Primeras Impresiones (First Impressions)

After years of daydreaming, months of planning, and moments of stress and excitement, I am finally in Sevilla. 

Honestly, the emotions I feel ahora? I'm not even sure...

Usually when I go on trips that I have been thinking of for months on end, I tend to feel as though the first half of the time feels like a daydream in it of itself and by the time I actually believe I am there, I have to leave and it's as if I never left home. 

Sevilla es diferente. I don't know if it's because I have been thinking of this trip possibly longer than any other, or if it's because I am going without my family, or if it is the fact that I am actually living in another country rather than a brief visit. I'm sure that once my time is over, I will look back and think that three and a half months in Spain was not that long, but at the moment, all I can think is that Sevilla will be yet another place that I may have to call mi casa. Whatever this feeling may be, I am excited for this difference and the adventure that awaits me just around the river bend (Christina, that one's for you!) 

Anyways, aside from the fact that I have been awake for more than thirty hours (give or take a few snoozes on one of the three plane rides I took to get here), what are mis primeras impresiones de Sevilla?

1). From the small window of my third plane, I originally thought, "Wow, Sevilla is very brown." After a few more minutes, it seemed to turn from brown into a more redish hue, then a glimpse of green here and there, and finally back to the brown that I originally observed. 

2). The moment I stepped off the plane, I realized that I was not in Seattle anymore as it was 30-something degrees... Celsius... Which translates to a nice toasty 90-something in Fahrenheit. 

3). After finally finding my group of fellow CEA Study Abroad students and boarding a nice, cool, air-conditioned autobus, we progressively dropped people off at their homestays, or apartments; or in my case, finalmente, our casa de Sevilla. But as we were meandering the narrow streets of Sevilla, I couldn't help but notice a few things: there are many more palm trees here than I expected (I mean, don't most people think of Hawaii or some other tropical place when palm trees are mentioned?); it looks quite a lot like Mexico (Go figure, right?); and though the apartments and buildings are older than most American ones, they are beautiful and its antiqueness (To make up a word... That's for you, Dad!) adds to their charm. 

4). Okay, so this fourth impression is not actually about Sevilla, but it is about my Señora - otherwise known as our "Spanish mother" while here in Sevilla. She is the sweetest woman ever and I loved her almost the moment that she caught me by surprise as I disembarked from the bus and gave me dos besos (two kisses, as is custom in most of Europe). I think she is the heart and soul of this famous Sevillano hospitality that I have often heard of. For almuerzo, we ate sopa de pollo y papas (Chicken and soup - very hearty and filling). And for la cena, we ate sopa de coliflor (Cauliflower soup) and fajitas. Even though my stomach, mind, and sleep cycle are all on completely different schedules at this moment, I definitely enjoyed my first two home-cooked Spanish meals! 

5). This final "first impression" is a bit of a random observation, but when I ventured out into the streets of Seville with some of the girls from mi casa, I noticed that the narrow streets here cause two things to happen - one, people almost get run over by autobuses on a frequent basis; and two, walking is the name of the game here! Good thing I brought my walking shoes!

Well, those are all of the thoughts that I have for now... I'm sure I will have plenty more to come muy pronto! Stay tuned for some fotografías (pictures), too! 

Adiós!