I have now been studying in Sevilla for just over a month and I have been loving every second of it! The rain has finally stopped and the sun has come out to stay which has made the city feel brighter and has allowed for more time outside, sunbathing, doing homework or playing cards with friends in the beautiful parks around the city, taking long walks through the historic streets of Sevilla, and listening to the symphony of birds singing, flamenco dancers and guitar players performing in the street, and people laughing with friends over afternoon drinks and tapas. Though everyday is different, I have started to develop a little bit more of a routine here in Sevilla, including running alongside the Guadalquivir river after my morning Photography class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, enjoying a bit of down time to rest and recharge during our daily afternoon siestas, and savoring my host mom’s delicious cooking and wonderful company every lunch and dinner.

That being said, some of my favorite moments abroad have been the weekend trips and spontaneous adventures I have embarked on with the friends I’ve made over the last month. I have gone paragliding off the coast of Tenerife, gone whale watching in the Atlantic with a new group of friends, met up with a hometown friend in Milan to watch the Women’s hockey quarter final at the Winter Olympics and wandered through the canal-lined streets of Venice and the colorful houses of Burano.

These wondrous moments (and all the others I didn’t mention) have felt beyond surreal and I am grateful every second of every day for this extraordinary opportunity to be studying abroad here in Sevilla.