let's dive right in

Alright, i've been in Sevilla for about a month now, and decided it's time to just start a blog. Too much goes on here and i want/need to keep everyone informed!!

Now then, i think it would be biting off more than i can chew to try and go over my entire experience so far. Suffice it to say, i have been to Malaga, Portimao, Lagos, Jerez and Conil already. And, of course, they were all fantastic. Although i did get verrrry burned in Malaga. Heads up ladies and gentlemen, hours' worth of direct sunlight=sunscreen and lots of it. We had a wine tasting in Jerez at the famous Tio Pepe winery, where they apparently make fantastic sherry. I wasn't a fan though, oh well. Now, Lagos is probably the most beautiful place i've seen in my life. A little outside of the town, in a place called Sagres, on the coast, are all these jagged rocks and the water rushes between them during high tide. I officially was standing in the place people used to believe was the end of the world. How awesome is that?!?

As for the people in Sevilla: we'll i think you find the same thing everywhere. Some are fantastic, and some just aren't. I've had several run ins with grade A creepers. And the guys here catcall like there's no tomorrow. But some of the people are wonderful. In fact most are. For some of my classes we go out and interview Spaniards to learn more about their culture and so far almost everyone has been more than willing to help. They actually seemed more excited than we were and very enthusiastic about answering any questions we had about their beloved city and way of life. One interesting thing i've learned here and that Spain is very fragmented. Sevilla is in the autonomous region of Andalucia and they are very proud of their culture and how different they are from other parts of Spain. In fact, when telling one Sevillian that i want to go to Barcelona he promptly replied, "Barcelona is not Spain". Which i kinda understand, seeing as they don't even speak Spanish there, but Castillian.

My classes are going well, i especially love one professor named Deborah. i have her for two of my classes and really like her teaching style. you know how a professor can make or break a course? well she definitely makes me enjoy and learn the materials for her classes, Contemporary Spain and Popular Culture. i also like my art history class. On Tuesday our professor took us on a walking tour of the Giralda, Cathedral, Barrio of Santa Cruz, Torre del Oro, and the outside of the Alcazar. I love that i'm able to see what i'm learning about in person instead of just looking at slides. We also went to Italica, some Roman ruins outside of town, for this class. It was incredible, the streets have some of the original cobblestones and some of the mosaics still survive. Plus, it has the third largest Roman amphitheater in the world, behind the Coliseum and Pompei.

that's all for now, because i'm going shopping with my roommate, Morgan.