El Fin de Semana
Pasado (Last Weekend)
Some of you
might know this feeling. You’ve embarked on an adventure that took weeks worth
of planning, but it’s only a few days after (or in my case three weeks) until
it finally hits you. It finally sinks in that you are thousands of miles away
from home and the beach is about an hour and a half away by bus (this is coming
from a girl who lives in the tsunami zone back at home). Fortunately I haven’t
gotten too homesick yet, but just word of advice to those studying abroad. Homesickness is a completely normal feeling,
but don’t let it take over your experience. Make lot of friends, sign up for
intercambio (a program where you meet a local and practice speaking Spanish
with them), volunteer, and make travel plans. I’ve done all the above! Now I
finally feel as if my five-month journey has begun.
This
weekend was all about exploring. I went with a bunch of friends from my college
to the nearby town of Carmona. This is the first time I’ve spent time outside
of Sevilla and Carmona is only about a 5 euro round trip bus ride away. Unlike the
city of Sevilla, Carmona is a small town situated on a hillside. All the houses
were whitewashed with yellow-gold trimmings. I loved just roaming through the
winding cobblestone streets and admiring the antiquated feel of the town. Since
the town used to be occupied by the Romans it had several ancient Roman ruins.
But for me the most breathtaking views in Carmona were the green fields and
farmlands that encompassed the town. I
felt more at home seeing green open space because it reminded me of home,
although in Maui I’d be looking at acres of sugar cane fields. Carmona was the
perfect (and economical) weekend getaway.
Fútbol (soccer in the states) is a big deal here in Spain. My host brother always talks about soccer with my roommate and I during siesta. He got us 10 euro tickets, which is really cheap for a game. He and his friend took us to the stadium from our house, and to be honest I might have enjoyed the ride there almost as much as the game itself. It might seem a little silly but it’s because they took us on their motorcycles. I’ve been on a moped before and it really does give you a bit of a rush. But riding in the twilight on a motorcycle in Spain with a Spanish guy kind of takes the cake. At the fútbol game there were a lot so many people (the majority were guys (hombres)). I’m pretty sure the stadium is bigger than Aloha Stadium and it was almost packed. The game was heated because it was Betis vs Sevilla (two very competitive rivals). The energy from the fans made it a neat atmosphere to be a part of. Everyone wore the colors of their team and it reminded me a lot of football games back at home. And the players were so swift and agile so I had my eyes glued to the field almost the entire time. Luckily Sevilla won so my host brother and his friend were in a good mood when they took us home. ¡Fue muy divertido! (It was very fun!) What a whirlwind weekend!
Fútbol (soccer in the states) is a big deal here in Spain. My host brother always talks about soccer with my roommate and I during siesta. He got us 10 euro tickets, which is really cheap for a game. He and his friend took us to the stadium from our house, and to be honest I might have enjoyed the ride there almost as much as the game itself. It might seem a little silly but it’s because they took us on their motorcycles. I’ve been on a moped before and it really does give you a bit of a rush. But riding in the twilight on a motorcycle in Spain with a Spanish guy kind of takes the cake. At the fútbol game there were a lot so many people (the majority were guys (hombres)). I’m pretty sure the stadium is bigger than Aloha Stadium and it was almost packed. The game was heated because it was Betis vs Sevilla (two very competitive rivals). The energy from the fans made it a neat atmosphere to be a part of. Everyone wore the colors of their team and it reminded me a lot of football games back at home. And the players were so swift and agile so I had my eyes glued to the field almost the entire time. Luckily Sevilla won so my host brother and his friend were in a good mood when they took us home. ¡Fue muy divertido! (It was very fun!) What a whirlwind weekend!
...riding in the twilight on a motorcycle in Spain with a Spanish guy...
ReplyDeleteYeah, better than cake!