It’s hard to believe that I have already been back in Spain a week! In some ways, it seems like I was just in Indianapolis yesterday. In others, it seems as though I never really left Spain. Although this past week has been packed with Spanish classes and all sorts of social activities arranged by the school, I’ve also had a lot of time on my own. After six weeks of travel and vacation, I realized that I had kind of forgotten what “real life” is actually like! It’s been quite a (nice) adjustment to have time to wander around the city on my own, take siestas, begin to develop a few routines, and have some evenings with very little to do (especially without internet or tv!).

This extra time, in addition to living on my own, has provided lots of time for thought as well. More than anything, this past week has really reaffirmed just how much I love Spain. Although Barcelona is a completely different city than Seville – in size, diversity, language, landscape, number of tourists, etc. – it is equally fantastic. I already feel myself falling in love with this place!

And why? There are a million and one reasons, but so much of it comes down to the people and the lifestyle. Wonderful men at the post office helped me yesterday to get boxes to my place – they were incredible! Another man at a store thanked me for speaking in Spanish (no matter how broken it was!) and told me how much he appreciated me making the effort. The waiters and shop owners on my block already recognize and welcome me in, even after just a week. And all of these interactions are so passionate and expressive! The language, the hand gestures, the intonation – I just can’t get enough of it! As my own Spanish is starting to increase, I feel myself trying out more expressions and phrases and actually saying them correctly - and it’s so fun! I feel more determined than ever to leave Spain, whenever that may be, speaking at a level as close to fluency as possible.

So, as I type this in my apartment with my windows open, I am listening to the buzz of conversations and the clinking of glasses on terraces, in plazas, and on the street – the vibrancy of life in Spain becoming clearer with every “Hola, guapa! Que tal?” I hear . . .