Hey Spring Lake! So I had the extraordinary privilege of studying abroad in Seville, Spain for five weeks earlier this summer. I went with a program at my school, The University of Tennessee, and studied Spanish there. I also explored various cities and beaches in southern Spain. My host city, Seville, Spain is known for its numerous churches, the beautiful Torre del Oro (golden tower), and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, the Cathedral of Seville.  My favorite things while living in Europe were the carefree lifestyle, historic architecture, and of course the incredible cuisine! 

            My favorite trip while staying there was my trip to Rome, Italy. My classmates and I had a weekend off of class and other activities, so we decided to book a flight and travel to Italy. While we were in Rome, I saw the Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and so much more. Italian food is also my favorite cuisine and being able to try authentic pizza and pasta was life-changing, to say the least.

            I also got to see so many cities in southern Spain such as Granada, Córdoba, Cadíz, Huelva and visited the island of Mallorca off the southern coast. Reflecting back on each of these visits, I can confidently say that this area of Spain has one of the most profound and beautiful cultures in the world.  Witnessing and learning about the history of these cities expanded my knowledge and redeveloped my definition of culture. It was more than the buildings and colors that were seen down every street, but more so the people that created a culture of relaxation and a sense of calm throughout the heat of the day and the busy times of the night.

            Now, I would be honored to live in the city of Seville someday or at least revisit it.  It was clean and charming.  There was an essence of home to it by the end of my short stay, which I find very unique for a place so far from my home in the States. Temperatures would reach over 100ºF during the day, and I was not even present during the hottest months when it can reach up to 110ºF+. While I was living here I was able to experience a bullfight, kayaking down the river, an authentic flamenco show, and so much more in my day-to-day life. 

I lived with a host family during my weeks in Spain. Rosana and Alfredo were the best “parents” and I would have taken their sweet dog, Elvis, home with me if I could have. They were so welcoming to me and I am forever grateful for the opportunity they gave me to stay in their home and learn Spanish from an authentic Spanish household, since they did not speak any English.

            My key takeaway from my time abroad is not to allow life to get in the way of seeing the world and experiencing different cultures.  I realized what I want to achieve most in life involves going out of my comfort zone and doing things I might not normally do in order to challenge myself and emerge a greater person on the other side. I got a tattoo in Spain saying “dolce far niente”, which is an Italian phrase meaning “how sweet to do nothing.” I think this encapsulates the genuine sense of tranquility that I experienced in Europe.  Throughout the remainder of my college years, I need to refrain from pushing myself to my breaking point. There is nothing wrong with doing nothing on occasion and just taking a pause to enjoy your surroundings.  My time abroad has shown me just that.  To slow down and soak it all in!