Changes in space, by Morgan Myers

During my time in Seville, I learned a lot about not just the Spanish culture but my own as well. I learned that my life in America, which is seemingly “normal” and easy for me, may just be adaptations to a culture I am familiar with. Stepping out of my comfort zone has allowed me to discover a world of everyday norms that are different from those in American society. Adjusting to a new language, city, and customs was a challenge in and of itself, but one constructional change that particularly challenged and perplexed me was the concept of space. Specifically, where Spaniards spend most of their time socializing.

Something that I had never thought about before arriving in Spain was where I met up to hang out with my friends and family. In the United States, I would drive over to my friends house and spend hours on end sitting on their couch casually spending time with them. We would order food in, grab some drinks, and watch a movie without thinking twice about it. Socializing in a home setting was not a construct I had to think twice about. Upon my arrival in Spain, however, this norm was disrupted when one of my program advisors informed us that most Spaniards only spent time in their homes to eat, clean, and sleep. This means that Spaniards view their homes as being a more personal place where people don’t come to socialize or spend time. At first, I thought this was surely an exaggeration, but as I became more familiar with “the ways” of people living in Seville I found this to be true. Most of my friends that I made through study abroad lived in homestays and we were not allowed into their home, so this forced us to meet up in public to spend time together. Though this was strange at first, I grew accustomed to it and learned to enjoy my time spent exploring the city. It allowed us to try new places often and establish favorite spots that we would return to on a weekly basis.

While the change in my concept of space was uncomfortable for me to adapt to, it allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and spend more time exploring Seville. Many of my most cherished memories that I made are because of this forced change in social norms, and for that I am grateful. Now that I am back in the United States, I am going to remember this positive change and try to implement the norm more into my life here. I will encourage meeting with people outside of our homes and thus explore new areas in places which I am already familiar with.

https://www.thelocal.es/20191128/nine-ways-your-socializing-habits-change-after-moving-to-spain

Caring Strangers, by Sydney Kleis

The day I arrived in Spain I got a call from my doctor back in the U.S. that my MRI results actually showed that I had a femoral stress fracture and that I needed to be on crutches for 4-6 weeks. What I had planned on being a fresh start and time filled with exploration turned on its head. After I got over the shock of my change in mobility for my first weeks in this new place, I was bound and determined to do as much as possible with my two new friends – my dear crutches. This included going to class daily and having to walk a while after I got off the bus.

One morning on the bus, it started to downpour. I couldn’t hold an umbrella and I hadn’t left the house with my raincoat on. As I was crutching through the rain, one elderly man cautioned me not to slip with my crutches in the wet street. Another man who was delivering food offered to give me a ride to where I was going, which I politely declined out of caution. Once again, an elderly man walked up next to me and started talking to me, holding his umbrella over me while we walked together until I got to my destination.

Now I share all this because I was shocked. Three people took time out of their morning to express caring concern for me. Thinking about being on crutches back in the U.S., I believe it would be rare for someone to stop and help me on the street. This story is just one example of how I noticed that Spanish culture is much more relaxed when it comes to one’s personal agenda and people more likely to help strangers. In the U.S., most people are too busy, time-bound, and “stranger-danger” is engrained in our minds at a young age. While I still believe that some people would help me wherever I am in the world, this rainy morning highlighted some fundamental differences in cultural values to me – especially concerning use of time and relationship.

So many questions, by Sydney Glicksman

As soon as I stepped off the bus and was immediately greeted with a kiss on each cheek from my host mother, I knew from here on out, there would be things I never understood.

It was difficult and took more time than I expect to adjust to Spain. I had so many questions at first like, “why does the milk not go in the fridge?”, or “why do people walk so slowly?” and “are eggs always served for dinner?”. As time went on, I would eventually find answers to most of these questions which made me feel like I was starting to understand the culture.

Realizing that very few people spoke English was one of my first major realizations. Building up the courage to speak Spanish when I need to ask for directions or order at a restaurant also took a while. This was something that I really struggled with.

The biggest challenge for me has been living with a host family. Being in college has made me so used to living on my own so it was hard to follow rules again. I was frustrated at first because I felt like I had no freedom. To be honest, this aspect is still not something I enjoy but have learned to deal with.

I look forward to getting even more acclimated to the unique culture in Seville and noticing more differences.