Hello friends! So so thrilled to announce that I have been accepted into the Seville semester abroad program in Spain! I will be there from January to May of 2017! This opportunity scares and excites me, but I know that this is what I need to really become fluent in Spanish and learn about the beautiful hispanic culture.
Things I am PUMPED about:
-All of the sights, foods, people, photo ops, little shops, bakeries, and restaurants that will turn into weekly stops, music, dancing, and conversations that I will experience!
-Getting to skip Indiana winter!!
-Meeting my host family!
-Attending not one, but TWO different universities while I am there:
- University of Seville
- University Pablo de Olavide
-Taking weekend trips to other new places!
-Semana Santa and Feria de Abril festivals 🙂
-SO MUCH MORE.
Things that make me nervous:
-My safety when I travel within the country.
-Getting lost.
-Meeting my host family. (It’s a two-way street just because I don’t know how we will get along.)
-Being homesick/experiencing culture shock for too long.
-The professors talking too quickly for me to process and understand what they are asking of me.
Things I know I will need to adjust to:
-Speaking in Spanish 24/7.
-Dinner time. I have heard from many people that I will eat dinner around 9:30 or 10 at night, and considering I normally have dinner around 5:30, that will be a big adjustment.
-Not having a gym, where I can work out whenever I want.
-Not being able to drive home and see my family if I’m feeling homesick.
Things I will miss…like a lot:
-My family.
-Roomies.
-Teaching my aerobics classes at the student gym.
-Sushi Tuesday’s with friends.
-Going to Easter mass and parties with my family.
-The annual Egenolf family ski trip to Michigan.
-Seeing both of my brothers at prom next spring.
-Spring Break in Florida with my family.
My expectations:
-I will miss home a lot, but hope to start feeling comfortable with my surroundings after the first 2-3 weeks.
-I need to push myself to practice my Spanish everyday and not only stick with the other American students in my program.
-I will love seeing a new country and culture.
-I will develop a newfound sense of independence.
-I will be sad when I have to leave Spain to come back home.
-However, I will burst into tears of joy when I see my friends and family at the airport when I come back home in May 🙂
I’ll keep you posted!
XOXO,
Miranda
Cover photo credit: http://flamencocalgary.com/spain-cultural-tour-and-flamenco-join-us-in-seville/
Wonderful post and great shots!! Brings back some fantastic memories!
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