Zoe's Crazy

If you are one of those people who don't like to travel because of the trip it takes to get there (Zoe Nelson), you're crazy. Starting at 4am Sunday morning, I traveled for about 26 hours by car, three planes, and a bus. The flight to Miami passed without incident, I waved to Pensacola and skimmed through the biggest, fluffiest, most beautiful clouds I've ever seen. However I am seriously concerned that the city of Miami is going to sink into the swamp. The flight to Madrid was much shorter than I expected (between 7 and 8 hours) and the excitement I felt when I saw the first lights of the Portuguese coast was indescribable. Zoe, you can't deny the beauty of the view from a plane of the sun rising over the evolving terrain of desert to snow capped mountains to the multicolored patchwork of farmland, to stony hills and cliffs topped with deep green trees and scrub. You can't deny the novelty of befriending a kind Frenchman who wants to practice his English on the plane to Seville! (Bruno). 
When we landed, I met up with the CIEE group, met some nice girls who go to the University of Wisconsin, and got on a bus that dropped us off at different meeting points around the city. We watched students navigating the awkward double cheek kiss with sweet old Spanish ladies from the bus and got more and more nervous. I got off at the last stop and met Maria, my Señora. I would guess she's about 33 and she's very nice but quiet. She has had many other study abroad students at her home before. We turned off the main street into a quiet courtyard with orange trees down the middle, through an iron gate, through another courtyard with pretty blue and white tiles. 

The apartment itself is small, white and cold, but functional. Miranda and I have our own rooms next to each other and my window looks out onto the courtyard. When Miranda arrived, we went to meet with our guides and orientation group down the street and we all went to a nearby tapas bar to get to know one another. It's a good group! When we came back at about 10pm, Maria and her sister, Macarena (30 and nearly identical to Maria in looks and manner), made us dinner of Spanish tortilla, salad, and bread.

Mom, I took this picture just for you.

It was a very long two days and after struggling slightly with the strange shower, I slept very very well.

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Today everyone in CIEE went to a hotel to listen to information sessions on Spanish customs (apparently it's this cold in all Spanish homes!) and safety in Seville and then have individual interviews to evaluate our speaking skills. Mine went very well except for one question, but I after one and a half days here, I'm already getting more comfortable with my Spanish. On our way back to the apartment for free time, I ran into an old friend from high school! It was the strangest thing. After not speaking for about four or five years, we see each other on the streets of Seville and we are living in homestays in the same neighborhood! Small world!

Tonight Miranda and I will be going out for tapas with our guides and orientation group and then after maybe grab some sangria with our new friends.

Words cannot describe how happy I am to be here, I am so lucky. Thank you so much mom and dad, you're the best!!