After studying in Sevilla, Spain for a month, I have mixed feelings about returning home. I lived in a homestay with a Spanish family who did not speak English. It was very interesting considering I have not taken any Spanish classes since preschool. They were very nice, however. They made sure I was well fed. Sevilla was very hot, though, and the families there do not generally use air conditioning. Make sure if you go to Sevilla in the summer you wear light clothing. The best advice I can give is to find the Burger King by the Triana Bridge because it is air conditioned and you can access the free wifi from a cafe across the street. It was a great place to study.

Although my homestay was enjoyable, I had friends who had interesting experiences with their families. One friend of mine saw their Senora naked on the first day! But don’t worry, if you participate in ISA or an independent program they will move you if you do not get along with your family.

Sevilla was a beautiful town, the only downside being that there was no beach. It was very easy to catch a bus to the beach though for only 12 euros. During the week  I went to school for most of the day. After class we would go to a local bar to watch the world cup soccer games. It was nice to sit in a restaurant or bar with locals and cheer for Spain or the U.S.

My favorite part of the trip was the excursions that I went to on the weekends. I liked Sevilla, but after a month in the city I was excited to explore other destinations. Our group went to Grenada, Toledo, Cordoba, Jerez, and Morocco. All were unique and beautiful in their own rights. My advice to fellow study abroad students is to save enough money to travel around to nearby cities once you arrive at your destination. After a prolonged period in one place, it is nice to travel around.  Overall Sevilla was a beautiful city with lots of things to do. I would recommend it to anyone wishing to study abroad in Spain!