1. The People I’ve Met – from new friends to my students, the people I’ve met in the past year have been the best part of living abroad. I have learned so much about Spain and Spanish culture from my students. They have welcomed me into their lives and made me laugh so much along the way! And of course, my life in Seville would not be the same without the friendships I’ve made with other English teachers. I can’t wait to visit friends in the future, no matter what country they might be living in!
My SBFF - life in Seville would not have been the same without Anna
2. Andalucia – from the friendly and laid-back people to the insane amount of parties, I truly believe Andalucia, and specifically Seville, is one of the best places ever. Life is lived to the fullest here and it is evident in almost everyone you meet. Importance is placed on being outside, enjoying food and drinks, and being with friends and family. I think many places in the world could learn a lot from Andalucia.
3. Food and Drinks – from cheap tapas and amazing olive oil to tinto de verano and Cruz Campo, the food and drinks in Seville have been amazing! My diet has changed so much (in some ways for the better, in some for the worst!). I’ve loved it! I plan to take the concept of tapas with me wherever I live in the future.
4. Learning Spanish in Andalucia – uff! The slang, the accent, the expressions, the passion – I love it. I’ve always enjoyed the sound of Spanish, but I have fallen in love with it all over again after this past year. Although I don’t feel my Spanish has improved nearly as much I would like, I feel more determined than ever to become close to fluent. It’s such a fun and expressive language to speak.
5. The Ability to Travel – for less money and very little travel time, you can be in a completely different country. I love Europe for this reason! The only two countries I’ve visited this year have been Portugal and Italy, but I look forward to more possibilities next year.
6. Cultural Differences – seeing and experiencing the differences in people, lifestyles, and culture is always one of my favorite parts of traveling. Living abroad has given me a completely new perspective on this. Being able to truly experience the differences has been amazing! Religious and traditional celebrations like Semana Santa and Feria are unlike anything I have ever seen. It was so fun to be a part of them!
7. The History – no where in the US can you find places with so much history. I’ve seen Roman Ruins from 100BC, the place where Isabel and Ferdinand sent Columbus to discover the New World, places where Muslim, Arabic, and Christian architecture have come together, and so much more.
8. Less Stress - although I have had a number of stressful days, overall, I have been more relaxed this year than ever in my adult life. I’ve had so little stomach pain (always a sign of stress) and so much more time for me. I’m so excited to work more and actually have a little more stress in my life, but this year has really shown me the effect stress, or lack of it, has on me physically.
9. Learning About English - what a complex language we speak! Anna and I have had so many conversations about the meaning of expressions (What’s the difference between “I don’t care” and “I don’t mind?”), the differences in English from country to country (z vs. zed, butter/butta) , and grammar (What’s the first conditional?). Yep, it’s a bit nerdy, but I have loved every minute of it! Languages are just so fascinating, especially when you have to try and explain them to others.
10. I really did it! – although I’ve had a handful of very rough days (trying to find a place to live, being more broke than ever, day after day of rain), overall this experience has been SO fantastic. I took a risk and it worked out even better than I could have expected. I’ve learned so much about myself in this past year – what I want, what is important to me, and what I can do. Wow!
I constantly stop and think about how lucky I am for the life I’m living. What an amazing year it has been! Thinking about living abroad? If you have the right attitude and a support system in place, I recommend it without hesitation.
