. Yes, I did get burned. Yes, it's that bad. Moving on. I have posted here three whole times and not yet talked about the food. For those of you who know me well, this is highly uncharacteristic. Yes, I know I mentioned that I was trying new foods, but that doesn't count if you love food as much as I do. So here it is officially: my food post. It is amazing, however it is super salty in yet another attempt on top of the heat to kill me via dehydration. I highly recommend it, because although I might keel over any day now, at least you will know I died happy. Pictures below:

      
Hasta Luego!

Initial Thoughts

So it has been officially three days since I have arived in Spain and I don't believe I can describe this experience in words that would actually capture how I feel here. The city of Seville is amazing! It is so different form anything I have been able to experience before and everything I do feels like an adventure. The only thing I could possibly find to complain about is the overwhelming heat. I'm not talking about the Wisconsin 85 and humid heat; I'm talking about the Spanish 93 with no clouds or brease heat. Of all the new things here, I believe this is what I've had to adjust to the most. Apart from that, the city is beautiful and everyone has been especially welcoming and kind. I am finally starting to learn my way around, or at least from my home to school and back, and my Senora (host mom) is so nice and is a great cook. I love getting the opportunity to try new foods every day as well as getting to explore new parts of this city with Jamie. I find myself looking forward to each day more than the last, as each one brings a new challenge and a new experience. I absolutely love it! Thats all for now.

Hasta luego!

Background

Hola a todos!
Just a heads up before you read this: I have never blogged before and I dont really know how to blog, but I'm going to give it my best shot.
That being said, be prepared for this to be mediocre at best in comparison to any professional blogs you have read in the past. If you have not read any blogs in the past, profesional or otherwise, assume this is how they are supposed to be written and that I am essentially the worlds best blogger.

Some other background information before you continue:
I am currently a junior in college at UW-Lacrose in Wisconsin. My major is currently in Biology as a pre-med student and my minor is in Spanish.  (Take note of how nowhere in those sentences did I mention a major or minor in English. Please keep this in mind while reading.) I am studying abroad for 5 weeks in Seville, Spain through the SAIIE program. This is the trip I will be blogging about. I have traveled out of the U.S. 4 times before, to the U.K., Cancun, Canada, and Costa Rica. However, this is my first out of the counrty trip not featuring an adult chaperone equipped with a step-by-step daily schedule.