adiosito, Sevilla

How can one condense a semester into a blog post? By making a bulleted list of highlights, of course:

• Bible study. By far my favorite part of the semester was getting to know a bunch of great girls through the weekly Bible study, led by Nadine and Michelle. Morgan, a friend from my CIEE program, got me connected within a few weeks, and by the end of December I had shared some incredible experiences with these girls. Nadine, Michelle, Morgan, and Lauren were particular blessings during this semester; I learned so much from all of them and loved every moment of the time we spent together!
  
  
  
• intercambios. The best way to learn another language is immerse yourself in it and speak it as often as possible! Cristina, Isa, and Alba helped me practice, correcting my grammar and teaching me new vocabulary. All three of them are wonderful young women; thanks to them I can now speak Spanish with more confidence and fluidity.
  
  
  Alba and me
  


• independence. Sevilla was the first city I've ever lived in, so I learned a great deal about navigating twisted streets, walking everywhere, and avoiding being hit by the above-ground metro. CIEE helped us out with a great deal, but besides the information they gave us there was still plenty to figure out on our own!
  
  
• dependence. From Uganda I learned that it's very difficult to be thrown into an unfamiliar environment without a familiar person to share the experience. Sevilla was the same thing all over again, but for fifteen weeks instead of two. I quickly learned that in all situations, no matter how uncomfortable, I will always have God to depend on. I always have a Friend with me wherever I go.
  
  
• beauty. It comes in all shapes and sizes, in cities and in mountains, in great cathedrals and in orange-tree gardens, in young women and in old men. Sevilla and her people are beautiful in their way, just as Granada is in its breathtaking views, or Michigan in its mounds of snow in winter. Learning to appreciate a place, person, culture, or language for its own beauty is a challenge I'm trying to meet.
  
  
  tourists, vendors, musicians with the Alhambra, Generalife, and Sierra Nevada in Granada
  (click for larger version)

Next adventure: Scotland.