Saludos de Sevilla! Its unreal to think that just over a month ago, I was in the United States. Since touching down in Madrid on January 10, we have seen amazing sights, eaten delicious food, and begun to understand more Spanish than we did on our first shell-shocked and jet-lagged day trying to navigate our way around Spain’s beautiful capital.
Although these awesome Instagram-worthy moments definitely stick with me, little, day to day moments resonate with me too. In the short amount of time I’ve been here, I can feel aspects of my perspective and outlook on this experience changing for the better. One of the most interesting aspects of this shift is a result of Spaniards’ responses of my presence as an American, as a woman, and as a foreign exchange student lucky enough to study here for five months. For example, on one of my first days in Sevilla, as I stood looking around with a map, an older man came up to me asking if I was lost. After realizing I was American, he kindly offered his not-so flattering view of the US beginning with an imitation of George Bush. Apparently, Americans sound nasally when they speak. According to another Spaniard, Americans sound like they’re talking with bread in their mouths.
These perspectives haven’t all been flattering, and it can be hard to acknowledge that some interactions will be difficult due to different cultural norms. However, I don’t regret any interaction or conversation I’ve had since arriving in Spain. Uncomfortable moments and opinions I might not agree with have forced me to think about and defend my beliefs and think about aspects of my home country, culture, and politics that I might not previously have questioned. For example, after two weeks of watching the daily news with my host mother, I saw Obama’s face for the first time, a face I couldn’t go one day without seeing in the US. When I asked for my host mother’s opinion of Obama, she was indifferent, saying she thought of him only as another American politician. When she asked for my opinions on US politics, it was complicated trying to explain my own position, both in terms of my stance and because I was doing it in Spanish.
All in all, I am grateful to have already had so many experiences in Spain that open my eyes and challenge me to think in ways I haven’t before. I look forward to hearing more about the history, seeing the sights, and eating more tapas while gaining new perspectives and experiencing a culture that causes my to reflect on my own. I’m excited for the months to come and ready to learn more about what this experience will teach me!