Author Archives: skb5088

The Two-Week Mark

I have officially been in Sevilla for 15 days, and I feel like I’m caught in this weird kind of time warp; I can’t decide if the days are passing by quickly or slowly.  This may sound dumb.  Allow me to try and explain.  On one hand, I feel like time has been FLYING by; how is it possible that I’ve already been here for a little over two weeks?!  But on the other hand, my days are so jam-packed with class, cultural tours, meals with my se�ora and her family, WALKING, and exploring the nightlife that each individual day seems very long.  Weird, right?

However, regardless of whether my time here seems long or short, I am trying to live each day to the fullest and to experience everything that I can!  One of my personal goals is to see all the important cultural sites in Sevilla and I have put myself on a direct path to accomplishing this: so far my favorite tours have been to la Catedral and el Alcazar. Photos are below!

La Catedral (the 3rd largest cathedral in the world)
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La Giralda (the Catedral tower and the tallest point in Sevilla)
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Los Reales Alcazares (royal fortress palaces where the King of Spain used to live! He still stays here when he visits Sevilla)
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In 15 short/long days, I can already feel myself adjusting to this new culture.  I notice the differences, but I welcome them.  I think that’s what global citizenship and intercultural understanding are all about: realizing that other cultures do things that are different from the way you are used to and assimilating into these new ways.  For example, Sevillanos walk EVERYWHERE.  A thirty-minute walk is considered short, and did I mention that most streets are only wide enough to accommodate one car? I have been pressed up against buildings countless times to avoid being hit.  Surprisingly, though, I really enjoy it.  Walking long distances makes me feel healthier and gives me a chance to really notice my surroundings.  And as far as the cars go, they have become part of the surroundings rather than an added nuisance.

I could seriously write forever about the things I’ve done and the nuanced intricacies that I’m learning about myself in the process, but to make a long story short, keeping an open mind and internalizing the new culture has been one of the best decisions I have ever made!  I can’t wait to continue making progress!


Location: Calle Alcantara, Seville, Spain

Hola de Sevilla!

Hola everyone! My name is Steph Brunner and I am writing to you from beautiful Sevilla, Espana!  I am involved in the Seville Summer Language and Culture program through CIEE.  This program operates as three 3-week sessions, and I am staying for all nine weeks!

I just finished my junior year as a psychology major with minors in Spanish and HDFS.  At Penn State, I am a football cheerleader, a research assistant in a developmental psychology lab, the secretary of the Penn State Concert Choir, and a THON volunteer.  Needless to say, I am very busy!  I have known since high school that I wanted to study abroad, and I am so glad that I found the time in my jam-packed schedule to fit this experience into my undergraduate career!

I arrived in Sevilla on Wednesday May 18th.  We stayed in the Hotel Melia-Sol until Friday afternoon when our host families picked us up.  Here is a picture of the hotel!

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Throughout these nine weeks, I will be writing about my goals, my experiences, and my (hopefully) changing perspectives.  My main reason for studying abroad is to completely immerse myself in a new culture, thereby enabling myself to learn about customs and norms, to improve my Spanish skills, and to become a more globally-knowledgeable citizen.  I hope you enjoy reading about my journey this summer! Hasta luego!

Location: Seville, Spain