I can't believe it's already been two months since the beginning of my study abroad, and I only have two more left! I just finished all my midterms this past week, which for 4 out of 5 of my classes, are the only grades we have besides our final exams. My classes are still going really well, and I've come to learn that in Spain, professors are much more informal and familial with their students than in the U.S., which is also part of the culture. For example, last week, one of my professors wanted to take us out for ice cream one day and we all agreed we would pay for him, but he insisted on paying for all of us instead saying, "Somos una familia, claro que voy a pagar por mi familia!" "We are a family, so of course I'm going to pay for my family!" 

Traveling a lot has also definitely made the time fly by, but all of it has been an amazing experience. Since my last blog, I've added so many new places to my list of travels, all of them within Spain. I know that I can take advantage of being so close to other European countries and travel to as many as possible, but I realized that I prefer to travel a lot more within the country of Spain and get to know the culture in different parts. I also think of it in that every weekend I travel outside Spain, is another weekend that I don't get to practice my Spanish. That being said, I'm happy I've gotten to see so many other cities in Spain like Madrid, Toledo, Malaga, Jerez, Cadiz, Granada, Cordoba, Zahara, and Ronda, which all have unique things to offer! Cadiz, for example, I had already been to at the beginning of the semester, but I went back again a few weekends ago for the famous Cadiz Carnaval, which is the biggest and most famous carnival of Spain. This was definitely such a fun experience because I was able to really understand such a large part of Andalucian culture. I've been able to learn so much about the differences in culture, architecture, and even language between each autonomous region of Spain, and I hope to make my way to others like Basque country and Catalonia by the end of my time here.

My Spanish has also been improving so quickly, even I'm pretty impressed with myself! I've been doing as much as I can to get as much experience speaking Spanish, which was harder than I thought at first, because even though I speak Spanish in my host home and in class, I still speak English with my other American friends because it's easier and obviously more natural. But now I joined three different "intercambio" or exchange speaking programs, where the purpose is to connect American exchange students with Spanish native students so that we both learn each other's language and culture. From these groups, I've made so many great local Spanish friends and being able to hang out with them on the weekends or outside of any organized setting, has made my understanding of the local culture and Spanish-speaking skills significantly better! This has probably been my favorite experience so far and it makes me feel so much more at home here in Seville! 

Can't wait to update you all on my next adventures soon, hasta luego!

Natalya Wozab '20, Women's Swimming and Diving