我需要一辆交通工具来我家附近 

Since I arrived at SVQ during the airport pickup window (between 8 a.m - 8 p.m.), I was grateful to take advantage of 东航卡帕’s organized airport pickup and drop-off to my Casa de Sevilla housing assignment in Alameda de Hércules. 在行李提取处取了我的包之后, I gathered with a group of 东航卡帕 students in the arrivals area before being directed to board a large bus. 而我无疑是疲惫不堪的旅行了一天多, I appreciated getting my first glimpse into the city from the bus as it drove students to their appropriate neighborhoods.  

见我的舍监 & 说西班牙语 

As we approached my housing assignment, the bus pulled into a plaza called Alameda de Hércules. 当时我不知道，但后来我在我的一个 留学课程 阿拉米达是欧洲最古老的公园. Today, the cafes and bars that line the street are often lively as people enjoy each other's company. 

当公共汽车停在阿拉米达·德·海姆斯转圈时, 东航卡帕 coordinated to have my house mom waiting to guide me back to the apartment, where she gave me a set of keys and instructed me on how to navigate the building properly. 记住，有些街道是狭窄的鹅卵石铺成的, 所以公交车不会让你在你的确切地址下车. 信不信由你, the picture below is one of the medium-sized streets as some are only as wide as my arm span! 值得庆幸的是, 我设法轻装上阵，只带了一个旅行箱, 我的背包, 还有一个手提袋，让步行变得简单. 少即是多! 



等我到家的时候, 那是下午晚些时候, so my house mom kindly cooked some lunch which was nice since it was a while since I last ate. She proceeded to ask me about any food preferences or dietary restrictions. I can confidently say our house mom’s home-cooked meals are truly the best meal plan possible – fresh ingredients centered around a Mediterranean diet – delicious! While everything she made tasted incredible, my favorite meal from abroad was “pisto con huevo.”  



皮斯托炖牛肉是我们到达后的第一餐. Pisto类似于各种蔬菜的炖菜. 我们吃的是鸡蛋和红薯配菜! 午餐和晚餐都吃法棍面包是很常见的. The baguette gets passed around the table and ripped apart by each person to pair with the main meal.

我们用西班牙语交流, 而且我上次上西班牙语课已经两年了, it was a challenge for me to get immediately thrown back into it – especially without rest. It quickly became clear I needed to swallow my ego and ask for clarity or follow-up questions if I wanted to set myself up to improve my Spanish. 我知道语言适应将继续是一个挑战, 然而, I continued trying and leaned into the opportunities I had to engage with my house mom, 其他当地人, and my roommates as we all tried to learn more about the language and 文化 of the people who call Sevilla home. 

抵达活动:自行车之旅，教堂之旅，迎新会 & 科尔多瓦 

东航卡帕 organized many orientation activities upon the first days of our arrival, 包括骑自行车游览整个城市. This provided a first-hand experience of how accessible Sevilla is for either walkers or bikers with well-developed bike lanes. We also participated in a guided tour of the Catedral de Sevilla, which is a focal point of the city.

 
东航卡帕 provided students with a comprehensive schedule of sessions concerning academic expectations and cultural adjustment tips, in addition to other program orientation sessions before courses started. It was lovely to take a day trip through some of the countryside to Córdoba on the first Saturday in 西班牙, 在那里我们参观了梅兹基塔大教堂Córdoba. 我们还在镇上游览了几个小时, 吃了午餐, and even walked the grounds of the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos before reconvening with the group to take the bus provided by 东航卡帕 back to Sevilla. 

属于自己的时间 

离家前, I vowed to journal every day during my semester abroad with an internal commitment to remember every moment. 坦白说:我没有做到.  

During my first week in Sevilla, I kept busy and adjusted to many changes. 被西班牙语包围, 适应新的日程安排, 参与到港活动, 认识这么多新朋友还是很令人兴奋的, 同时排水. 尽管我很想捕捉一切, 我意识到我的身体在每天结束的时候都需要休息. 作为权宜之计, 我在手机上做了一个项目列表, 等我有了更多自己的时间, 在写日记之前，我参考了笔记. 有一次，我比较适应这几天, I intentionally wrote while sitting along the Rio Guadalquivir - only about a 20-minute walk from my home or the 东航卡帕 塞维利亚 Center. The river has a bright atmosphere with chatter, street music, and sunshine. 

I reflected on my robust 到达过程 during the initial days of my study abroad program and realized Sevilla became more of a home to me through new routines, 文化, 和身边的人.