Living out the fullest experience in Sevilla / Cómo vivir una experiencia completa en Sevilla

This past semester, I feel incredibly grateful to have met such wonderful people including my classmates, the staff at Spanish Studies Abroad, my intercambio, and, most especially, my friends that I’ve made here. Their love, support, and kindness I can never repay. Though I am sad I won’t be with the same students, I am so unbelievably lucky to spend another semester at the Centro Norteamericano, where I hope to further advance my Spanish and create more adventures with new people.

It’s a new year and that means new goals. For those who plan on studying abroad in Sevilla, heed my advice, if you wish!

1. Stay disciplined and speak only Spanish. Just do it!

Before my first semester, I had never been in an environment where I only spoke Spanish. I’m confident enough now where at least I realize my mistakes when speaking, but I definitely reverted back to speaking in English near the end of the program. This semester I aim to speak only in Spanish.

2. Visit the Torre de Oro on Mondays. It’s free!

At the top of this monument is, literally, the best view of Sevilla. Better than las Setas in my opinion.

3. Visit las Setas. Not free, but totally guay (cool).

For only three euros, you can get a nice view of Sevilla. For one euro extra, you can get a cheap drink!

4. Make sure you’re happy with your host family and talk to them as much as you can.

5. Record your trip in some way other than just taking photos.

Recommended ideas: journaling, taking videos, and the one second a day app.

6. Eat tapas!

La Gitana Loca has the cheapest tapas ever, though it is super busy on the weekends. You may be wondering, "What are tapas?" Well, I'm glad you asked. They're basically like appetizers, and the locals tend to buy several of them at once to share with friends instead of eating a meal. You can still eat a whole meal though if you want. I'm not imposing a limit on how much you eat there, which will be a lot.

7. Do at least one thing you wouldn’t normally do in regular daily life.

For me that was puenting, aka bridge-jumping. Never ever am I going to jump off a bridge again, but I enjoyed the experience, and it’s something to tell the grandchildren

8. Go to the Coq & Roll café right near the school and drink tea for 1.50 euros.

Coq & Roll is this cute, small café that caters to healthy, organic eaters. English menus provided, of course.

9. Bring a treat to eat in the Plaza de España.

My friend Todd and I bought a few desserts during the Festival de las Naciones and munched on our snacks in the beautiful Plaza. Some of my best pictures are from there. Plus, Star Wars was filmed there, so I'm told (sorry, haven't seen the films).

10. Just talk to random people in the streets. You’d be surprised who you’d meet!

One time I was walking along the Puente de San Telmo, and a man from Denmark (shoutout to Olav if you ever read this) who is studying in Sevilla struck up a conversation with me. Now we practice Spanish together, and I’ve met people through him from Germany and Croatia.

11. Looking for another café? Head to Torch which is right near the Puente de San Telmo.

Torch is the hang-out for many study abroad students, and unlike Coq & Roll there's plenty of space to do homework.

12. Do travel solo.

I’m going to Egypt in March! By myself!

13. Buy experiences, not things.

Besides the fact that it is better for your buck, clothes are ALWAYS available in whatever country you go to. Sure, sometimes, the styles are different and you’re attracted to those styles, but why further buy things you 1) probably don’t need, 2) will take up so much space in your luggage, and 3) you’re just going to lose taste for in the next year. All that money you used to buy clothes probably could’ve paid for a weekend trip to another nearby country. Ask yourself, "Clothes, or Paris?" The answer should be Paris. Every time.

14. Find a good travel group of friends.

Find people who have similar interests and similar traveling styles as you. Are you a traveler who likes to shop or a traveler who wants to look at monuments? A person who wants to shop would probably hate having to walk around so much and vice versa. Lucky to have had these girls with me!

15. Go to a discoteca, a club, at least once for the experience.

I went once, and it was alright. I think I’m more into the chill scene where we drink by the river or in Alameda, the line of bars and restaurants in the center of the city. However, there are plenty of opportunities and places to go to in the city.