A sense of unity, by Melo Wilson

My short time in Sevilla was my first time in Spain, and my first time travelling across the ocean to Europe. Although I spent 2/4 months there, I enjoyed every second of it, learning how to put myself out there more, improving my Spanish, trying new food, and making the most of my time in Sevilla. From my short time there, one of the major things that I noticed in comparison to the United States was sense of unity and community between Sevillanos.

I’m from New York City and although New Yorkers say that there’s an unspoken sense of community between each other, it doesn’t compare to Sevilla. While walking through the streets of New York, everyone has their heads facing forward without little acknowledge to the people they’re passing and bumping into. On the other hand, in Sevilla everyone would enjoy each other’s’ company at a cevercería, or a botellón, any situation where they were outdoors and drinking. Americans tend to drink to get drunk but Spaniards drink to enjoy hanging out with their loved ones.

When I arrived to the apartment of my host family, I was greeted with a brief explanation on how to kiss both cheeks when I greet a woman. From there on, I knew I would have to adjust some things to fit the culture of Spain because I went there to learn how the Spaniards live. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

The public displays of affection of the couples in the street, whether a gay couple or a straight couple, they weren’t afraid to show how strongly they felt about the other. This was inspirational because America isn’t full of affectionate people, myself included, but seeing how Sevillanos interacted with each other, I’ve started to change the way I act, showing my affection more to my love ones. When people ask me “How was Spain”, I will always make sure to bring up how welcoming and comfortable I felt to the point where I wasn’t afraid to be myself in any way.