Laying Roots in Seville

Kevin Cotant is a fourth-year English major and international studies minor studying at the Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain for the fall semester.

For more blog posts from SDSU students studying abroad this fall, visit the SDSU Be International blog.

5,871 miles – the distance between Seville, Spain and my home in San Diego. No matter the distance, the thought of life back home will always prevail and make one appreciate certain tendencies most might take for granted.
I began my time in Spain exactly one week ago. I remember feeling excited yet very nervous boarding my flight to Madrid. There were hordes of people around me in the boarding area speaking Spanish. That’s when it sunk in that there was no going back; the planning I had done and the preparation for this semester abroad had gone hand-in-hand in order to deliver me to that very moment. 

I now sit in my bedroom in my homestay wondering how I can put down all of the feelings I’ve run across over the past seven days into one single blog post. Impossible. But here we go!

Seville is the most beautiful city in the world, I’m convinced. The early morning sounds of the city waking up to enjoy a new day, orange juice and toast for desayuno, tapas and sangria by night – what more is there to enjoy in the south of Spain? 

I was happily surprised to learn my host family lives only two blocks away from Plaza de España – Seville’s gem. My morning commute is an easy 10-minute walk through the Plaza which meets up with one of Seville’s main roads, and just across is Universidad de Sevilla. The commute here is definitely a change of pace from my usual drive down College Avenue and trying to find parking in P12. A pleasure, really.
For anyone thinking about studying abroad, do it. In general, anywhere one decides to lay some sort of roots is a place where life will be lived. While only having lived in Sevilla for three full days thus far, my heart is already starting to lay roots for the beauty of the city and its people. A completely different world laced with genuine personalities, rich food, and a welcoming culture are only some of what I’ve experienced so far.

A whole semester awaits for me and this is only the beginning.

Hasta luego!
For more blog posts from SDSU students studying abroad this fall, visit the SDSU Be International blog.